Rhenish Revier: From opencast mining to a new tourism hotspot!

Rhenish Revier: From opencast mining to a new tourism hotspot!

On May 31, 2025, an important new funding project entitled “Tourism development in the Rhenish district” was officially launched in the Bergheim district hall. Loud KSTA This project aims to specifically promote tourism in the region and was launched on the basis of a recently completed strategy concept for tourism development.

District head Torsten Heerz emphasized the essential importance of close cooperation between all those involved. The Tourism Competence Network, which includes groups of districts, cities, opencast mining initiatives and tourism-relevant organizations, will play a central role in the implementation of the recommended measures from the strategy concept. District Administrator Frank Rock highlights the great potential of the Rhenish district for future tourism developments.

The change in the region

The conversion of former opencast mining sites into large lakes is an important part of the structural change in the Rhenish mining area. According to that indeland This change will drive tourism and economic development. The indeland, Neuland Hambach and the Garzweiler land sequence are crucial elements that will shape the future face of the region. The identification of tourism as a central driver of growth and quality of life illustrates the urgency of becoming active in this area.

The strategy concept, which was presented at Paffendorf Castle in Bergheim, presents the challenges and tasks for the coming years. The collaboration with the consulting agency ift Freizeit- und Tourismusberatung GmbH from Cologne ensures that the measures developed are supported by various actors from five districts as well as cities such as Aachen and Mönchengladbach.

Implementation and future prospects

A strong sense of regional solidarity was highlighted as a key to the successful implementation of the tourism strategy. Sabine Spohrer, managing director of indeland Tourismus e.V., emphasizes the opportunities that the region's structural change offers. Since there is currently only limited tourism development in the Rhenish area, the concept will provide clues for thematic positioning, the development of tourist offers and the identification of target groups and quality standards.

The Tourism Competence Network will play an active role in positioning the Rhenish region as a strong tourism region in the long term. In order to ensure the successful implementation of the recommended measures, a funded follow-up project will be launched to ensure the coordinated implementation of the tourism areas of action. The region's potential will be further exploited to establish a sustainable and economically successful tourism destination.