Grefrath combines medieval heritage, special exhibitions on local folklore, canoe trips on the Niers, a network of cycling and hiking trails, and ice sports. When planning, it helps to choose your main focus early: should your time be devoted primarily to culture, activity on the water, on the trails or on the ice? You can shape your stay around the mix you want and take the different themes into account when planning your trip.

Culture in Grefrath: Uda Castle and Dorenburg

Uda Castle is the ruins of a medieval castle in Grefrath’s Oedt district. It adds a historical note alongside the town’s nature and sports attractions. The Lower Rhine Open-Air Museum complements the cultural offering with changing special exhibitions on local folklore in the heritage-listed Dorenburg. Medieval heritage and folklore exhibitions thus offer two distinct cultural interests. If you include the museum in your plans, bear in mind that some special exhibitions may change, and check the current programme.

The Niers, cycling and hiking trails, and ice rinks

The Niers flows through Grefrath from south to north and offers canoe trips lasting from around two hours to several days. This range makes it easy to plan your time: a trip of about two hours takes considerably less time than a multi-day outing. You can decide how much of your stay you want to devote to paddling. Operating conditions and availability may vary.

On land, the Grefrath section of the Maas-Schwalm-Nette International Nature Park has a well-developed network of cycling and hiking trails. Cycling and hiking offer their own ways to spend time outdoors; the Niers adds a perspective from the water. If you want to combine several of these activities, you can first weigh up a canoe trip with a set duration against a more flexible focus on cycling or hiking.

For a different focus, there is the Grefrath Ice Sport & Event Park. It has more than 8,000 m² of ice surface: an indoor rink, a covered outdoor rink and an outdoor oval. These three types of ice surface make ice sports a distinct alternative to the river and trails. As the facility’s layout may change, check the operator’s latest information before your visit.

In the wider Viersen destination

The Viersen district, with its towns and municipalities and the Schwalm-Nette Nature Park, is an important part of the Lower Rhine tourism destination. The Viersen District Rail Trail offers a distinctive regional route: it is 122.8 kilometres long and runs on or alongside disused railway lines through wide fields and quiet forests. The route leads to the idyllic lake landscape of the Krickenbeck Lakes.

Another suggested route in the wider Viersen destination is the Viersen Circuit. A good starting point is the boat landing on the Niers near Viersen-Süchteln; the route initially follows the Niers for several kilometres through the Saalbruch nature reserve. Detours lead to the Clörath Mill viewpoint and to Dülken’s historic town centre at cycling junction 40. There you’ll find the historic History Mile and the Narrenmühle, an old post mill with a fools’ museum. The circuit also passes St Mary Help of Christians Parish Church in Dornbusch. While disused railway lines and landscapes define the Viersen District Rail Trail, the Viersen Circuit takes in the Niers and Saalbruch as well as viewpoints and historic places.

Discover more destinations: Nettetal, Schwalmtal, Willich, Brüggen, Niederkrüchten, Tönisvorst, Kempen, Viersen

Return to the main travel overview: Viersen.