Discover Erkelenz
Accommodation in Erkelenz
Erkelenz reveals a wide variety of historical traces: late Gothic architecture, a castle, a cycling route dedicated to remembrance, and places to enjoy exhibitions and nature. The Lambertusmarkt, an annual event, is another highlight. This gives you a concrete question to consider when planning your trip: should your stay focus mainly on the town’s history, outdoor activities or nature? These priorities can also help guide your search for accommodation.
Architecture and townscape
The Old Town Hall is a defining feature of Erkelenz’s medieval townscape. It was built in 1546 in the late Gothic style. Erkelenz Castle is more than 600 years old and is considered to be the oldest building in the town centre. The 83-metre-high Lambertus Tower also stands in the heart of the town. Together, these buildings offer different ways to explore the town’s history.
Haus Spiess on Franziskanerplatz is another striking historic building: this listed house was built in the Couven style in 1806. The Old Cemetery on Brückstraße has a different character. Now a park in the heart of Erkelenz, this listed site retains many graves, particularly those of well-known Erkelenz families. Today, St Leonard’s Chapel is used primarily for cultural events, although the programme may vary.
Tours, exhibitions and experiencing nature
The approximately 24-kilometre-long “Route against Forgetting” cycling route passes twelve locations in the Erkelenz municipal area. It provides information about Nazi crimes, the dictatorship’s influence on society and the resistance. Its approximate length and themed stops make it a distinct way to engage with history. On a walk through the historic town centre, you can also access digital information about the town, including QR codes at designated locations.
Members of the castle association offer guided tours of Erkelenz Castle by appointment, for example for kindergartens or primary schools. Arrange your visit in advance. Visitors to the castle can sometimes climb the 100 steps to the roof and enjoy views over the town centre; you should also check the visiting conditions in advance for this.
The former monastery of Haus Hohenbusch is a destination for day trips, an event venue and a meeting place for many occasions. The grounds include a medicinal herb garden, a biotope, an orchard meadow and a large insect hotel, offering opportunities to experience nature. The permanent exhibition in the manor house is open to visitors from March to October on Saturdays from 2 to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 1 to 6 p.m. Check the opening hours before travelling.
The Rhineland Fire Brigade Museum in Erkelenz-Lövenich is run by the Rhineland Fire Brigade Museum Association (Rheinisches Feuerwehrmuseum e. V.). Its exhibits include vintage fire engines, large-scale equipment and other firefighting memorabilia documenting the development of fire service technology. Confirm the current opening arrangements before your visit.
Market and cycling network
The five-day Lambertusmarkt takes place every year in the centre of Erkelenz, starting on Corpus Christi, and attracts thousands of visitors. As the dates vary from year to year, it is worth checking the dates for the relevant year. Cyclists can make use of a signposted cycling network in Erkelenz and throughout the district of Heinsberg. The routes are marked with red-and-white arrow signs, destination signs and intermediate signs; the specific signage may change over time.
Heinsberg as a wider travel destination
Those who also explore the wider travel destination of Heinsberg will find a different landscape: Teverener Heide is a 450-hectare nature reserve in the Heinsberg region, extending across Gangelt and the towns of Geilenkirchen and Ăśbach-Palenberg. Open heathland, boggy marshes, quiet lakes, inland dunes and woodland define the area. Four circular hiking trails offer different distances: the Moor Loop, 5.8 kilometres; the Heath Loop, 6 kilometres; the Lakes Loop, 7.1 kilometres; and the Long Loop, 9.4 kilometres. Trailheads are at the designated car parks in Scherpenseel, Grotenrath and Hohenbusch. Erkelenz can therefore be explored as a destination with its own historic and cultural character, while Teverener Heide offers a landscape-focused addition to the wider Heinsberg destination.
Discover more destinations: Ăśbach-Palenberg, Waldfeucht, TĂĽddern, Wassenberg, HĂĽckelhoven, Selfkant, Gangelt, Heinsberg
Back to the wider travel overview: Heinsberg.
