Essen is built with the Ruhr River as its centerpiece. There is plenty of great running along the riverbanks thanks to the local branch of the Ruhr Valley Cycle Path. This 230 km route spans from Winterberg to Duisburg, where it flows into the Rhine. Runners can pick up the path from almost anywhere along the river. The most popular area to run is the Baldeneysee, a reservoir along the Ruhr river just south of Essen. There is a pleasant 14 km loop connecting with the Hardenbergufer Road on the south bank of the river. Other good starting points near the city include Vogelinsel wildlife refuge and the stretch between Heisinger Ruhraue wildlife refuge and Brücke Obergraben/Spillenburger Wehr. You can do the full 14 km loop, or choose a section — the off-road path is more developed and seamless on the north side.
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Essentials
- 14 km (8.8 miles)
- 111 meters (364 feet)
- Essen-Werden Station
- Essen-Werden Station
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Other Routes in Essen & Duisburg, Germany
The pedestrian-only center of Essen is a great spot for a run. We’ve mapped a 5 km course that highlights some of the architectural sights in the area.
While Baldeneysee is the most popular running route along the Ruhr River, there are plenty of other starting points that can result in a great run. Spillenburger Wehr is another favorite.
Grugapark is home to Essen’s magnificent botanical gardens, as well as a calisthenics park, playing fields, and miles of runnable paved paths. While there are many options here, we’ve mapped a 4 km perimeter loop.
Rheinelbe is one of the better areas for a DIY run through parks and multi-use paths. Rheinelbe Park, Von-Wedelstaedt Park, and the Halde Rheinelbe are highlights. Get some hill and stair work in at Stockpile Rheinelbe!
Emscher Park and the adjacent Nordstern Park offer some of the best running in northern Essen. We’ve mapped a 6.7 km loop along the banks of the Rhein-Herne-Kanal.
Gleispark Frintrop is another good running option along the Rhein-Herne-Kanal. Runners will find about 6 km of trails. Connect to Emscher Park for more options.
The Schloß Park, just north of Schönebeck, is a spacious green area dotted with historic buildings and asphalt pathways. A loop around the grounds is about 3 km.
Helenen Park is a combination of dense forest and fields with a good variety of asphalt and gravel paths networked along the Stoppenberger Bach. A loop is 2.3 km.
Some great running options in this riverside city just 20 km west of Essen include a 'runseeing' tour of the Altstadt and Inner Harbor, routes along the Rhine and Ruhr Rivers, the modern Landschaftspark, the Regattabahn loop and some lake trails south of the city.
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