If you are traveling through Cologne on your trip through Germany, you may want to make a side-trip to the town of Kürten which lies just 25km away. This small town is often overlooked by Germany travelers because of the night-life opportunities offered by other larger cities, but Kürten has lots of natural and historical attractions.

If you are looking for sports or physical activity in the outdoors, you should consider playing a round of golf at the beautiful 18-hole course at Golf Club Kürten. It is a 6059m (6626 yards) par 72 with a restaurant and driving range. It also contains a 6-hole short course.

The golf course is located in the Nature Park Bergisches Land. Even if you aren’t a golfer, the nature in the area is worth the trip. You will be awestruck at the beautiful views over the countryside.

For swimming activities, there is a place called Splash that offers a sauna and swimming pool. It provides a giant slide, a wading pool for babies, aquatic exercises, and more. The biggest attraction of the water park is the slide, which is very large and gets you moving very fast. It is quite a thrilling experience! The sauna is a great place to relax after a day of activity.

The entire place has a comfortable feel-good atmosphere about it.

Kürten is also the hometown of one of the best composers of recent time, Karlheinz Stockhausen. He passed away on December 5th, 2007, and was buried in Kürten cemetery. There are still many concerts and courses being held in his name. Check online for the dates of courses and concerts and take advantage of the chance to be around great music minds and learn about and enjoy the music of Karlheinz Stockhausen.

Take a trip through Kürten on your next trip through Germany for golf, water activities, or music, and you won’t be disappointed.

Nestled in the hills at the center of Germany’s Saarland state, Lebach boasts the largest weekly market in this region. The market’s history dates to 10th century parish records and for most of the intervening time Lebach was the market to attend, sitting at the crossroads of several major byways. The market continues to this day, every Tuesday.

In addition to special Easter and Christmas markets, the town celebrates the birth of the Virgin Mary with Green Week in September. The festival market takes place on the Tuesday following the second Sunday in September. Spend the day browsing the 500 stalls that fill the town with produce, apparel, household goods, and crafts.

On the second Saturday of September, Lebach’s Green Week begins with an open house at the nearby Graf-Haeseler barracks where the local garrison of Paratrooper Battalion 261 puts on show of their aerial skills. The next day, visit the exciting horse races.

Lebach is home to one of Germany’s premium trails, the 7.6 km Kaltensteinpfad. This hilly walk will take you to heights of 220 m, through fairy tale forests full of moss and ferns, wetlands teeming with wildlife, historic Third Reich sites, and even a tunnel full of bats.

On the trail, you will pass a natural stone monument known as Kaltenstein where Celtic legends say the druids made sacrifices to their gods over 2000 years ago.

Back in Lebach, relax in one of the many restaurants or bars, or send an email from local Internet cafes. Or visit the Asian Garden on the banks of the Theel River. Meditate on the pure shapes and colors of the gardens and take in the beauty of their harmony and composition.

All in all, Lebach is a friendly town, full of easy-going and open-minded people, and a good place to spend a few days relaxing, hiking the many walking trails, or just enjoying the market.