Hi Hive friends!
Today I would like to tell you something about my hometown, or rather about the lake where I grew up in my childhood. I grew up in the Ruhr area in Essen, in North Rhine-Westphalia, in the west of Germany. Lake Baldeney is only a five-minute walk from my parents' house, so it was a big part of my childhood. It is one of a total of six Ruhr reservoirs and is located in the south of Essen, adjacent to my former district of Heisingen. The dam is operated by the Ruhrverband. The lake is a local recreation area and is mainly visited at weekends when the weather is good. The photos are from the beginning of the Corona pandemic, when in the first days most of the professional groups had the day off and didn't know what to do with the day off, just like me with friends of mine, and so we went for a walk by the lake. It was a nice day despite the uncertainty: not too cold and the sun was shining :) Originally, Lake Baldeney and the other Ruhr reservoirs were planned to make the Ruhr cleaner and to strengthen the Ruhr's self-purification. The dam slows down the flow velocity so that certain suspended matter can settle. This enabled the Ruhr to cleanse itself of algae and bacteria, so to speak. Today, this is additionally reinforced by sewage treatment plants near the Ruhr. The name Baldeneysee comes from Baldeney Castle, where the first plans for damming the lake were made.
The "Lego Houses"
The lighter white square-shaped houses you see here were rebuilt in 2018. It is the new housing estate at the Seebogen. Some residents have given them the name "Lego houses" - because they are a bit like Lego bricks:) Nevertheless, you have a beautiful view of the lake and you live directly in the recreation area and can walk a few metres from your home to the lake and go boating or swimming there. They are, of course, oriented towards the lake and built so high that there is no danger to them even in the event of a strong flood - perhaps you have heard about the floods in parts of Germany about half a year ago - many houses that are located directly on the lake suffered some damage, but they remained unscathed.
On the shore of Lake Baldeney is the Heisinger Bogen bird sanctuary, which is home to a protected marshland. This marsh is a breeding ground for cormorants, herons and other endangered bird species. There used to be an open-air swimming pool on the north shore, but it has been replaced by the Seaside Beach Club: There are meadows, a sandy beach, palm trees, a mini-golf course and a small surf school where you can even rent stand-up paddle boards. There is also a cocktail bar and beach volleyball courts for the youngsters!) In May 2017, swimming in Lake Baldeney was allowed again, to the delight of many families with small children. Nevertheless, you should not swim too far out if you are not an experienced swimmer and watch out for shipping traffic:)
This photo shows me on the old railway bridge leading to Kupferdreh: It was built in the early 1870s and was part of the Ruhr Valley Railway. It connects the two districts of Heisingen and Kupferdreh. It consists of steel truss segments and is about 230m long. Today it is mainly used as a pedestrian and cycle bridge.
The lake is very easy to reach, there are parking spaces around the lake that are not too crowded, so you don't have to look for a parking space even on a good, warm day. Between Huas Baldeneysee and Heisingen you can also walk along the Baldeneysteig instead of the traditional lakeside path. You don't always walk directly on the lake, but it does offer some beautiful viewpoints over the lake!
The former railway bridge
Around the lake you can also admire a lot of historical culture: Villa Hügel, the Isenburg ruins and the Kort-Klippe viewing platform. The Hespertalbahn also runs seasonally as a museum train, especially in summer. Special ships that you can take out on Lake Baldeney are, for example, the ships of the white fleet: they are moored at the harbour on the south shore of Lake Baldeney and are hard to miss: They sail between the former railway bridge (you can see on the photo left) between the districts of Kupferdreh and Heisingen (where the newly built footbridge has now been erected) and Werden, this district is also to the south. On the white fleet, you can celebrate birthdays, take a simple round trip, or even celebrate weddings there!:) It is often used by older visitors.
You can do all kinds of sports at this lake: There are an incredible number of joggers who jog around the lake, simple walkers, inline skaters, cyclists, nordern walkers, but also water sports enthusiasts such as kayakers, rowers (there is a rowing club right by the lake) or stand-up boarders - something I have always wanted to try, but have not yet got around to. In total, the paths around the lake have a length of 14km - perfect for joggers and cyclists! There is even an annual marathon around the lake!:)
There is even a regatta tower and sailing regattas are held on the lake every year, some of the participants come from other countries. There are also training facilities for canoe polo, which I think is great! There are also several fishing clubs around the lake.
I hope you enjoyed my little insight into the place of my home - if you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to write in the comments!:) For me it was and still is a place of relaxation, for me it always feels like a holiday when I return to this place. If you ever come to the Ruhr area, I would definitely recommend a trip to this beautiful lake - it's worth it!
Have a nice day!