Neandertal - Nordbahntrasse -Baldeneysee

• Partial Closure Kupferdreh Railway Bridge: The Kupferdreh railroad bridge between Essen-Heisingen and Essen-Kupferdreh will be closed from January 23, 2026, through February 2027 due to construction work. The alternate route continues along the riverbank over the next bridge. More 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 characterized by glacial history and industrial change. The route leads through the Neandertal, the world-famous site where the first Neanderthal fossils were found 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 railroad 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 characterized by smooth asphalt surfaces and gentle inclines, making it a pure test of physical endurance without any technical obstacles.