“Leisure & Culture”
Gräfrath
Idyll in the Bergisches Land
Gräfrath is the most northern part of Solingen and the western gate to the Bergisches Land in the triangle made up by the cities Solingen-Wuppertal-Düsseldorf.
Already in 1135, “Villa Greverode” was mentioned in a document. As one of the few historical town centers in Northern Rhine Westphalia, Gräfrath provides residents and visitors with a multitude of attractions:
The early modern ensemble of marketplaces, which have hardly changed since the 18th century, with their fountains and narrow streets are characterized by slate-covered Bergisch timbered houses. A seventy-two-level staircase from the city center to Klosterberg and what was previously an abbey represents the starting point of this medieval settlement.
Loved both as a getaway as well as a place to live, Gräfrath is home to a variety of gastronomical delights with its cafés, bistros, restaurants, hotels, and a youth hostel, all waiting for a visit from you. This also applies to the multitude of businesses, which can be found especially at the market and on “In der Freiheit.”
The local historian Otto Schnell wrote in 1909, “Today Gräfrath can be described as a real Bergisch small town idyll.” The image he portrays is fundamentally accurate to this day. Today the historical market place—surrounded by our hotel Gräfrather Hof, the Hotel Zur Post “vis à vis” and our brewery Gräfrather Klosterbräu—serves as a communal meeting place for lively souls.
Apart from the historical monuments, Gräfrath also has an extraordinary cultural offering.
Among those historical monastic buildings you will find the German Knife Museum.
In what was once the Gräfrath city hall, the Solingen Art Museum displays works especially by Solinger artists such as Georg Meistermann as well as other significant collections. Art enthusiasts can take a look inside the galleries around the square.
From the town center, the so-called “Klingenpfad” road leads through the Gräfrath heath, a park-woodland with family-friendly zoo animals that boasts 200 animal varieties. From the lighthouse with a glass dome, a further fascinating landmark of Gräfrath, a designated walking route provides access to the beautiful green landscape that is characteristic of this environment. And so even the outer areas of Gräfrath have something to offer.
The leisure and culture offering around Gräfrath: