Walking and hiking is very popular with millions of healthy, nature-loving Germans. Not only do they like keep their body fit but also experience the beauty of the landscape with all their senses.

Those wishing to take a short relaxing walk do not necessarily have to leave town. Beautiful, vast verdant oases await within the towns of the Ruhr area. Always worth a visit is the Rombergpark, a landscaped park and botanic garden in the south of Dortmund. Large glasshouses inspire admiration with exotic plant species from many tropical countries.

Lovers of walking and hiking can find many interesting trails to indulge their passion in the Ruhr Metropolis. Nature protection areas (Naturschutzgebiete) invite to gaze at untouched nature and observe rare species of birds, amphibians or dragonflies in their natural habitat. However, please bear in mind that in nature reserves it is normally not permitted to leave signposted paths, make a campfire or do anything that could disturb or interfere with the flora and fauna.

Starting a short way away from the Ruhr region, the Rheinstieg is a popular, demanding walking trail which reaches from Bonn via Koblenz to Wiesbaden. With a total length of three hundred and twenty kilometers, it not only runs through beautiful vineyards, but also passes by fascinating historic sites.