Gut Leidenhausen

Cultural centre, conservation station, heathland portal

During the night before May Day, while colourfully beribboned May trees are being set up under lovers’ windows, Gut Leidenhausen also prepares to carry out its own annual tradition. This is where the Heathland Festival has been celebrated on May 1 since 1990 with an environmentally themed religious service in the open air. The festival expresses the purpose of this former feudal estate: preserving nature, protecting the environment, fostering biodiversity and responsible stewardship. These activities offer first-hand experiences that enable visitors to cooperatively explore the natural environment.

Gut Leidenhausen, located in the Porz district of Cologne, is one of four heathland portals that serve as information centres providing access to the Wahner Heide, a multifaceted natural environment that is worthy of protection. It’s a lively and committed centre focusing on hands-on experiences.

A varied programme of learning and hands-on experiences — and a place to have fun

In addition to an exhibition about the Wahner Heide in the historic barn, Gut Leidenhausen offers excursions such as a safari to find wild bees, workshops on topics such as natural cosmetics, programmes promoting exercise and health, guided tours of the area, many nature-oriented events, a fruit museum with a meadow orchard, and a House of the Forest. 

Here you can even experience a Forest Christmas as an alternative to the traditional Christmas markets. You can find informational materials, books, products from the Wahner Heide and maps for hikers in the portal’s information centre.

A sanctuary for birds of prey and bat care

Throughout the year, the sanctuary for birds of prey cares for about 100 feathered patients who have been injured, fallen ill or become orphaned. The rescue centre is also open to the public on weekends — just check the current opening hours before you go. The birds receive veterinary treatment and care until they can be released into their natural environment. These activities are funded by the Schutzgemeinschaft Deutscher Wald Köln (German Forest Protection Association, Cologne chapter), which you can support with a donation after your visit. 

Gut Leidenhausen rescues not only birds of prey but also bats that have been injured or cannot fly. A coordination centre for injured bats has been set up here in cooperation with the Cologne chapter of the nature conservation organization NABU.

A nature playground with sand, water and a willow tunnel for children

Younger Gut Leidenhausen visitors can enjoy a nature playground set inside a large sand area where they can play, make discoveries and burn off energy. They can run through the willow tunnel, glide down the slide again and again, climb hand over hand, mess around with water, and zoom along a zip line. In the meantime, their adult companions can relax on a bench nearby. In the winter there’s sledding on the slope behind the playground if the snow in Cologne is deep enough. 

Gut Leidenhausen has a café

After hiking, enjoying the exhibits, playing and running, you’ll need some refreshment — and you can find it in the café. Please note the opening hours to make sure you’re not standing patient and thirsty in front of closed doors. Depending on the season, the café may only be open on weekends or on certain days. It’s generally open from the late morning until the late afternoon. 

Gut Leidenhausen as a starting point: Walking, hiking, cycling — with the Naturerbe app

Gut Leidenhausen is a portal to the Wahner Heide nature conservation area, so it’s an ideal starting point for hikes, circular rambles, leisurely walks and cycling tours. You’ll pass the wildlife enclosure, cross the complex and the adjoining forest, and navigate the heathland or the Königsforst (King’s Forest).

With the Naturerbe app you can easily transform your exercise walks into guided nature tours. At selected stops you can learn about interesting topics related to the natural environment and wildlife, such as heathland, bats, and how certain plants got their names.

Gut Leidenhausen is a former feudal estate

The first documented mention of the feudal estate Gut Leidenhausen occurred in 1329. In the following centuries, the estate passed through the hands of many aristocratic families, then became an administrative centre, and subsequently was a large working farm until 1964. Incidentally, the name Leidenhausen has nothing to do with the German word Leiden, or suffering. It goes back to a former owner named Leido.