Outer Green-Belt Park (Äußerer Grüngürtel)

In the 20s, the City of Cologne created the “Inneren und Äußeren Grüngürtel“, the inner and outer green belt, on the premises of former fortresses. The Outer Green-Belt Park (Äußeren Grüngürtel) is in the southern part of Cologne, just west of the Rhine river paths. There are great paths for running in the park, a combination of wooded trails, open meadows, and a pond. A full run of the paths, including the 1 km of trails through the Rosengarten heading west from the river, is 6.3 miles. We’ve mapped out a route. You can also access the park from the Zollstock Zollstockgürtel transit station just to the north.

Add-On: For a  longer run or variety, head north from the Äußeren Grüngürtel along park paths with the cemetery on your left, into Vorgebirgspark. Adds 3.5 km (2.1 miles) one-way.