Tour along the Ruhr and through the Bergische Land.
One of the most strenuous district routes in the radrevier.ruhr: on a length of 57 kilometres you have to cover 460 metres in altitude. From the Ruhr valley
the circular route leads up towards the Bergisches Land. The beautiful, gently rolling
landscape is therefore also the central experience on this tour.
The starting point
As an anchor point on the Route of Industrial Heritage, the Henrichshütte in Hattingen is a good starting point for this tour. There are plenty of parking spaces here. Those arriving by train can also join the tour from Hattingen / Ruhr station.
Start of the tour
From the impressive Henrichshütte, the route first leads directly to the Ruhr. Along the south bank, cyclists enjoy the beautiful nature directly on the river. At junction 26, the route branches off from the RuhrtalRadweg and leads along city streets to the entrance of the former coal railway, today known primarily as the Glück-Auf route.
Always slightly uphill - the Glück-Auf route
At first you hardly notice it, but the railway route runs continuously uphill. Without road traffic, your gaze can wander again and again to the fields and forests of the hilly landscape. If you still haven't had enough of the Bergisch at junction 7, you could quickly get from here through the Schee tunnel to the popular Nordbahntrasse in Wuppertal. However, this route branches off here and now leads in the direction of Wetter.
Landidylle am Rande des Bergischen
Whoever pays close attention will also find industrial cultural legacies here. Most of them go back to the early beginnings of Ruhr mining, which started here in the south and then spread further and further north over the centuries. What is most convincing, however, is the rural idyll that is visible everywhere along the way here and is an exciting contrast to the central Ruhr area.
The Elbschetal railway
After a bit of road traffic, it is the route of the former Elbschetal railway that leads cyclists back into the Ruhr valley. The historic centre of Wengern is worth seeing, with some lovely half-timbered houses and nice cafés and restaurants. The small Henriette Davidis Museum commemorates the teacher whose "Practical Cookbook" became a standard work in German kitchens.
Back via the RuhrtalRadweg
From Wetter-Wengern, the route now leads back to Hattingen via the popular RuhrtalRadweg. For cyclists, the Nachtigall colliery, the Hardenstein ferry with its neighbouring castle ruins and Lake Kemnader are all worthwhile stops to give your body a short break from the saddle.
The Henrichshütte Hattingen
Of course, every cyclist should also leave enough time for the Henrichshütte. In the exhibition halls, visitors learn a lot about the steel industry on the Ruhr. The absolute visitor highlight is the oldest preserved blast furnace on the Ruhr, which can even be accessed barrier-free via a lift.
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