Wegberg has been a settled area for more than 300,000 years. Neanderthal artifacts have been found in the area, along with signs of continuous settlement up until the present day.
The Maas-Schwalm-Nette nature and wildlife park lets you walk off into the wild and see for yourself what drew mankind’s early ancestors here.
A big part of it is the abundant water supply. The Maas, Schwalm, and Nette rivers are accompanied by numerous smaller springs and canals. The waterwheels and mills along the river are still working, although many have been turned into restaurants and really cool boutique hotels.
In Wegberg proper, the canals have attractive brick and stone embankments with sculptures lining the banks. It’s cute to pose with them — many of the statues are of people or groups engaged in water-related activities.
The rivers here have also been used to make moats. The town shares 8 km of border with the Netherlands, which is no big deal now but in the past meant that heavy fortifications and moats were the order of the day.
Passing back and forth between ruling groups, the locals needed to be strong to retain some measure of independence. So, they built many castles with moats. One of the best examples still standing is the Castle Tüschenbroich. There is also a Tüschenbroich Mill, and you can see a weir remaining from medieval times.
Inside the Castle there is a well-preserved chapel, and you can take good shots of the countryside from the walls. The grounds around the Castle have several hiking and Nordic Walking trails.
The Wegberg council only recently opened the trails and has been surprised at their popularity, especially in the summer months. Yet with the many water wheels, the old castle, and the beautiful forest, is it any wonder that everybody here wants to go for a walkabout? ;-)
