Wondertour #6 Düren → Düren
A Wondertour through Düren
This cycling route takes you around Düren with start and finish at the Leopold-Hoesch-Museum. The route gives you a little bit of everything: the hustle and bustle of the city centre, with its historic buildings and memorials, the green and relaxing setting of the city parks and fun and leisure at a beautiful lake with sandy beaches.
Tour highlights
Start: Leopold-Hoesch-Museum (Düren), Google Maps
Leopold-Hoesch-Museum, founded in 1905 and expanded in 2010 with a new building by Peter Kulka, is an art museum with a collection that focuses on Classical Modernism and Expressionism as well as on Constructive Art and Post-war Modernism. In addition to representative works form the collection's holdings, including works by Max Beckmann, Otto Dix, Wassily Kandinsky, Paula Modersohn-Becker and Günther Uecker, the Leopold-Hoesch-Museum presents temporary exhibitions on key positions in international Contemporary Art and on cultural-historical themes. The ceiling painting 'The Conference of the Birds' (2011) by Ulrich Rückriem and Otto Piene's 'Lichtraum' (2010) are on permanent display. In addition to regular lecture and film programmes, the museum offers individual guided tours and workshops.
Rückriem - Stelen
Photo: Düren Tourismus
Ten pillars mark spots throughout Düren where people suffered at the hands of the Nazi dictatorship. Artist Ulrich Rückriem created the memorials back in 1988 and they can be found in these locations: Schützenstraße, Wernersstraße, Gerstenmühle, District Court, LVR Clinic, Anne Frank-Gesamtschule School, Birkesdorf, Arnoldsweiler, Gürzenich, and Lendersdorf.
Annakirche Google Maps
Photo: Düren Tourismus
The current Anne's Church replaces the three-aisled Gothic basilica, which was destroyed in 1944. The oldest parts of the basilica dated from the second half of the 13th century. With a 100-metre-high bell tower, the once proud structure formed the city's most important church building. The historic portal of the Gothic church built into the modern church is a listed building in the city of Düren.
Willy-Brandt-Park Google Maps
Photo: DN-web.de
The Willy-Brandt-Park park is located directly on the Ruhr river. Right next to the park is the former city nursery with the pavilion of the Chinese twin city Jinhua, the city's oldest tennis facility and the city park restaurant. Opposite of the park in the Valencienner Straße is the factory site of the former Leopold Schoeller fine cloth factory.
Dürener Badesee Google Maps
Düren Bathing Lake is a quarry lake that was filled with gravel and was originally a brown coal open pit mine that was listed in the relevant archives as 'Düren Open Pit Mine'. There is enough space for 10,000 swimmers here given that the surface of the water covers 350,000 m². The lake is 11 m at its deepest point and spans 20,000 m² of land. Children and families can visit for a natural swimming experience and chill out by the side of the lake, which gradually levels out. There’s plenty to keep sporty types entertained, but anyone who’s feeling less energetic can head to the terrace at Strandwerk restaurant for food and cocktails.
End: Leopold-Hoesch-Museum (Düren), Google Maps