Defining Easy Hiking in Tecklenburg
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Defining Easy Hiking in Tecklenburg

What exactly does “easy hiking” mean? Occasionally, people still ask me that question, particularly if they have just received our calling card. One would think that I, after all these years, had developed a one-sentence standard reply, something along the lines of “adventures for beginners” with a bit more meat on the bones, but one…

Do You Know the Rheda Castle in Bielefeld?
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Do You Know the Rheda Castle in Bielefeld?

Germany’s northwesterly region between Bielefeld and Gütersloh is one of the country’s economic powerhouses. The names of the region’s towns and cities may mean little to you, but you are probably familiar with some of the brands and products that come from here. The kitchens and white goods of Miele, frozen pizzas and baking goods…

Our Easy Hike Along the Goethe Trail in Germany
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Our Easy Hike Along the Goethe Trail in Germany

Several posts ago, I said that there were no more bits of “undiscovered” or unknown Italy. Germany, however, present a different picture. One might even say that Germany consists wholly of unknown regions – as far as the rest of the world is concerned, that is. Inside Germany, this is a different matter: the Germans’…

Romanesque Architecture in Cologne
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Romanesque Architecture in Cologne

Ready for more “Cologne through the prism of its Romanesque architecture”? All right then, here we go. This week, we shall visit six more early medieval churches, now turning our attention to the southern half of Cologne’s Old Town. We will walk through some pretty and picturesque streets with much local atmosphere, making sure that…

Discovering the Romanesque Churches of Cologne
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Discovering the Romanesque Churches of Cologne

Why is Germany such an uncool travel destination? One reason, I suspect, is that most of her major cities come across as rather charmless. Not that they lack historical interest or scenic spots. The problem is that any such attractions have been buried in mundane urban fabric and that you have to look for them…

If the City You Visit Offers One, Take the Wall Walk
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If the City You Visit Offers One, Take the Wall Walk

By and large, while we may provide you with tips and suggestions, we leave you pretty much free to do whatever you like, dishing out only occasional Iron Rules of Easy Hiking. Here, however, is one: whenever the town you are visiting offers a wall walk, go and take it. Wall walks – carefully landscaped…

Walking the Way of the Cross in Kevelaer
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Walking the Way of the Cross in Kevelaer

There are many more walks in the Lower Rhine Plains between Krefeld and the Dutch-German border other than the two that we introduced here over the past two weeks. The European Long Distance Trail GR8, for example, will take you from Nijmegen to Kalkar or Xanten and beyond, while an extensive network of picturesque foot…

Hiking the Voltaire Trail in the Lower Rhine Valley
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Hiking the Voltaire Trail in the Lower Rhine Valley

Last week, we enjoyed the baroque splendour of the landscaped gardens around the Prinz Moritz trail. Today, we stay in the same area and (roughly) the same period of German history, moving only a few kilometres up the Lower Rhine Valley and a few decades down the line to the time of the friendship between…