Big City Life Meets Veedel-Feeling (Cologne)
Have a picnic in nature with a view of the cathedral, ride along impressive architecture and discover all the hip “Veedel” (quarters) of Cologne. Dive deep into the vibe of the metropolis and still find nature everywhere!
This city with a million inhabitants lies on the banks of the Rhine, where giant cargo shops pass underneath the bridges and sea gulls cry in the wind. Yet you could almost forget that you are in Germany’s fourth largest city, because the bike paths along the river and through the city parks get you around in no time.
This is the best way to explore the different quarters – called Veedel in Cologne – of the city. Check out the street art of Ehrenfeld, before heading on to the south of the city for all the cute shops and cafés. Take a trip to the “Pollerwiesen” meadows to watch the sun set behind the urban panorama of the harbour. There are plenty of routes to choose from, so there will be something for everyone.
Tobias Rademacher 
Leon Shefi
TIP: The people of Cologne love their city and their local culture. For the full experience of Cologne’s culture, visit one of the many brewery houses in town and have a fresh “Kölsch” – the local beer – with “Himmel und Äd”, a local delicacy that includes potatoes and apples.
ROUTES: There are 16 different routes around the city.
SIGNS: Find your own personal route on the website. You’ll find red and white signs posting the nearest destinations for your bike trip all over the city. The website gives you many detailed route ideas.
Pure Enchantment Along the Waterways (Rhine-Erft)
The region from Bonn to Aachen is dominated by the Rhine, the Erft and many other small and larger waterways. This area has the highest density of moated castles in Europe, along a network of around 380 kilometres of cycle paths.
Majestically, the beautiful renaissance castle Merode in Langerwehe rises up among the fields. The small, family-owned castle is one of around 120 historic moated castles in the region. Some, like Miel Castle, are located along picturesque canals, while others, like Drachenburg Castle, are perched high above the Rhine.
But almost all of them have one thing in common; a journey into the past. Most of these magnificent historic castles are open to the public and are often the scene of entertaining cultural events – such as the knights’ games at Satzvey Castle. The “Wasserburgen Route” (route of the moated castles) leads in one big loop through the south of NRW. If you’re feeling sporty, you can do the whole tour in one trip. But individual stages also offer wonderful day trips. Conveniently, the tour is suitable for all fitness levels due to its flat terrain.
Dmitry Orda/ Shutterstock.com 
Dmitry Orda/ Shutterstock.com
TIP: Many of the beautifully restored moated castles are home to cute castle cafés. The café in Türnich Castle is our favourite.
ROUTE: From Königswinter, the route goes to Aachen and back again on a parallel route. You can start anywhere along the tour. In total, the Water Castles Route covers almost 380 kilometres divided into eight stages.
SIGNS: The blue logo of the “Wasserburgen-Route” with a castle and a bicycle on it can be found at all important points along the tour.
