Overath: Pilgrimage Routes, the Agger and Gut Eichthal

Overath combines a pilgrimage tradition with hiking trails, the Agger and historic sites. In Marialinden, the Church of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary remains a destination for many pilgrims. The offerings range from an annual week of celebrations to themed trails, river activities and Gut Eichthal. When planning your trip, the first thing to decide is whether you want to focus on a hiking route, a pilgrimage event, time on the water or historic sites.

Hiking between themed trails and a long-distance hiking trail

The hiking routes vary considerably in length. The Overath Panorama Trail is about 16 km long and leads through the idyllic river landscape of the Agger. The Marialinden Cloverleaf consists of four themed hiking trails ranging from 8 to 16 km. The Overath Pilgrimage Trail is about 9 km long, and the Mining Trail about 12 km. For a longer hike, the Bergischer Weg passes through Overath: it bears the “Qualitätsweg Wanderbares Deutschland” quality seal, is about 259 km long and is divided into 14 stages; one stage passes directly through Overath.

Pilgrimage and the July date

The week of celebrations in honour of the Mother of God is held every year in the first week of July in Marialinden. If you are planning your trip around this date, check the exact dates for the relevant year.

Paddling and cycling along the Agger

The Agger invites visitors to enjoy canoe trips and leisurely paddling excursions in Overath; particularly experienced paddlers can explore the town from the water. In places, the river has rough sections and hidden currents. For commercial boat rentals and inexperienced paddlers, navigating the river is permitted only with professional supervision. The river may be navigated when the minimum water release at the Vilkerath power plant—new gauge designation No. 25a—is 5 m³/s. Before setting out, check the current minimum water release and the applicable regulations.

Route details are also an important part of planning on the Agger-Sülz Cycle Route: in Overath and Rösrath, it runs for several kilometres on a dedicated cycle-and-pedestrian path alongside busy federal and state roads. As with the hiking trails, the specific route features and distances vary.

Gut Eichthal and the landscaped park

Gut Eichthal is a historic estate building open to the public, set in an English-style landscaped park on the Agger in Overath. A footbridge connects the estate to the town of Overath, linking the grounds to the hiking trail network. The large park is used by local residents as a place to relax. The building, parkland and bridge offer a different focus from planning a hiking or cycling trip by distance.

Starting point and choosing accommodation

Badino in Overath has a 25-metre sports pool and a leisure pool with a water temperature of 32 °C and massage jets. Check the pool details again before visiting.

The pilgrimage route is easily reached via the RB 25 at Overath station. Check current timetables if you plan to use this connection. If you want to centre your days around particular routes, you can take their starting points and your travel arrangements into account when looking for accommodation.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Leichlingen, Rösrath, Burscheid, Kürten, Bergisch Gladbach, Odenthal, Wermelskirchen

Return to the higher-level travel overview: Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis.