Hersel: Rhine floodplain, cycling routes and history

When you get to know Hersel, you encounter a variety of themes: the protected floodplain along the Rhine, paths for walking, jogging and cycling, historic buildings and Marienhof with its wine business. This mix offers different ways to shape your stay. You can decide whether the landscape, a cycling route or local history will set the pace of your trip.

Rhine floodplain and nature along the Rhine

The Rhine floodplain near Hersel is an extensive area protected as a landscape conservation area. The towpath along the Rhine in the floodplain is used by walkers, joggers and cyclists. These groups also use the Auenweg, which runs right through the floodplain.

Herseler Werth lies entirely within the municipality of Bornheim. The Rhine island, covering around 15 hectares, is a nature reserve and has been off-limits to visitors since 1993. Golden orioles, nightingales and black kites nest on Herseler Werth. Its protected status and nesting birds represent a different aspect of the natural environment from the paths used by people on foot, jogging and by bike.

Cycling route and nature-and-culture trail

Hersel is connected to the approximately 40-kilometre Bornheim branch route of the RHEINISCHE APFELROUTE. The loop connects all 14 Bornheim districts between the Rhine and the foothills. If you want to plan your trip around the length of the route, you can distinguish this regional loop from the paths in the Rhine floodplain: one is a loop through the districts, while the other consists of paths within the floodplain.

The nature-and-culture trail offers another route structure. It consists of three individual tours in Hersel, Uedorf and Widdig. The Apple Route connects all 14 Bornheim districts in a loop; the nature-and-culture trail is divided into three tours covering these three places. This lets you distinguish the routes by their respective scope without combining them into a single route offering.

Manor house, churches and local history

Marienhof brings together architectural history and the local wine business. The four-winged manor house has a late-classical mansion dating from 1867. The former farm and winegrowing estate is surrounded by a large park with mature trees. The owners’ family runs a winery and wine shop there. The estate’s former use, its architecture and its present-day wine trade come together here under one name.

Church buildings also provide Hersel with a historic setting. The Aegidiussaal is a small Baroque church dating from 1744 and is now used as a community centre. St. Aegidius Parish Church was built from 1899 onwards and consecrated in 1901. Another historic local landmark is the former Germania Brewery, which dates from 1864.

The Jewish Cemetery in Hersel and the Stolpersteine (stumbling stones) in Germanenstraße are part of the town’s culture of remembrance. The cemetery was established in the mid-19th century on what is now Elbestraße, probably between 1848 and 1853. In front of the former home of the Rolef family at Germanenstraße 26, Stolpersteine commemorate family members who were murdered in the Holocaust. These sites highlight different aspects of local history: the cemetery recalls Hersel’s Jewish history, while the Stolpersteine commemorate the fate of the Rolef family.

Herseler Herbst and ways to shape your visit

The “Herseler Herbst” is also part of local tradition. It traditionally takes place on the third Sunday in September. If you want to plan your trip around this date, check the dates for the relevant year in advance.

Start your search with the experiences that matter for your trip.

Discover more

Discover more destinations: Widdig.

See the overview of destinations: Bornheim.