Sports active - outdoor

Sports:

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• Running
• Walking
• Canoe Sports
• Biking
• Skating
• Golf

Whether on land, water or in the air, the Cologne-Bonn region offers plenty of opportunity for active leisure time. Passionate golfers can improve their handicap between the Bergisch Land and Eifel and between Neuss and Bad Neuenahr on more than 30 golf courses. The region’s rivers are perfect for extensive canoe tours and many lakes are cut out for sailing and surfing.

The Rhine, Europe’s busiest waterway, is a real paradise for private motorboats and jet and water-skiers. Every few kilometres, row upon row of yacht harbours line the river bank, including Cologne’s Rheinauhafen with its spectacular architecture.
Airsport enthusiasts can take off from the region’s eleven sports airports for gilders and motor planes as well as from more than 20 hot air balloon take off points. For those who would like to discover the nature and sights of the Rhineland on their own by bike or on foot, there are dozens of signposted themed routes with different difficulty gradings.

Running

Whoever is fit enough for a longer run, can compete in the Cologne Marathon; with 15,000 competitors it is the second largest marathon over this distance in Germany. This event is sponsored by a number of Cologne companies (particularly Ford, Sparkasse KölnBonn and DKV) and occurs at the beginning of each October.

Running, Sprinting or Walking, the Rhine promenades are a perfect point for such active sports. Running towards the city and looking at the nice panorama of Cologne, so the training will be fun.

Walking

Today major parts of the inner city and old town – and thus many sights – can be reached without the disturbance of car traffic. Since the construction of the »Rheinufer« tunnel in the eighties the Cologne Old Town lies directly adjacent to the Rhine again, being linked to it by a large pedestrian zone. Along both the right and left banks of the Rhine there are pretty tree-lined promenades, which entice half of Cologne to take a walk at weekends and on bank holidays. During a walk on the Kennedy bank between the Deutzer and Hohenzoller Bridge the visitor is able to enjoy the spectacular sight of the Old Town panorama including the cathedral. It is possible to walk via the Hohenzollern Bridge to the Rheinpark, which is on the other (right) bank of the Rhine and adjoins the exhibition grounds (Messegelände) and Tanzbrunnen on the north side. It is directly adjacent to the ICEs, which are approaching Köln main station (Hauptbahnhof) at this point.

This park reaches as far as the Zoo bridge, and is a product of the Federal Garden Show of 1957, where it switches to the Jugendpark. It is an ideal area to withdraw to from the hustle and bustle of the city, is perfect for a walk and is equipped with a large playing area for children. At this point between April and October the Rhine cablecar crosses the river and terminates at the gates of the Zoological Gardens and Flora in the Cologne Suburb of Riehl.

The many parks and the green belt are not just inviting for walkers, but also for many joggers, particularly at the weekend.

Canoe Sports

The region’s rivers are perfect for extensive canoe tours.

Biking

Cologne has been receiving awards for being a bicycle-friendly town in North Rhine-Westphalia for many years. The first cycle station with room to park 1,000 bicycles was opened right next door to the main station in the spring of 2002. The guarded parking area has a service station with a repair workshop, cycle hire service and the sale of accessories.

There are over 70,000 bikes in Cologne, i.e. almost a third more bikes than cars. In comparison with other German cities, the proportion of bicycle traffic in terms of the total traffic is relatively high at 11%. Particularly when the weather is fine, biking tours through Cologne are popular. Alongside Cologne’s Roman and medieval sights, parks, city forest, greenbelt, the many beer gardens and tourist cafés (naturally because the fresh air makes you thirsty), there is plenty to explore by yourself or with a town tour on a hired bike. Under the motto »Take a ride along the Rhine«, a total of 17 towns and cities on the Rhine – from Bonn via Cologne and Düsseldorf up to Duisburg – are advertising for a region full of exciting contrasts: uniformly sign-posted cycle paths on both banks of the Rhine enable individual tour planning. Theme boards provide information about special local features and about the Rhine and the route. Along the whole route, excursion boats and ferries invite you to take a trip. A guide »Touring Cologne by Bike« is available from the KölnTourismus Board.

