Discover Herne: moated castle, art and green routes

A moated castle with water-filled moats and a large pond, a historic settlement, museums and outdoor art reveal different sides of Herne. When planning your trip, you can choose between architectural and cultural history, green destinations for day trips and activities on the water.

Castle, chapel and archaeology

Strünkede Castle is the largest building of the Emschertal Museum. The permanent exhibition “Land and People” is complemented by changing special exhibitions. Group tours on cultural and historical topics last 60 minutes; if you plan to take a tour, check the booking conditions in advance.

Strünkede Castle Park is home to the castle chapel, the oldest building in the Herne urban area. Bernd von Strünkede founded it in 1272 as a place of worship for the castle’s residents. It is available for concerts and church services. If you plan to attend one, check its current availability in advance.

The LWL Museum of Archaeology and Culture presents 250,000 years of human history in Westphalia. A visit to the Excavation Camp includes the opportunity to take part in a hands-on excavation. Regular sessions take place on Sundays and public holidays; groups can book their preferred date. Check the dates and booking conditions before your visit. This lets you combine a museum visit with a practical introduction to archaeology.

Art and architecture in the open air

Flottmann Sculpture Park features 21 works across a park of more than 10,000 square metres. The Flottmann Art Nouveau gate is also open to visitors: both are accessible at all times and free of charge. Check access arrangements for any special events you plan to attend. The collection may change as works are added or relocated.

Another highlight is the listed Teutoburgia settlement in Herne’s Börnig district, which has been fully restored in its original style. A walk here offers a direct experience of the architectural and design diversity of the garden-city concept. This provides a different way to explore Herne’s history than an exhibition: the focus is on how architecture and design work together in a settlement.

The Unser Fritz Artists’ Colliery serves as a workplace for eleven artists, each with their own studio space in the former pithead building. Exhibitions, discussions, concerts and readings have been part of the cultural programme at the Unser Fritz Artists’ Colliery. It thus complements the museum and architecture themes with different forms of artistic practice.

Woodland, animals and water

Gysenberger Wald covers about 58 hectares and, alongside Revierpark Gysenberg, offers a wide range of recreational opportunities. Its stands of deciduous trees, some of them very old, are also of great ecological importance. The Gysenberg wildlife park is located in the natural setting of the Ostbach Valley, where the animals are kept in conditions suited to their needs. The woodland and wildlife park provide a nature-focused contrast to the historical and cultural attractions.

At the Rhine-Herne Canal, you can go for walks, cycle, fish, go boating, swim, sunbathe and barbecue, as well as throw stones across the water. If you plan to take part in water activities, check the conditions beforehand. For a cycling trip, you could also follow the 39-kilometre circular route “Around the Water – Cultural Canal, Emscher and Sea”. It starts and ends at the Cranger Kirmes fairground and runs along the Rhine-Herne Canal, through Strünkede Castle Park and past Revierpark Gysenberg. The route thus links several of the Herne locations described here in a designated circular tour.

When looking for accommodation, you can consider what you want your trip to focus on: museum visits and architectural history, art and architecture outdoors, or time for woodland, the canal and cycling.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Duisburg, Essen, Bottrop, Solingen, Remscheid, Wuppertal, Bonn, Gelsenkirchen.

Back to the main travel overview: North Rhine-Westphalia.