My cycle ride today was a 78 km loop to the east of Heerlen, almost entirely in Germany.
Although it was only 4c when I left home just after 08:00, the sun was rising and it soon warmed up.
Coal mining was the dominant industry in this area of Germany and there are many artificial hills man-made from the spoil from all the deep mines.
Many of them are not accessible for safety reasons but some are nicely landscaped and open to walkers and cyclists.
One such hill is named ‘Carl Alexander Park’, near the German town of Baesweiler.
It’s a very steep and rough ascent to the summit of this particular hill, around 80 metres higher than the surrounding countryside.
The effort was rewarded by stunning views in every direction, and today’s featured image is just one of a few I took once I’d cycled up.
Closer to home is another man-made hill and the site of ‘Grube Adolf Park’, including a mining museum.
We can see many of these hills from the back of our apartment building so it was nice to explore a couple of them today.
