Summer series "Rhineland countryside" Six tips for exciting excursions in NRW
Düsseldorf · Water slides, roller coasters and slopes: in NRW, there are plenty of leisure options to get the pulse racing. Six recommendations that won't leave you bored.
1. World of water slides
If you're already in the region and like water, the "Aquamagis" in Plettenberg in the Sauerland region is an appealing destination. There, too, it's all about flying and speed - on a total of twelve slides with names like "Storm Force 1." Visitors are catapulted through the curves on air cushions by wind machine at speeds of up to 100 km/h. A colorful world of tubes makes it clear from the outside that this adventure pool is exceptional. Only in Plettenberg is there a water slide that can be completed standing up. But the AquaMagis offers something for the whole family.
Address for navigation: Böddinghauser Feld 1, 58840 Plettenberg
Tel. 02391 60550
2. Like Tarzan in the jungle
"Kletterwald schwindelfrei" - this name says it all: 17 high rope courses of varying degrees of difficulty await visitors young and old in Brühl near Cologne. The lowest route through the air is one meter high, the highest reaches up into the treetops at a height of around 20 meters. And if that's not adventurous enough, a special climbing tower with a system of ladders, footbridges and handholds takes you 45 meters vertically downwards, the sight of which already provides an increased adrenaline rush. Those who like it less exciting or are still a child can do archery, have fun in a giant swing and go on a GPS tour.
Address for the navigation system: Liblarer Strasse 183, 50321 Brühl
Tel. 02232 157471
3. Eldorado of roller coasters
Less than five kilometers from the Kletterwald is the classic amusement park, Phantasialand. Even though the offer is very broad and intended for the whole family, the park offers several above-average adrenaline kicks with its roller coasters, including the longest dark roller coaster in the world with 1300 meters of track. You feel like you're in a supersonic jet that's hurtling wildly along, including brief moments of complete disorientation. Phantasialand has a total of eight roller coasters, including "Taron," the fastest multi-launch coaster in the world at 117 kilometers per hour. Not a superlative, but impressive: After the Corona forced break, the new "Rookburgh" theme world with the "Fly" roller coaster awaits visitors. The cars are suspended under the track and give the feeling of flying freely through the ride.
Address for navigation: Berggeiststrasse 31-41, 50321 Brühl
Tel. 02232 36600.
4. In the air stream of the tunnel
This is also where professionals such as the paratroopers of the German Armed Forces train: The more than 280 km/h fast air current in the wind tunnel of the Indoor Skydiving in Bottrop conveys the free fall of a real parachute jump very closely, and this without any risk. One minute in the wind tunnel corresponds to a jump from several thousand meters. Even beginners can take off up to 17 meters high without any previous knowledge, while professionals can appreciate the real flight behavior and improve their skills regardless of the weather. An extraordinary architecture with a lot of glass allows the spectator to experience the breathtaking flight experience live when entering the facility.
Address for navigation: Prosperstrasse 297, 46238 Bottrop
Tel. 02041 373730
5. Rolling down a slope
Almost weightless in a transparent giant ball with momentum down the slope - zorbing enjoys great popularity among those for whom a roller coaster is just a tired thrill. "Actionball" is the name of the trend from New Zealand, in which two "Zorbonauts" inside the inflatable ball roll downhill or even on a flat track, reaching speeds of up to 50 kilometers per hour. Gekugelt is in the Märkischer Kreis. However, the stomach should be robust.
Tel. 02359 295133 or 0175 7013933 or e-mail info@actionball.de
6. Flying with the bicycle
You have to be athletic for downhill mountain biking: it's all about getting around a course peppered with natural obstacles as quickly as possible. There are numerous bike parks in NRW where you can practice this before heading into the mountains, the crowning glory being the Bikepark Winterberg with eleven courses over twelve kilometers. On offer are practice courses, forest and race tracks, also courses for beginners and children.
Tel. 02981 9199909
Address for the navigation system: Kapperundweg 3, 59955 Winterberg
Info: In pandemic times opening hours and offers can change quickly. Please check the current corona rules at your destination before your trip.
Original text: Helmut Michelis
Translation: Mareike Graepel
