Hiking in Lerbacher Wald

If you ask Cologne residents about the nearest destination with beautiful nature, the answer is usually Königsforst. Although it has the highest “mountain” in Cologne, Monte Trodelö, it feels more like commercial forest with its dead-straight, wide paths than a nature experience. Just around the corner is the much lesser-known Lerbacher Wald. Here it already smells of Bergisches Land, with winding paths, hills with views and villages with half-timbered houses where time seems to have stood still.

From the Neuenweg tram stop, we walk a few minutes through Bensberg until we reach the forest at the Grube Cox nature reserve. Where dolomite was once mined, there are now a series of picturesque quarry ponds that provide a habitat for various endangered amphibian species. We continue along an old paddock and soon reach the village of Kaltenbroich in the middle of the forest. From there, we climb up to Hülsenfeld, from where we can admire Cologne and the smoking coal-fired power stations on the horizon. On the way back, we pass the Naturfreundehaus Hardt, which has opaque opening hours and a nice beer garden.

Arrival

• Time: 30 minutes from Neumarkt
• Cost: VRS area price level 2b
  Single ticket: 4,17€
  24-hour ticket for 5 people: €19.10

Take tram line 1 (direction Bensberg) to the Neuenweg stop.