Discover Pulheim

Pulheim combines historic sites and natural attractions: in Stommeln, the windmill, synagogue and the memory of Christina of Stommeln shape the cultural offerings; Haus Orr, green spaces and Brauweiler Abbey add to them. For planning your trip, you can focus on specific interests – such as historic buildings, a guided tour or an event. The following places and information will help you get a sense of Pulheim as a destination before choosing a hotel.

Windmill, Synagogue and Christina of Stommeln

The four-sailed brick tower windmill in Pulheim-Stommeln is documented as far back as the 16th century and was built between 1860 and 1864. Its sails have been preserved. The mill is also a designated archaeological monument and serves as a landmark despite its location within the town. A Jewish cemetery dating from before 1861 lies directly beside it – two closely situated sites that shed light on different aspects of local history.

Built in 1882, Stommeln Synagogue is now the only surviving Jewish house of worship in the Rhein-Erft district. Max Neuhaus’s permanent sound installation “Time Piece Stommeln” is located at the synagogue. Its time system is based on Jewish religious law and divides the time between sunrise and sunset. The sound signal rings thirteen times a day, with the intervals changing according to the position of the sun. In 1991, the City of Pulheim initiated the “Stommeln Synagogue” art project at the synagogue, an exhibition series featuring internationally renowned artists.

Several places also commemorate Blessed Christina of Stommeln: her tomb at the old St Martin’s Church, the Christina Chapel, Christina School, the retirement home at Christinapark and a large monument by Olaf Höhn on the village green in Stommeln. The monument has stood there since 1999. The Stommeln Local History Museum also offers a walk in the footsteps of Christina of Stommeln. If you would like to include this activity in your plans, check the specific dates in advance.

Haus Orr and the Landscape Park

Haus Orr is set in a large landscape park near the Rhine, on an artificial hill. The Neo-Gothic villa was built in 1838, probably by Ernst Friedrich Zwirner, based on a design by Schinkel for Cologne banker Peter Daniel Koch. The landscape park was continually expanded until 1890 and is listed as a separate garden monument on the City of Pulheim’s heritage register. The villa and park offer different historical points of interest: the architecture of the 19th century on the one hand, and the development of a designed landscape on the other.

Cultural Events at Rittergut Orr

Thanks to the activities of the support association, visitors can access Rittergut Orr, a cultural and natural heritage site. The events programme includes concerts, readings, a spring festival and other cultural events for different age groups. Upcoming dates are announced in the cultural calendar. If an event is a key factor in your trip, check the calendar before making plans.

Brauweiler Abbey: Guided Tours and Exhibition

Brauweiler Abbey offers public guided tours every day, as well as exclusive tours for private groups. The permanent exhibition “1,000 Years of Brauweiler Abbey: A Place of Rhenish History” explores the abbey’s history of more than a thousand years and the changes it has undergone. Selected original objects, written sources and photographs are on display, complemented by audiovisual media. During your stay, you can choose to focus on a guided tour or explore the abbey’s history independently.

Green Spaces and Getting There

Green spaces around Pulheim, such as Nordpark and the neighbouring woods, invite you to enjoy trips into nature. This natural side complements the historic destinations in Stommeln and Brauweiler, offering ways to plan your stay beyond buildings and exhibitions.

Pulheim is on the Cologne–Mönchengladbach railway line and close to Cologne/Bonn and Düsseldorf airports. If you are travelling by train, you can include the current timetable in your plans.

Discover more destinations: Brauweiler, Brühl, Bedburg, Buir, Wesseling, Erftstadt, Kerpen, Frechen.

Back to the regional travel overview: Rhein-Erft district.