Roman history and the floodplain landscapes of the Lower Rhine give a trip to Wesel a range of different highlights. In Xanten, a town in the Wesel district, the LVR Archaeological Park Xanten is located on the site of the Roman city of Colonia Ulpia Traiana. It is Germany’s largest archaeological open-air museum. At the LVR-Roman Museum, you can see numerous original finds from the Roman city and the two legionary camps. They tell the story of the city’s origins, heyday and decline; the tour takes you through the Roman centuries in a spectacular building.
Roman history in the park and museum
The park and Roman museum regularly offer demonstrations, festivals and a variety of activities to watch and take part in. This means you can explore the site not only through its exhibits, but also through its events. Dates and offerings vary: if a particular event is important to your trip, check the schedule in advance.
Bislicher Insel: floodplain and birdwatching
Bislicher Insel in Xanten offers a very different side of the destination. It is one of the last near-natural floodplain landscapes on the Lower Rhine, and large areas are protected. In winter, the nature reserve is home to several thousand Arctic geese, especially greater white-fronted geese and barnacle geese. This makes winter a distinctive time to observe these species of geese.
Three observation huts along the trail offer views over the water. With a little luck, you can spot numerous bird species there. The huts provide a specific vantage point from which to enjoy the landscape, while the geese make the season an important factor in your plans. If you would also like to plan around a signposted route length, the Hirschkäfer Route is 3.7 kilometres long and starts at the hiking car park at the south entrance to the Diersfordter Wildgatter.
Routes through Wesel and Hamminkeln
The route “Sustainability along the way,” audited by the ADFC, runs through Wesel and Hamminkeln and passes mainly through Hohe Mark Nature Park. It therefore offers a different setting from the specific 3.7-kilometre Hirschkäfer Route. Check the route information before setting off if you are using it to plan your trip.
History in Dingden and Kamp-Lintfort
At the Humberghaus historical site in Dingden, Hamminkeln, authentic details preserve the history of the house and how it was used, as well as the history of Jewish life in Dingden. The house also contains a rare surviving private mikveh, a Jewish ritual bath. This special place links the history of a house with a tangible testament to Jewish religious practice.
In Kamp-Lintfort, the treasury at the Kloster Kamp Museum tells the centuries-old story of Kamp Abbey. It was established for this purpose in 1987. The monastery shop sells Kamp honey, Kamp pralines and Kamp beet syrup as souvenirs; product availability may vary. Here, a historic collection sits alongside a specific local shopping opportunity, without implying a general promise about regional cuisine.
Nature experience at Haus Esselt
The grounds of Haus Esselt in HĂĽnxe include a park with the Issel river and a forest. You can explore a BiParcours there, with activities and quiz questions that turn a walk into an experience for the whole family. The combination of landscape and activities gives the visit a different focus from birdwatching at Bislicher Insel; details of the parcours may change.
Which themes you combine depends on whether you are more interested in history, nature or both.
Discover more destinations: Xanten, Wesel, Schermbeck, Neukirchen-Vluyn, Moers, Kamp-Lintfort, Hamminkeln, Rheinberg, Voerde, Voshövel, Dinslaken, Sonsbeck, Hünxe, Alpen.
Return to the main travel overview: North Rhine-Westphalia.
