Garden City – experience contrasts

This approximately 48-kilometer circuit shows the green side of the
Ruhr area. Lots of nature, historic old towns, beautiful gardens - the Ruhr area
also has a lot to offer for nature lovers. With its railway lines and towpaths
this circuit is almost exclusively away from traffic - ideal for families.

The starting location
The tour starts directly at the main train station in Mülheim an der Ruhr. The start is therefore very easy to reach both with long-distance trains and with local transport. Those arriving by car will find a cost-effective but inexpensive option at the large car park on the Konrad-Adenauer Bridge. Those interested can find rental bikes directly at the train station in the RevierRad station.

start of the tour
From the train station, a ramp takes you onto the new Ruhr Express Cycle Route (RS 1), which leads slightly uphill from here in the direction of Essen. Perhaps not with the most attractive routing directly along the tracks, the RS 1 stands for the future of bicycle mobility in Germany and is primarily aimed at commuters. One day it should run over 101 kilometers from Duisburg to Hamm.

Via the Grugastrasse to the garden city
 At junction 1, the tour branches off to the east onto the Grugatstrasse. Although this is not yet completely paved, it leads up to Essen-Rüttenscheid just as car-free. In any case, the short detour to Margarethenhöhe is worthwhile. This settlement, designed as a classic garden city, fascinates with its calming buildings. Each house looks somehow similar and yet individual - a masterpiece of architecture.

The Gruga Park
The extensive park, which was founded in 1929 as the Great Ruhrland Horticultural Exhibition, is now an important place of tranquility in the middle of the hustle and bustle of a big city. Between rose gardens, dahlia shows and model gardens, there is plenty of inspiration for your home garden. Regular concerts provide the appropriate cultural entertainment, and many playgrounds make the Gruga a paradise for children.

The Ruhr Valley Cycle Path
In Rüttenscheid, cyclists will find plenty of restaurants to fortify themselves for the rest of the tour. The Grugatstrasse leads downhill from here and is well developed down into the Ruhr Valley near Bergerhausen. The tour now leads back to Mülheim an der Ruhr via the RuhrtalRadweg. Above all, the unexpected nature in the floodplain of the Ruhr fascinates.

The local recreation area Baldeneysee
At weekends, the Baldeneysee is one of the hotspots in the Ruhr area on nice days. Whether cyclists, pedestrians or inline skaters - it can get a bit crowded here. If you want to escape the hustle and bustle for a short time, take a tour of the lake with the Weißen Flotte Baldeney. With the Villa Hügel and the headframe of the Carl Funke colliery on the north bank, there is also important industrial culture here.

Half-timbered idyll on the Ruhr
Down the river, two beautiful half-timbered old towns await visitors in the districts of Werden and Kettwig. Nice cafés and good restaurants invite you to take a short break from the saddle. In Werden, the Neukircher lock and the Papiermühlenschleuse are reminiscent of the heyday of shipping on the Ruhr around the middle of the 19th century. The towpath between the two parts of the city takes cyclists directly to the Ruhr on one of the most beautiful sections of the RuhrtalRadweg. After Kettwig, the tour leads through the Ruhr meadows and wide fields in the direction of Mülheim an der Ruhr. The prominent bridge of the A 52 as part of the Route of Industrial Culture catches the eye of the cyclists, which spans the Ruhr Valley. With a nice café and a great herb garden, Saarn Monastery is a wonderful place to relax.

Back to the main station
In the MüGa Park, which emerged from the State Garden Show in 1992, the historic Broich Castle and the Camera Obscura are popular sights. The tour then leads via the RS 1 over a bridge over the Ruhr, which was only recently opened to the public, back to the main station.