Bergisches Land: Von Schloss Burg zum Drachenfels | ARD Reisen

Hiking adventure land in the heart of North Rhine-Westphalia: Tamina Kallert discovers the Bergisches Land region. Her journey begins at the imposing ancestral seat of the Counts of Berg, who gave the region its name: Burg Castle. From there, she repeatedly travels along the Bergischer Weg trail – sometimes hiking, sometimes cycling, and sometimes even accompanied by goats. Tamina Kallert visits the impressive Altenberg Cathedral and the local recreation area of the dams. In Waldbröl, she stops at an animal sanctuary where visitors can cuddle cows – an experience that both humans and animals enjoy equally. She also finds peace in one of the largest Buddhist centers in Europe, where she participates in a silent tea ceremony. And of course, no visit to the Bergisches Land would be complete without the Bergische Kaffeetafel, a traditional coffee and cake break. There are two major hiking trails in the Bergisches Land. The Bergische Weg, voted the best long-distance hiking trail, leads from Essen through the Bergisches Land to the Drachenfels, and the Bergische Panoramasteig takes hikers on a 244-kilometer circular route through the entire region. Tamina runs through both – past green forests, wide meadows, and idyllic half-timbered villages. Again and again, wide views open up, and along the way you can make detours to interesting places, such as the Lindlar open-air museum. The Bergisches Land is known for its frequent rainfall. However, it is precisely this abundance of water that once brought prosperity to the region: the Wupper river has been the lifeline of the Bergisches Land for centuries. Its power drove the mills – and thus laid the foundation for the knife and blade production for which the region is still known today. At the same time, the water offers protection and recreation: in addition to the Dhünntalsperre, Germany's second-largest drinking water facility, there are numerous other dams. The Bevertalsperre, for example, not only serves as flood protection and regulates the flow of the Wupper, but is also the most beautiful swimming lake far and wide for the local population. A researcher's dream has come true in the Bergisches Land region: after 20 years of searching, the “Windloch” cave was discovered in 2019 on the other side of the valley next to the Aggertalhöhle cave – one of the largest caves in Germany. It contains impressive formations, including a crystal that resembles a tree in shape and amazes visitors. Want to know more about this topic? ➡️ https://1.ard.de/reisen-wunderschoen-... 00:00:00 Intro 00:01:51 Taking the cable car to Burg Castle 00:03:49 Day 1: Start of the hike in Unterburg 00:05:09 Goat hike 00:09:43 Bergisch coffee table and the legend of Rüdesheim 00:12:47 Hydropower on the Wupper 00:13:56 Altenberg Fairy Tale Forest 00:17:43 Altenberg Cathedral 00:21:13 Day 2: Onward to the Neyetalsperre dam 00:29:09 Stand-up paddleboarding at the Bevertalsperre dam 00:31:31 Wagyu herd (Japanese cattle) 00:36:24 Day 3: Bike tour through the Bergisches Land 00:39:36 Old paper factory and paper museum in Alte Dombach 00:41:40 Lindlar open-air museum and rope making 00:46:30 Stone mason trail in Lindlar 00:49:50 Angel museum in Engelskirchen 00:52:24 Cave trail, Aggertal cave, and Ründeroth 00:58:45 Day 4: Bergisch Panorama Trail 01:02:05 Hohe Hardt observation tower in Morsbach 01:03:42 Cattle and general market in Waldbröl 01:08:34 Panabora nature discovery park 01:10:30 Day 5: Tea ceremony at the Center for Applied Buddhism 01:14:44 Wild herb hunt 01:20:15 Cow cuddling 01:26:20 Blankenberg Castle, Pleiser Ländchen, Großer Ölberg 01:27:50 Outro Do you like our channel? You can subscribe here: https://bit.ly/2LK9bB0 ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ ▬▬▬▬▬▬ Further information: ► ARD media library: https://www.ardmediathek.de/reisen ► Wunderschön: https://wunderschoen.wdr.de ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ #bergischesland #wunderschön #ardreisen #nrw #wanderlust #natur We generally recommend that all travelers thoroughly inform themselves about the current security situation before embarking on their trip: https://www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/re... “Wunderschön - Bergisches Land” is a film by Michael Wieseler. Editor: Iris Möller-Grätz. This film was produced in 2025 on behalf of WDR. All statements and facts correspond to the situation at that time and have not been updated since then.