Hiking
17 places in Cologne
Baadenberger Senke, Stöckheimer See and Große Laache
since 2007A sprawling nature reserve of former gravel pits in Cologne's north-west – now a landscape of lakes, woodland and one of the most important amphibian spawning grounds west of the Rhine.
Bleibtreusee
Man-made lake from former lignite mining in the Ville, now a popular spot for water skiing, wakeboarding and swimming.
Chorbusch
since 2004Around 427 hectares of near-natural woodland on Cologne's north-western edge – a refuge for rare birds such as golden oriole and nightingale.
Kulturpfad Porz
A four-part cycling and walking trail through Cologne's Porz district, linking wayside crosses, churches, historic farmsteads and housing estates across four themed routes.
Liblarer See
Artificial swimming lake in a former open-cast lignite pit — one of the largest lakes on the Villeseenplatte and a popular summer destination near Cologne.
Monte Troodelöh
Cologne's highest natural point hides in the Königsforst: a wooded slope with a boulder, a summit plaque and a summit book – a popular hiking destination with a tongue-in-cheek invented name.
Am Vogelacker
since 1991Compact 6.26-hectare nature reserve in a former gravel pit south of Cologne-Immendorf, packing many rare-species habitats into a small space.
An der Ziegelei
since 1991A 20-hectare floodplain nature reserve near Cologne where birch and poplar woods reclaim a former brickworks in the Rhine's periodic flood zone.
Dellbrücker Heide
since 2009A 39-hectare nature reserve on a former military site north of Cologne-Dellbrück, home to rare heathland species and open habitats.
Flittarder Rheinaue
since 1991A four-kilometre stretch of protected Rhine floodplain on Cologne's northern edge, rich in birdlife and criss-crossed by paths for walkers and cyclists.
Naturschutzgebiet Königsforst
since 2000A large, unbroken protected woodland in Cologne's east, with old oak and beech forests, near-natural sandy streams and rare wildlife.
Rheinaue Langel-Merkenich
since 1989A nature reserve on the Rhine's left bank in northern Cologne, with floodplain forest, hay meadows and a near-natural riverbank between Langel and Merkenich.
Rheinaue Worringen-Langel
since 1991A nature reserve on the Rhine in northern Cologne, with floodplain forest, river meadows and a Glan-cattle grazing scheme, home to 93 bird species.
Naturschutzgebiet Thielenbruch und Thurner Wald
since 1969A wetland reserve on Cologne's north-eastern edge, home to the region's only surviving calcareous fen and a refuge for many rare species.
Otto-Maigler-See
Swimming lake formed in a former brown coal pit near Hürth, purpose-built with six side-by-side regatta lanes for international races and water sports.
Wahner Heide
A vast nature reserve east of Cologne with a rare mosaic of dry dunes and wet moorland, freely accessible on marked trails.
