Discover Goch: City History and Art

Goch presents its city history in several ways: a walking tour leads through the city centre, individual buildings offer glimpses of the past, and the museum spans a broad sweep of art history. This gives you different ways to plan your visit—exploring on foot and taking in the cityscape, learning about the history of individual buildings, or discovering art from the late Middle Ages to the present day.

A walking tour through Goch city centre

A walking tour of about 3.5 kilometres leads through Goch city centre and introduces you to historical figures and remarkable buildings. The approximate distance gives you an idea of the length of the walk; check locally in advance for the current route. The tour offers an overview of several historical topics, while each individual building has its own story to tell. If you would like to explore Goch on foot, this walk offers a different way to shape your stay than focusing on artworks or a particular building.

Houses, a birthplace and a town gate

The listed Haus zu den fünf Ringen was built in 1550. The Arnold-Janssen-Haus is Arnold Janssen’s birthplace; it has been renovated and opened to the public. The Steintor is a landmark of Goch and dates back to the 14th century. These three places offer different ways into the city’s history: Haus zu den fünf Ringen has a specific year of construction, the Arnold-Janssen-Haus connects a place with a historical figure, and the Steintor provides a striking historical landmark. If you are particularly interested in architectural history, these examples offer different themes for your stay without requiring you to view them all through a single historical lens.

Art history at Museum Goch

Museum Goch brings together 600 years of art history. The works range from late Gothic sculpture from the Lower Rhine to contemporary art by emerging artists. Alongside the historic buildings, this offers another way to explore art and history: instead of focusing on individual places, you can discover a broad span of time and artistic styles. Public guided tours take place on Thursdays at 3 pm, except on public holidays. Current admission prices apply. If you are planning to join a tour, check the museum’s current information before your visit and bear in mind the public-holiday exception.

Cycling and more to discover in the wider destination of Kleve

The wider destination of Kleve offers a broader perspective on cycling routes and landscapes in the Kleve district. The 128-kilometre Niers Cycle Route is signposted and runs from the source of the Niers in Mönchengladbach through the districts of Viersen and Kleve to the municipality of Gennep in the Netherlands. The Kleve district also has more than 1,500 kilometres of cycle routes and numerous themed routes. A pocket guide, when unfolded, shows all the junctions in the Kleve district and explains how the district-wide junction system works. This regional information offers a different scale from the walking tour through Goch city centre and can help you consider what to focus on during your stay.

The Kleve district offers a variety of landscapes, with riverbanks, green meadows and extensive forests. Its culture has other facets too: marksmen’s festivals, Carnival and funfairs are part of local traditions in the district; dates for individual events vary. Farm cafés in the Kleve district invite you to experience products directly from their producers. When looking for accommodation, thinking about what you want to focus on can help: would you primarily like to discover Goch’s city history and art, or also include cycling, landscapes and regional traditions in the wider destination of Kleve?

Discover more destinations: Kessel, Rheurdt, Uedem, Weeze, Geldern, Straelen, Kleve, Haldern.

Go to the main travel overview: Kleve.