Kaarst: Discover Lakes, Art and Culture

Kaarst offers a range of options for a stay: two lakes with different conditions, a cycling route along the traces of an unfinished canal, and cultural sites ranging from a Romanesque basilica to an art installation in the town hall. What you choose to focus on can help shape your travel plans—whether it is water, cycling, history or art.

Two Lakes, Different Conditions

Kaarster See consists of a large lake and a small lake. The small lake covers 6 hectares and is up to 5 metres deep. A recreational area with a small and a large beach is located beside it; lifeguards and the DLRG are on duty there. Swimming is prohibited in the large Kaarster See, however. These differences are important if you are including the lakes in your plans: the two bodies of water do not have the same conditions.

Another special feature is located in St. Aldegundis: the Michaelskapelle is on the first floor of the bell tower and has the floor plan of an eight-leaf clover. It is not open to visitors. The chapel is therefore a striking architectural detail, but not a place to visit inside.

Cycling along the Nordkanal

The Fietsallee am Nordkanal is a cycling route along the traces of the unfinished Nordkanal between the Rhine and the Meuse. Blue signs along the route provide information about the canal; there are also individually designed rest areas. This brings together exercise, canal history and specially designed places to take a break on one cycling route. The blue signs draw attention to the Nordkanal, while the rest areas add their own distinctive design touch.

The wider picture may also be useful when planning your cycling trips: the Rhein-Kreis Neuss has around 1,200 kilometres of cycling infrastructure, with a junction network and clear signposting. The Rhine Cycle Route, the Erft Cycle Route, the Fietsallee am Nordkanal, the Niederrhein Route and the Hanse Cycle Route pass through the district as regional themed cycling routes. All are signposted except for the Hanse Cycle Route.

Churches, a Mill and Art

Alt St. Martin is a small, three-aisled Romanesque basilica dating from the 12th century. The Martinus Art Trail runs between the parish churches of Alt St. Martin and St. Martinus. The two churches serve as clear landmarks along the art trail, and the route can also be explored with an eye to architectural history.

Brauns Mühle also tells the story of the region: the tower windmill was built in 1756 from fire-resistant bricks. Its exhibition rooms present the history of milling in the Lower Rhine region. Those interested in rural history and culture will find a museum devoted to these subjects at the Tuppenhof. The Tuppenhof also hosts opera and theatre performances as well as concerts.

You can also encounter art in the town hall and sculpture park. The “Bürgerschwalbennest”, an accessible art installation by M. Wiegand, is located in the town hall atrium. The basement houses the “Gläserner Grundstein”, a kind of mini-museum. In the sculpture park, works by 23 artists are installed on art steles. Kaarst’s cultural offerings therefore range from a historic religious building and a mill to installations and sculptures.

Getting Here and Planning Your Trip

Kaarst has direct connections to the A52 and A57 motorways. The town is served by the S-Bahn via the S8 on the Aachen–Dortmund route and the Regiobahn’s S28 between Kaarst and Mettmann. If you plan to travel by train, check the timetable for your travel dates. When looking for accommodation, you could first consider what you would like to focus on during your stay: the lakes, the Fietsallee or the cultural sites. That way, your choice of destination can be guided by the experiences that interest you.

One possible date to consider when planning your trip is Kaarst Total: the town festival takes place every year on the first weekend in September. If you would like to plan your trip around it, check the exact event dates for the year in question.

Discover more destinations: Meerbusch, Neuss, Rommerskirchen, Dormagen, Grevenbroich, Korschenbroich, Jüchen.

Return to the main travel overview: Kreis Neuss.