Neandertal - Nordbahntrasse -Baldeneysee

• Partial Closure Kupferdreh Railway Bridge: The Kupferdreh railway bridge between Essen-Heisingen and Essen Kupferdreh has been closed since 23 January 2026 until February 2027 due to construction work. The alternative route continues along the riverbank and crosses the next bridge. Further information: https://www.dasbergische.de/en/aktivitaeten/wandern/bergisches-wanderland This extensive cycle tour connects three of North Rhine-Westphalia's most famous landmarks and crosses a landscape characterised by glacial history and industrial change. The route leads through the Neandertal, the world-famous site where the first Neanderthal fossils were discovered in 1856, situated in a limestone gorge named after the hymn poet Joachim Neander. Cyclists then switch to the award-winning Nordbahntrasse in Wuppertal, a 23-kilometre-long former railway line that offers breathtaking views over the city from historic viaducts and leads through five illuminated tunnels. The tour ends at Lake Baldeney in Essen, a huge reservoir created in 1933 to clean the Ruhr. The route is characterised by smooth asphalt surfaces and gentle gradients, making it a pure test of physical endurance without any technical obstacles.