Monchengladbach: A weekend can be so varied!

When you hear Monchengladbach, you surely associate it with soccer, or? Yet this city has so much more to offer!

Did you know that Monchengladbach was honored twice in 2016?? Or that Monchengladbach is home to Germany's first climbing church?

Well, curious now? Let yourself be surprised what you can experience in this city!

Museum Abteiberg: The Museum of the Year 2016 is in Monchengladbach

Every year, the German section of the International Association of Art Critics (AICA) selects the Museum of the Year.

For 2016, the Stadtisches Museum Abteiberg was awarded. And to what? Rightly so!

The Museum Abteiberg is Germany's first post-modern museum building after the 2. World War.

The spectacular architecture is just fantastic and about 95% barrier-free.

Opened in 1982 and designed by Hans Hollein, the museum building clearly stands out from the cityscape.

Also the interior can be seen. The unusual shapes continue. It's bright, open and well lit.

In the Museum Abteiberg, works by all the greats of contemporary art are indeed on display. Joseph Beuys, Andy Warhol, Gerhard Richter, Sigmar Polke, Ulrich Ruckriem, to name but a few.

There is even, instead of the usual screen prints, a painted picture of Andy Warhol.

In addition, there are constantly interesting, changing exhibitions.

Art like it or not. Some of the exhibits have made me wonder if it's art or can go away. Others totally appealed to me and made me curious for more. Just go there and make your own picture.

By the way, the attached sculpture garden is also highly recommended.

Here you can relax and then continue your discovery tour through Monchengladbach in old freshness.

More info about the Museum Abteiberg

• Museum Abteiberg, Abteistrabe 27, 41061 Monchengladbach, Germany
• Museum opening hours:

• Tuesday to Friday: 11.00 – 17.00 o'clock, Saturday and Sunday: 11.00 – 18.00 hrs
• 24.12., 25.12., 31.12 and 1.1. closed
• Open on Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday

• May to September: 10.00 o'clock -20.00 a.m., October to April: 10.00 – 18.00 o'clock

• Admission € 7.00, reduced € 3.50
• Family ticket 14,00 €
• Group ticket per person (at least 10 persons) 4,00 € per person
• Free entrance on every 1. Sunday of the month.

St. Peter: The Climbing Church Monchengladbach

Meet: Germany's first and only climbing church!

In the district of Waldhausen you can visit St. Peter climbs to his heart's content.

No matter if you are a beginner or an advanced climber.

With wall heights of up to 13 meters, you're sure to find something that suits you. On over 1.300 m2 you can climb, boulder, slaklinen, highlinen and much more.

I decided to take a taster climbing lesson. The professional explained to me how the rabbit runs, or rather, how I have to behave at the wall.

I was a little queasy at first, but I felt well taken care of and really enjoyed my first, tentative attempts at climbing.

This climber's paradise exudes a pretty wacky atmosphere.

The equipment was partly made from the old church pews. Holy water-
basin, bells and crosses are still hanging. The light refracts through the typical church windows. Here and there it still smells incense-like.

Is already a bit creepy, but cool!

By the way, the last mass was held here in 2007, in 2009 the church was profaned.

More info on the Climbing Church:

• Climbing church MG GmbH, Nicodemstrabe 36, 41068 Monchengladbach
• The current opening hours, the price list and more info about the climbing church can be found here.
• The Climbing Church on the Internet: http://www.climbing church.en/news.php

Minto: Excellent shopping in Monchengladbach

No desire for sports activities or culture?

Then you might be drawn to Germany's most beautiful shopping center.

Minto won this award in 2016. Selection criteria: Interior and exterior design and the furnishing of the recreation areas. This award was presented by the shopping center Performance Report.

The undulating exterior facade in earth tones is a real eye-catcher.

And that's not all. "Green Point" is a part of the facade planted with preserved moss, and countless metal sequins glitter around the "Glamour Walk" facade.

The interior design is also really stylish. Chill-out rest areas alternate with children's play areas. Everywhere there are these little things that make the Minto special. Whether it's a great lamp, or a plant arrangement.

The differently designed food court is also to my taste. Choose whether you want to sit in the kitchen, in the living room in the library or rather in the winter garden. Departed, or?

Did I already tell you that there is free WLAN and free charging stations in the Minto??

More info about the Minto:

• Minto, Am Minto 3, 41061 Monchengladbach
• Opening hours:

• Monday to Thursday 10.00 o'clock – 20.00, Friday 10.00 – 21.00, Saturday 10.00 o'clock – 20.00 o'clock

Night watchman tour: Once through the old town of Monchengladbach

Meeting point 19.00 o'clock at the parking lot at Geroweiher.

My night watchman is not hard to find. With halberd, horn and lantern Mr. Franz Josef Wirtz receives me and leads me in 90 minutes entertaining through the old town of Monchengladbach.

We start with the founding legend of the city of Monchengladbach.

Afterwards, he shows me remains of the city wall, initiates me into the duties of a night watchman, talks about monks and church building, shooting societies and carnival and, of course, about the city's patron saint, Saint Vitus.

He knows where the oldest house of the city stands, digs out old photos and city maps from his bag and makes the history come alive for me.

Truly amazing the knowledge he has and even more amazing the fun way he conveys it in a totally exciting way.

The last three night watchmen made their rounds in Monchengladbach in 1870.

When the next night watchman tour will take place, you can find out here.

More info about the night watchman tour:

• Meeting point: Parking lot at the Geroweiher, Geroplatz, 41061 Monchengladbach
• Entrance fees:

• Adults 8,- €
• Children up to 14 years 4,- €
• In addition there is a handling fee of 2,20 € per booking

• Haupts Travel Agency (Tel.: 02161-82 09 80)
• Ticket and information service of First travel agencies (tel.: 02161-27 41 61)
• Online at www.city-tours-mg.de

Wickrath Castle: Baroque moated castle in Monchengladbach

Wickrath. Here I grew up and became big. Here I've zoomed around on training wheels, climbed trees, fallen into stinging nettles, caught stickfoods from a carrot, and got up to mischief with my friends.

No question, I like to come back to this place very much.

I never miss a long walk through the castle park on any of my visits to Monchengladbach.

Regardless of the fact that I'm reminiscing and having fun here anyway, Wickrath Castle is one of the most important baroque complexes north of the Alps.

It was built between 1746 and 1772 by order of the Imperial Count Wilhelm Otto Friedrich von Quadt.

As part of EUROGA, in 2002, the park was redesigned and spruced up. water, green and lots of fresh air, wonderful!

Horse breeding and equestrian sports play a big role in Monchengladbach. The Rhenish Horse Stud moved from Bonn to Wickrath Castle.

Further information about Wickrath Castle

• Castle Wickrath, Castle Wickrath, 41189 Monchengladbach
• Free RV parking right next to the castle park

• Follow the signs to Wickrath Castle, approach via Neukircher Weg, 41189 Monchengladbach, Germany

Rheydt Castle: Renaissance moated castle in Monchengladbach, Germany

Rheydt Castle is a Renaissance moated castle and another important monument in Monchengladbach.

Between 1558 and 1591 it was built by order of Otto von Byland by Maximilian von Pasqualini.

This beautiful castle with its two inner courtyards is located in the middle of a beautiful nature reserve with signposted hiking trails.

Here you can visit the museum and see the casemates in the ramparts.

Rheydt Castle regularly hosts a wide variety of events, such as the Knight's Festival or the Summer Music in August.
You can find the schedule of live events and markets 2016/2017 here.

You like peacocks? Then you are also quite right in the inner courtyard of Rheydt Castle.