Rent-a-bike & Interest Groups

Rent-a-bike & Interest Groups

Rent-a-bike: Address	Contact
Kölner Fahrradverleih- Service J.F. Böttcher Guided city tour daily 1.30 p.m. for 15 Euro Markmannsgasse 50667 Köln	Phone/Fax: 0221/72 36 27 Mobile Phone: 0171/629 87 96 bike@koelnerfahrradverleih.de
Radstation Köln Hbf Breslauer Platz 50667 Köln	Phone: 139 71 90 Fax: 139 71 91 radstation@invia-koeln.de
DB-Call a Bike At crossroads in the inner city area	Information and registration: Hotline: 070 00 52 25 22
Radstation Brühl Am Bundesbahnhof 2a 50321 Brühl	Phone: (0) 2232/95 07 61 Fax: (0) 2232/95 08 26 ralf@radstation-bruehl.de
Allgemeiner Deutscher Fahrradclub (ADFC) Im Sionstal 8, 50678 Köln	Phone: 0221/323919 Fax: 0221/326986 Info@adfc.de
Bund Deutscher Radfahrer (BDR) Rheinbergstr. 74, 51143 Köln	Phone: 02203/87272 info@bdr-online.org

Skating

At the same time as the Cologne Marathon, in September the »Inline Marathon« is conducted. Wearing a helmet is compulsory and it is strongly recommended to wear knee, wrist and elbow protectors. The time limit for the total distance of the in-liners is 3 hours.

Inline skating is booming. In Cologne skating offers the best alternative to travelling by car or tram and buses – especially if you are in a hurry. At the last Lord Mayor’s election one of the candidates even called for places with a gap-free floor covering for the skaters. There is already a »Skaters Paradise« now on the Cologne Cathedral concourse. Skaters can try things out or perform and are often applauded by a grateful audience. Anyone who has dedicated themselves to cross-country skating can, above all, find beautiful scenic routes in the surrounding area of Cologne. The mini guide »Inline Guide« suggests 15 routes between 8.5 and 24 km:

In-liner tours around Cologne (compiled by the »Inline Guide«)

In-liner tours around Cologne (compiled by the »Inline Guide«)

