Straelen: Discover trails, the Veen and urban culture

There are different ways to discover Straelen: a section of the Way of St. James leads from the town centre into the Straelener Veen landscape, while guided tours explore the town, the Lower Rhine landscape and the horticultural region in different ways. Other highlights include a distinctive church and art in front of the town hall. When looking for accommodation, you can plan your trip around whether you mainly want to spend time outdoors, gain insights on a guided tour or learn about the town’s history.

Trails between the town centre and the Maas lowlands

The section of the Way of St. James in Straelen leads west from the town centre. The route descends via Grenzweg into the Maas lowlands and the Straelener Veen. This area was once moorland and swamp forest; today, the landscape is characterised by grassland, ditches and small woods. This section of the route thus connects its starting point in town with a distinctly different landscape.

The Way of St. James to Santiago de Compostela also passes through Straelen. As its precise route may change, it is worth checking the current route before planning your trip. For a different walking option, the Smuggler’s Trail offers an alternative: it is in Straelen-Kastanienburg, between Straelen and Velden, and is 2.6 kilometres long. The route passes through meadows and fields, along a ditch and through woodland. You can explore it on your own or with a pre-booked guided tour; trail conditions may change.

Tours with different themes

Guided walking tours explore the town centre, cycling tours take in the Lower Rhine countryside, and bus tours travel through the horticultural region. The tours therefore differ both in their mode of transport and in their focus. If you are planning a guided tour, it is best to confirm current availability with the town.

The GreenCity cycling tours follow a seasonal schedule: from April to October, they set off on the first Saturday of each month and on the following Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The tours run in open groups; exceptions are possible. They start at Straelen’s market square. Check the latest tour information before planning so you can take the dates and any changes into account.

If your trip needs to accommodate different interests, the various formats can help you plan your days accordingly: take a guided tour of the town centre, cycle through the countryside or explore on your own. The Smuggler’s Trail has a specific route length and can be explored on a pre-booked guided tour; the GreenCity cycling tours, by contrast, have set seasonal dates.

Architectural history and art in the townscape

Originally partly Romanesque, the parish church of St. Peter and Paul acquired its present form—which still dominates the town skyline—after being shelled and captured in 1498 by the troops of the future Emperor Maximilian I. Its distinctive features include the Gothic chancel and the bell tower. The year and architectural styles connect the church with a specific chapter in the town’s history.

The Green Couch has stood on a plinth in front of the town hall since 2001, adding a distinctive touch to the public townscape. Another notable destination is the European Translation Centre: it is regarded as the world’s first and largest international working centre for literary translators. Visits are currently not possible because of extensive construction work.

In the wider destination of Kleve

The wider destination of Kleve offers a regional perspective of its own. The district of Kleve has more than 1,500 kilometres of cycling routes and numerous themed trails. One of these is the signposted, 128-kilometre Niers cycle route, which runs from the source of the Niers in Mönchengladbach through the districts of Viersen and Kleve to the municipality of Gennep in the Netherlands. A pocket guide shows all the junctions in the district of Kleve when unfolded and explains how the district-wide junction system works.

The landscape of the district of Kleve includes riverbanks, green meadows and extensive woodlands. Marksmen’s festivals, carnival and funfairs are part of local tradition; dates for individual events vary. Farm cafés invite visitors to enjoy the freshness of produce right at the source. These regional aspects complement Straelen’s distinctive trails and cultural highlights with other interests without conflating them with what the town itself has to offer.

Choose accommodation to suit your travel plans

When looking for accommodation in Straelen, it helps to decide on your priorities first: would you like to discover the town centre and its architectural history, explore trails on foot or plan a cycling tour? The guided tours vary by mode of transport and destination, while the Smuggler’s Trail has a set length and two ways to explore it. This way, you can plan your trip around the experiences you actually want to include.

Discover more destinations: Weeze, Kevelaer, Emmerich Am Rhein, Geldern, Wachtendonk, Kranenburg, Issum, Bedburg-Hau.

Back to the overview of the wider destination: Kleve.