Kempen’s Electoral Cologne state castle, cultural venues in the Franciscan monastery, markets and cycling tours offer several specific starting points for a stay. When planning, you can choose whether to focus on architectural history, museums and concerts, a market date or cycling.

Castle, historic landmarks and museums

The Electoral Cologne state castle in Kempen was built between 1396 and 1400. After a fire, it was rebuilt in the Neo-Gothic style between 1856 and 1863. The construction and rebuilding periods thus mark two clearly distinct phases in the history of this building. Those interested in the history of historic landmarks will also find Gut Heimendahl in Kempen: the protected ensemble is more than 650 years old and of significance beyond the region. In the district of Tönisberg, the Tönisberg post mill has wings 18 metres long.

The Kramer Museum is located in the Franciscan Monastery Cultural Forum. The Lower Rhine Museum of Sacred Art is also housed in the cultural forum’s monastery church. The “Kempen Monastery Concerts” are held in this church, which is used as a museum. This means you can find both a museum of sacred art and a concert series at the same cultural venue, without needing to plan around a specific concert date. On the church square, a monument to Thomas à Kempis stands in the shadow of the provost church.

Markets, festivals and cultural events

The Mid-Lent Market falls on the third Tuesday of Lent; the Hubertus Market is held annually on 3 November. More than 200 traders gather at each market in Kempen’s historic old town. The markets therefore offer two distinct dates to plan a visit around. Traditional festivals in Kempen also include Carnival, St Martin’s Day and the fair. The Christmas market, “Market of Stars,” is held in the old town’s historic setting. If you want to plan your trip around a particular market or festival, check the specific event date in advance.

Cycling tours with different details

Twelve cycling tours start and finish in Kempen. The Kempener Grenzsteinweg is a 38-kilometre cycling tour around Kempen, with 13 stops and more than 100 historic boundary stones. Its 38-kilometre length and 13 stops give you specific details to help plan the tour. Before setting off, check the local signage and route conditions.

The signposted Kempener Land circular cycling route passes through fields along Königshütte and Königshütte Lake. Before setting off, check the local signage and current route conditions. When choosing a route, you can distinguish between the starting and finishing points listed for Kempen, the Grenzsteinweg with its specified distance, and the landscape sections described along the Kempener Land route.

Old town and short distances

Kempen’s historic old town is just a two-minute walk from the train station. A green belt with places to take a short break surrounds the historic town centre. These are two different points to consider when planning your stay: the walk connects the train station to the old town, while the green belt offers places to rest around the town centre. This way, you can take both the old town’s location and an option for a short break into account when planning.

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

Return to the main travel overview: Viersen.