Kira Nerys
This is more of a niche hiking experience, but one that could still prove interesting from various perspectives. The route travels up and around several slag deposits from 19th and 20th-century mining operations. Once upon a time, this region was so industrialized that finding any kind of vegetation was challenging. Decades later, though, nature is slowly returning.
Frank Vincentz
For a river as industrialized as the Ruhr, it still has its beautiful parts. As you follow the river into the Sauerland, it takes on a more pastoral character. This hike travels between the towns of Wetter and Witten through some of the forested pastoral landscape that has characterized the Ruhr valley for the past thousand years.
Marku1988
This hike follows the heights along the Ruhr as the Rhineland transitions into Westphalia. The primary destination is the ruins of the castle Blankenberg, but the hike also visits the many viewpoints that the heights provide. It ends at a lesser-known lowland castle, Kemnade Castle.
Klaus Bärwinkel
This hike is an alternative route in the highlands above Hattingen and Langenberg. This hike gives you a panorama of the traditional Ruhr landscape. The hike starts and ends in Langenberg, which along with Hattingen, form the best-preserved historical towns in the region. Exactly which region, though, might depend on who you ask. Historically, the town would have belonged to the County of Mark, and thus the hike takes place in the Sauerland, a region of Westphalia.
TopWolf
Following along the valley edge of the Felderbach tributary to the Ruhr, this hike gives you a panorama of the traditional Ruhr landscape. The hike ends in Langenberg, which along with Hattingen, form the best-preserved historical towns in the region. Exactly which region, though, might depend on who you ask. Historically, the town would have belonged to the County of Mark, and thus the hike takes place in the Sauerland, a region of Westphalia. Other people might disagree and say Langenberg is proper Bergisches Land. In any case, enjoy the beautiful pastoral landscape and the charming half-timbered villages.