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You want to cycle in the hilly area of Bergisches Land? No problem! The network of former railway lines of Bergisches Land with its low inclines has been expanded and is promoted under the umbrella brand of »Panorama-Radwege« (panoramic cycle routes). This has created a network that stretches 200 kilometres, comfortably taking cyclists through the Bergisches Land and offering a variety of experiences. These trails are popular with tourists and are perfect for relaxed cycling with beautiful views of the countryside and sightseeing in some of the towns and cities. The fully-signposted panoramic cycle routes are an ideal mix of cultural experience and activity in the fresh air – a fantastic combination to gain an intense insight into the region.
Between the Ruhr, Rhine and Sieg rivers lie the three panoramic cycle routes of the Bergisches Land: Bergischer Panorama-Radweg (132 km), Panorama-Radweg niederbergbahn (40 km), and the Panorama-Radweg Balkantrasse (51 km). The infrastructure is ideal for entirely new routes through the low, mountainous areas, especially in combination with the river cycle paths, the RuhrtalRadweg, the Rheinradweg, and the Ruhr-Sieg-Radweg.
Since the panoramic cycle routes in the Bergisches Land pass through different districts, towns, and cities, it is only natural to promote them and their vast variety of experiences together. The tourist marketing organisations of the cities and districts have therefore joined forces to create a profile of and market the three Bergische Panorama cycle paths. The aim is to benefit from the growing market of bicycle tourism and to show its attractiveness as a tourist destination for day-trippers and people on short holidays. For this, the funding project Bergische Panorama-Radwege – Relaxed cycling on former railway lines between Ruhr, Rhein and Sieg was launched in 2016. The project is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) together with the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The partners are the districts of Mettmann and Ennepe-Ruhr, BSW, and Bergisches Land Tourismus Marketing e.V., the city of Leverkusen, and the two districts of the Bergisches Land, represented by Naturarena Bergisches Land GmbH.
The project will create the trans-regional structures for product development and quality management as well as the joint marketing tools. The aim is to increase the region’s long-term value creation from tourism. The establishment of a network with providers of tourism services and regional players as a network of excellence aims at improving the quality of services for cycle tourists and increasing the density of companies along the cycle paths.
The cooperation with the neighbouring tourism regions, the Ruhr Metropolis, Sauerland, and Radregion Rheinland (in the areas of product development and knowledge transfer) enhances the image of the whole of NRW as a bicycle-friendly region – a win-win situation for all regions. The Bergische Panorama-Radwege office, which is part of the Bergische Struktur- und Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft mbH, has also appointed a contact person for trans-regional coordination.
The project Bergische Panorama-Radwege - Relaxed cycling on former railway lines between Ruhr, Rhein and Sieg is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
The project is integrated into the tourism marketing activities of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Mid-2016 to mid-2019
Bergische Struktur- und Wirtschaftsförderungsgesellschaft mbH
Naturarena Bergisches Land GmbH / Das Bergische GmbH
Mettmann County / neanderland
Bergisches Land Tourismus Marketing e.V. / Die Bergischen Drei
District Ennepe-Ruhr
City of Leverkusen
Cities and City Marketing of Remscheid, Solingen, Wuppertal
ADFC Wuppertal / Solingen
Dr Achim Bartoschek, www.bahntrassenradeln.de
ADFC-Landesverband (German Cyclist’s Association)
Sauerland Tourismus
Ruhrtourismus
City of Sprockhövel
Angelika Schott (Project management)
+49 (0)212/88 16 06 – 79
schott[at]bergische-gesellschaft.de
Daniela Kaplan (Managment of funding)
+49 (0)212 / 88 16 06 – 80
kaplan[at]bergische-gesellschaft.de
2007: Development of the expert report »Tourism Value Chain of Bergischer Trassenverbund (Railway network of Bergisches Land)«
2007: Signing of the inter-communal agreement »Recreational trails on former railways« with nine local authorities and institutions
2008: Competition entry for the project “Ziel 2 Erlebnis.NRW” »Bergischer Trassenverbund mit Rheinischer Strecke« (Railway line network of Bergisches Land with Rhenisch section); recommended for funding by the jury
2008: Application for funding from the “Ziel 2” project for funding the promotion of the network of railway lines in Bergisches Land, based on the jury decision of Erlebnis.NRW
2008: Foundation of the expert working group “Bergischer Trassenverbund” with honorary members
2009: Development of a project dossier on the trans-regional integration of the “Bergische Trassenverbund” between Ruhr, Rhine and Sieg
2010: Approval of subsidies for urban development and the start of construction of the inner-city area of Nordbahntrasse in Wuppertal (Project’s lead partners: City of Wuppertal / Wuppertalbewegung e.V.)
2010: Realisation of the closure of the Solingen gap with urban development funding: Mountain railway route between Korkenzieherbahn and Brückenpark Müngsten
2011: Opening of the PanoramaRadweg niederbergbahn
2012: Cycling tour map “Die Bergischen Drei” issued with emphasis on railway tracks
2012: Realisation of bicycle transport on the cable car Solingen-Burg (partly by the company Seilbahn Burg)
2012: Feasibility study on the Remscheid gap closure: Cycle route between Müngsten and Morsbach
2012: Application for “Ziel 2” funding for external branches of the Nordbahntrasse (City of Wuppertal)
2012: Approval of the “Ziel 2” funding for the outer branches of the Nordbahntrasse (Project’s lead partner: City of Wuppertal / Wuppertalbewegung)
2013: Approval of the funding for the marketing concept “Bergischer Trassenverbund mit Rheinischer Strecke” (2013 – 2015)
2013: Publication of the overview map of the panoramic bike trails “Mit dem Fahrrad mal eben hoch hinaus” [Easily reach lofty heights by bike]
2014: Application for project extension and additional funding for the marketing concept »Bergischer Trassenverbund«, total cost of sales 225,000 € (Marketing)
2014: Approval of project extension and increase of funds until June 2015
2014: Completion and opening of the Nordbahntrasse in Wuppertal
2015: Publication of a new, revised edition of the cycling tour map “Die Bergischen Drei”
2015: Season opening of the “Bergische Bahntrassen” on the 19th of April
2016: Application for ERDF funding for the panoramic bike trails
2016: Season opening of the PanoramaRadweg niederbergbahn
2016: Approval of funding for the project »Bergische Panorama-Radwege – Relaxed cycling of former railway lines between Ruhr, Rhine and Sieg«, and establishment of the project coordination with a project coordination office
2017: Creation of the brand strategy and implementation of quality management on the routes along the railway lines in cooperation with the German Cyclist’s Association as well as the municipalities and districts of the Bergische Panorama bike trails.
2018: Launch of the new brand “Einfach bergisch radeln” at numerous tourism fairs and events. Website www.einfach-bergisch-radeln.de launched in February. Continuation of quality management activities