Tour	Character of the route	Specials	Tip
From Odenthal to Altenberg 8.5 km / suitable for beginners	80% asphalt, 20% concrete stones with expansion gaps. Round trip with rare, slight upward and downward inclines.	Detours are the Märchenwald and the Bergischer Dom. Sports field, refreshment point.	A beautiful route along the River Dhünn, on paths, which you can mostly ride along alone even at weekends.
From Köln-Niehl zum Langeler Damm 17 km / Reservedly suitable for beginners	80% asphalt, 20% paving stone. Round trip with one slight upward incline and one downward slope. 400m over a pavement.	Various eating and drinking places, currently with a beer garden, benches suitable for picnics and an outdoor swimming pool.	The right route for hobby skaters. The scenery is particularly beautiful along the Langeler Dam, although there is a lot going on here, especially at the weekends.
Regatta course 9.5 km / suitable for beginners	100% good asphalt, return trip with rare, slight upward and downward inclines.	There is nothing at all here unfortunately.	The route only follows a foot and cycle path and never comes into contact with the street traffic. Beginners can, therefore, practise without having to worry about falling over, although you have to share the path with a lot of pedestrians at the weekends.
From Köln-Niehl to Köln-Zoobrücke 22 km / reservedly suitable for beginners	75% asphalt, 25% paving stone. Round trip. The route runs along a cycle path and has two equally steep upward and downward slopes.	Zoo, botanical gardens, snack bars, Greek restaurant with a beer garden.	Varied route along the Rhine. It is very busy at the weekends, but the paths are wide and well asphalted.
From Köln-Bocklemünd to Köln-Pesch 11 km / reservedly suitable for beginners	70% asphalt, 28% composite stone paving, 2% wood surface (on bridges). Return trip with a circular course instead of a turning point. Frequent slight upward and downward slopes.	A kiosk and that is about all.	Good quality route through residential areas and woodland. Always nice and quiet, even at weekends.
From Kerpen-Horrem to Bergheim 13 km / suitable for beginners	85% asphalt, 800m gravel, the rest composite stone paving. Return trip with one equally slight downward and upward slope.	Real skater highlights at the car park (practice combinations with ramps), sports field, recreation park with tennis court, outdoor swimming pool and playgrounds.	Varied wood and meadow route. Worth skating along, in spite of the short gravel spell.
Bergisch Gladbach 15.5 km / suitable for beginners	98% asphalt, partly interrupted by concrete stones with expansion gaps, 2% composite stone paving. Generally level course. It covers foot, cycle and hiking paths.	Two refreshment points, racecourse and bird of prey protection station, game enclosure and House of the Forest in the recreation area of Leidenhausen.	Beautiful flat route through green areas, perfect for beginners. Have fun practising!
From RheinEnergie stadium to Meschenich 24 km / suitable for beginners	85% asphalt, 10% composite stone paving, 5% concrete stones with expansion gaps. Rare slight upward and downward slopes. The route goes over railway tracks a few times.	Several refreshment points, a few sports fields and a lot of parking spaces at the RheinEnergie stadium, which are ideal for practising – as long as they are not occupied.	A very varied tour through green areas and small villages, which offer a lot of sports possibilities. This route requires a certain amount of fitness, though.
From Köln-Westhoven to Köln-Zündorf 17 km / suitable for beginners	75% asphalt, the rest composite stone paving and briefly concrete stones. Only one slight upward slope.	Various refreshment points, kiosk, tennis courts, basketball court, mini golf course and boot hire.	Very nice scenic tour on good paths. During the week it is still quite pleasant, but at weekends it is pretty full with cyclists, pedestrians and skaters.
From Balkhausen to Götzenkirchen 16 km / suitable for beginners	99% asphalt, 1% concrete stones. One equally slight upward and downward incline.	One refreshment point and Lörsfeld castle. Two locations off-route: Türnich Stately Home and Mödrath Castle.	Varied wood and meadow tour, which is just right for beginners. But experienced skaters will also have fun. Even if it is busier at the weekends this route is still pleasant to skate along.
From Hürth-Gleul to Hürth-Berrenrath 10.5 km / for advanced skaters	95% asphalt, 5% composite stone paving. A steep downward slope! Very good surface.	Two refreshment points. In the Frechen town centre you can find the "Herbertskaul" skater centre on Burgstraße with (almost) everything a skater’s heart desires.	A route where you have peace and quiet. Only suitable for advanced skaters due to the steep downward gradient.
From Köln-Godorf to Köln-Rodenkirchen 19.5 km / suitable for beginners	97% asphalt, 3% composite paving stone. One steep downward slope.	Various refreshment points and a golf course.	There is an industrial landscape near the starting point, but otherwise the route is more through green areas. You can pick up speed on the partly very well asphalted paths, as long as you do not run the risk of running somebody down. Anyone who only wants to go along the picturesque part along the Rhine can turn round where they feel like it for the first 11 km.
From Overath to Lohmar 16 km / reservedly suitable for beginners	85% asphalt, 15% composite stone paving. The tour runs mainly over cycle paths and a brief spell is over a road.	Various refreshment points.	A quiet route with a good surface. The cycle path runs along a street, but it is also parallel to the Agger. There is not a lot going on here even at weekends. As the route takes you over a little-used road, which has no pavement, it is not suitable for beginners who are still unsteady on their skates.
From Brühl to Bornheim-Sechtem 15.5 km / suitable for beginners	93% asphalt, 5% concrete stones with expansion gaps, the rest composite stone paving and cobble stones. A few slight upward and downward slopes.	Practice combination with ramps, hunting lodge and two refreshment points.	It is nice and quiet here even at weekends. You can pick up speed, especially on the country paths and forestry paths.
From Wesseling to Bonn 23 km / reservedly suitable for beginners	98% asphalt, 2% paving stone. Rare steep upward and downward slopes. For just under 2 km you have to skate over a little used road.	Various refreshment points, sports field, grilling area.	A route with a lot of the Rhine and great asphalt. The steep upward and downward slopes are very demanding and the tour is, therefore, not suitable for absolute beginners.

Golf

International tournaments and valuable prizes determine the golf scene in and around Cologne. The city itself is home to six golf clubs alone, and on the outskirts of Cologne there are about 30 other courses. The region can thus proudly describe itself as the region of Germany with the highest concentration of greens. The facilities extend from expensive and exclusive top clubs through to public golf courses up to pure driving ranges. The golf event highlights include the international »Linde German Masters«, which is held each autumn on the Lärchenhof estate, and which attracts golf enthusiasts from all over the world to the Cologne region.

Golf courses in der region Cologne - Bonn - Aachen

Golf courses in der region Cologne - Bonn - Aachen