Copper City Cycle Route - Inde Valley and Old Town in Stolberg

This route is very varied, but the flow of the Inde remains your constant companion throughout. On the first part of the tour, you pass through the idyllic Inde Valley. You turn towards Büsbach and pass three mills. These three mills, the Buschmühle, Haumühle and Bocksmühle, stand testament to the tradition of metalworking in Stolberg. Continuing along the Inde, also known locally as the Münsterbach, you enjoy the spectacular riverside landscape until you reach Breinig. Arriving in Breinig, the next highlight of your tour awaits, the picturesque and lively townscape of old Breinig. One particular architectural highlight worth noting is the large collection of quarry stone houses in the heritage-listed street of “Alt Breinig” (Old Breinig). You now cross the Stolberg Woods to return to Stolberg. The medieval castle, hallmark of the city and cultural crossroads of Stolberg and environs, towers above the historic old town. The unusual copper manors and old churches harken back to the “golden age” of Stolberg in the 17th and 18th centuries, when the town was driven by industrial development. Despite its long history of development, the buildings of Stolberg’s old town present a homogeneous style without being monotonous, and present a coherent historical ensemble.

Highlights along the way:

• Inde Valley nature reserve
• Zinkhütter Manor House
• Stolberg copper mills
• Tatternsteine/”Dwarf Stones”
• Quarry stone houses in Breinig
• Old town Stolberg with castle, copper manors and business district