Cologne Government Region district, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Places to visit near Vaals

Vaals is a town in Cologne Government Region district, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, home to about 6,970 people. Within 50 km by road there are 282 places to visit — 113 churches, 105 forts & heritage, 17 museums and 11 hill stations & viewpoints. The must-see places are Huis Bloemendal (1 km), Museum Vaals (1 km) and Vaalserberg (2 km).

Updated · Distances are road estimates · Open Vaals on the map

Vaals, North Rhine-Westphalia
Vaals, Cologne Government Region district, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.

Vaals at a glance

Location
Cologne Government Region district, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Population
about 6,970
Coordinates
50.7708° N, 6.0181° E
Places within 50 km
282 (282 must-see)
Best time to visit
October to February for forts & heritage; October to February for cool, clear air for hill stations & viewpoints; year-round for churches and museums

Top places to visit near Vaals

Ranked by how worth the drive they are from Vaals: must-see places and the closest well-loved spots first. Open a place for photos, today’s visitor status, timings and directions.

More places near Vaals

Things to see near Vaals, by type

Churches near Vaals

113 churches within 100 km of Vaals. The closest is Sint-Catharinakapel (3 km). Best time: year-round.

All churches in Limburg →

Forts & heritage near Vaals

105 forts & heritage within 100 km of Vaals. The closest is Huis Bloemendal (1 km). Best time: october to february.

  • Huis Bloemendal · fort · Limburg · ~1 km · Must-see
  • Kasteel Lemiers · fort · Limburg · ~3 km · Must-see
  • Pfaffenturm · fort · Cologne Government Region · ~5 km · Must-see
  • Langer Turm · fort · Cologne Government Region · ~5 km · Must-see
  • Ponttor · fort · Cologne Government Region · ~6 km · Must-see
  • Marschiertor · fort · Cologne Government Region · ~6 km · Must-see

All forts & heritage in Limburg →

Museums near Vaals

17 museums within 100 km of Vaals. The closest is Museum Vaals (1 km). Best time: year-round.

All museums in Limburg →

Hill stations & viewpoints near Vaals

11 hill stations & viewpoints within 100 km of Vaals. The closest is Vaalserberg (2 km). Best time: october to february for cool, clear air.

  • Vaalserberg · viewpoint · Limburg · ~2 km · Must-see
  • Lousberg · viewpoint · Cologne Government Region · ~6 km · Must-see
  • Salvatorberg · viewpoint · Cologne Government Region · ~6 km · Must-see
  • Haarberg · viewpoint · Cologne Government Region · ~11 km · Must-see
  • Gulperberg · viewpoint · Limburg · ~12 km · Must-see
  • Kluis Op de Schaelsberg · viewpoint · Limburg · ~19 km · Must-see

All hill stations & viewpoints in Limburg →

Wildlife, forests & gardens near Vaals

11 wildlife, forests & gardens within 100 km of Vaals. The closest is GaiaZOO (14 km). Best time: november to march for sightings.

All wildlife, forests & gardens in Limburg →

Parks near Vaals

10 parks within 100 km of Vaals. The closest is Westpark (4 km). Best time: year-round, evenings.

  • Westpark · park · Cologne Government Region · ~4 km · Must-see
  • Kaiser-Friedrich-Park · park · Cologne Government Region · ~5 km · Must-see
  • Elisengarten · park · Cologne Government Region · ~6 km · Must-see
  • Sandkaulpark · park · Cologne Government Region · ~6 km · Must-see
  • Kurpark Burtscheid · park · Cologne Government Region · ~7 km · Must-see
  • Stadtgarten · park · Cologne Government Region · ~7 km · Must-see

All parks in North Rhine-Westphalia →

A one-day trip from Vaals

5 of the best places within 60 km, in driving order so you don’t double back: about 12 km on the road.

  1. Start in Vaals
  2. 1 km Huis Bloemendal · heritage site, Limburg
  3. 3 km Kasteel Lemiers · heritage site, Limburg
  4. 1 km Sint-Catharinakapel · church, Limburg
  5. 2 km Museum Vaals · museum, Limburg
  6. 3 km Vaalserberg · viewpoint, Limburg
  7. 2 km Back to Vaals

Plan a longer trip from Vaals — the planner adds a place to stay each night and keeps the route to one loop.

From travellers near Vaals

No traveller has reported from around Vaals yet. Been to one of these places recently? Open it and post what you found — is the waterfall flowing, how crowded was the temple, is the beach safe — so the next visitor knows before they drive.

Post an update from the map →

How to reach Vaals

    All places near Vaals by distance

    Within 15 km of Vaals

    15–50 km — half-day trips

    Count by type (within 100 km)

    Places near Vaals by type
    TypeWithin 50 kmWithin 100 kmNearest
    Churches113113Sint-Catharinakapel (3 km)
    Forts & heritage105105Huis Bloemendal (1 km)
    Museums1717Museum Vaals (1 km)
    Hill stations & viewpoints1111Vaalserberg (2 km)
    Wildlife, forests & gardens1111GaiaZOO (14 km)
    Parks1010Westpark (4 km)
    Lakes, dams & reservoirs66Cranenweyer (16 km)
    Mosques & dargahs22Bilal-Moschee (5 km)
    Other attractions22Torbogen des Klosterather Hofs (5 km)
    Waterfalls22Cascade du Bayehon (41 km)
    Treks11Eifelsteig (15 km)
    Buddhist sites11Agnetenklooster (48 km)
    Caves11Grottes de Remouchamps (49 km)

    Vaals: questions travellers ask

    What are the best places to visit near Vaals?

    Huis Bloemendal (heritage site, about 1 km), Museum Vaals (museum, about 1 km), Vaalserberg (viewpoint, about 2 km), Sint-Catharinakapel (church, about 3 km), Kasteel Lemiers (heritage site, about 3 km), Sankt Hubertus (church, about 4 km).

    How many tourist places are there within 50 km of Vaals?

    282 places on Spotwander: 113 churches, 105 forts & heritage, 17 museums, 11 hill stations & viewpoints, 11 wildlife, forests & gardens.

    Which is the nearest church to Vaals?

    Sint-Catharinakapel, about 3 km by road; Sankt Hubertus (4 km) is next.

    Which is the nearest fort to Vaals?

    Huis Bloemendal, about 1 km by road; Kasteel Lemiers (3 km) is next.

    Which is the nearest museum to Vaals?

    Museum Vaals, about 1 km by road; De Schat van Simpelveld (9 km) is next.

    What is a good one-day trip from Vaals?

    Start in Vaals, visit Huis Bloemendal, then Kasteel Lemiers, then Sint-Catharinakapel, then Museum Vaals, then Vaalserberg, and drive back — about 12 km by road in all.

    What is the best time to visit places near Vaals?

    October to February for forts & heritage; October to February for cool, clear air for hill stations & viewpoints; year-round for churches and museums.

    Towns near Vaals

    Sources: places from OpenStreetMap contributors, Wikidata and GeoNames; Vaals’s location and population from GeoNames; see also Vaals on Wikipedia. Data sources & credits.