Cycle tour along Ruhr - old town of Hattingen as destination

Monday, 02 September 2024 00:00
Written by Portal Editor

Once again we want to take advantage of the wonderful summer weather for a longer cycle tour, have chosen the old town of Hattingen as our destination and are starting from the Horster Ruhrbrücke campsite, a tour of around 80 kilometres there and back.

Since there are a number of sights along the way and especially in Hattingen, we are planning the whole day for this tour.

Important information about Ruhr Valley Cycle Route and old town of Hattingen

The Ruhr Valley Cycle Route runs for over 220 kilometres from the source to the mouth of the river in the Rhine, often on the old flax or towpaths. The well-signposted route runs mostly close to the river along the valley floor of the Ruhr. From spring to autumn, the Hardenstein ferry takes cyclists across the river on request near the Hardenstein castle ruins in Witten. From the Horster Ruhrbrücke campsite, you just cross the floating bridge and you are already on the cycle path.

The old town of Hattingen is more than 600 years old and with its 150 half-timbered houses and small winding streets it is still a jewel worth seeing and invites you to linger. One gem is the old town hall - formerly a market hall, administrative headquarters, prison and cultural institution.

Route of the Ruhr Valley Cycle Route from via Bochum Dahlhausen to Hattingen (link)

On the way to Hattingen

We cross the Ruhr over the floating bridge (you can find an article about the floating bridge here), then cycle along the Ruhr to the Horst lock, which is, as is the case almost every day, well populated by canoeists, then pass under the Bochum-Dahlhausen railway bridge (please use this bridge to get to the railway museum), stay on the Dahlhausen towpath to the Bochum-Linden fish ladder and reach the Dahlhausen floating bridge.

Please be careful when crossing the "Auf dem Stade" road, there have been too many collisions between cyclists and motorists here, so much so that a speed camera has even been installed in front of the floating bridge (30 km/h zone). The towpath continues to the rapids at the restaurant on the opposite side of the street. A little later we have to leave the direct river bank and ride a few meters next to Isenbergstrasse on the cycle path, because the towpath here is almost completely overgrown.

We then stay on the towpath again until we reach the railway bridge in Hattingen, where we reach a gate that opens onto the cow pasture. A little later we come across the first cows grazing on the banks of the Ruhr. Still on the towpath we reach the Ruhr weir with boat lane and another fish ladder. This is also an attractive location for photos because of the weir with its barrages, so there are also a few cyclists present when we arrive. Back on the towpath we turn sharply right and a little later left to ride along Bochumer Strasse, which then turns into Bahnhofstrasse or Martin-Luther-Strasse, to the old town of Hattingen, always along the tram.

Some time ago we were in Hattingen by motorbike and posted a short article with photos of Hattingen's old town online. So here is just a little information about the more than 600-year- old town.

Further tour of Hattingen's old town

In 1396 a fortification treaty was signed - this sealed the founding of the city of Hattingen. The mayor and council were allowed to pass laws, and membership in the Hanseatic League brought the city its first economic boom. The closed church square development is evidence of this and is unique in Westphalia. Over thirty information signs invite you to take a tour into the past. On the church square, visitors come across the leaning tower of St. George's Church. Its inclination has something to do with fire protection, so that it does not fall onto the valuable nave in the event of a fire. Inside the church, which is also a popular wedding location, you will discover a wonderful starry sky and the Roetzel organ.

It is worth taking a look down Kirchstrasse. It used to be called Kuhgasse because the animals were driven through this alley to the surrounding pastures. You can also see the mouth of a toilet. And the front part of a toilet on the first floor, which is still visible here, is particularly interesting, because the "shop" simply fell out onto the street (Today there is a more smart option). So, it's no wonder that diseases were spreading. The only surviving farmer's house is located on Steinhagen.

The Bruchtorturm on the city wall is the best-preserved part of Hattingen's city fortifications. The loopholes were accessible through a hatch in the floor and a ladder. As part of the city's renovation from 1967, the tower, which had long been hidden by a residential building, was made visible again and renovated. Hattingen's most famous house, the "Bügeleisenhaus", was also renovated early on.

Cloth weaving, butcher's shop, expropriated property from Jewish hands - the house has an eventful history and fascinates with its interesting design. The smallest half-timbered house in the city is the Zollhaus. It stands on the remains of a former defensive tower. Customs duties were never levied here, by the way - it was a blacksmith's workshop.

Hattingen Marketing offers exciting city and night watchman tours. If you prefer to explore on your own, you can pick up free city maps from the website or from the cute tourist information office at Haldenplatz 3 in the middle of the historic old town. On the back of the maps there is some information about the sights. Incidentally, these maps are also available in English, French, Dutch and Italian. There is also a suitable old town map for people with limited mobility.