Discover Witten: Muttental, castles and cycling routes

Witten combines a remarkable geological site, protected cultural landmarks and a range of ways to explore the city on foot or by bike. If you’re looking for a place to stay, first consider whether castle history, time outdoors or cycling will shape your visit.

Geological highlights and time at Hammerteich

Muttental is part of the Ruhrgebiet Geopark and is one of Germany’s 77 most significant geological sites. It adds a distinctive geological dimension alongside the city’s historic sites. If you’re interested in the geological significance of a landscape, Muttental is a notable place to visit in Witten.

At the protected Hammerteich, visitors can go for a walk, hike to Hohenstein or use the children’s playground. The pond is also a recreational area and a boating spot for local ship model makers. These options range from walking and hiking to using the water for model boating.

Haus Herbede and Witten’s castles

The history of Haus Herbede in the middle Ruhr Valley can be traced back to 1019. Today, the protected building serves as a public cultural and community centre. Its current cultural use gives this historic site a different role from Witten’s castles.

Schloss Steinhausen was first mentioned in 1297 and is the only hilltop castle in the city. Alongside Haus Witten, it is considered the most important castle complex in the Witten area. These two distinctions highlight the castle’s special place in Witten’s castle history.

The Hardenstein castle ruins date from the late Middle Ages. Finds suggest that a castle already stood there in the 14th century. Visitors can explore the legend at the ruins with virtual figures of the dwarf king Goldemar and the knight Neveling. The RuhrtalBahn and MS Schwalbe also stop there. If you plan to use either service, check the relevant timetable in advance.

Cycling routes and Ruhr crossings

The cycling routes differ in their course and length. The Rheinischer Esel cycle route follows a former railway line from Dortmund via Witten to Bochum. “Von Ruhr zur Ruhr” is a 57 km circular route through Hattingen, Sprockhövel, Gevelsberg, Wetter and Witten. A 9 km section of the RuhrtalRadweg runs through Witten. This gives you a choice between a route through three cities, a circular route with a stated total distance and a section within Witten.

For planning a cycling trip, the Radstation in Witten city centre is also a useful landmark: it is located at Bahnhofstraße 61 and offers bicycle rentals as well as cleaning and repair services.

Visitors can cross the Ruhr in Witten-Bommern on the RuhrtalFähre Hardenstein. If you plan to use this crossing, it’s a good idea to check the timetable.

This makes it easy to choose a location based on the kind of stay you have planned, without every day having to follow the same pattern.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Herbede, Breckerfeld, Ennepetal, Herdecke, Wetter, Gevelsberg, Hattingen and Schwelm.

For the broader travel overview: Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis.