Self-guided podcast tour Siegen: Uncovering the buried river

Follow the river back to life on your own time

A self-guided podcast tour through Siegen that traces the city's transformation of a buried river into a pedestrian-friendly urban space. You walk 1.3 km across six stops (from a terraced plaza built over a former parking lot to a revived castle campus) listening to experts and locals explain the technical and ecological decisions that reshaped the city. The app provides navigation and an interactive guide to answer questions about history and surroundings as you go.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Siegen's urban transformation

• Start at modern architecture and pedestrian bridge
• Visit iconic terraced levels meeting spot
• Walk to new pedestrian bridge viewpoint
• Explore redesigned urban square
• See new green lung park area
• End at historic Lower Castle campus

The experience

Siegen paved over 5,100 square meters of concrete to bring its river back. This tour walks you through the sites where that happened: a pedestrian bridge that replaced a traffic bottleneck, the terraced levels that now serve as the city's main gathering spot, a new green space carved out of a demolished shopping center, and the Lower Castle, now the University of Siegen's central campus. The podcast commentary comes from experts and locals who explain what you're looking at (the fish ladders in the renatured riverbed, the urban design choices, the public debates that led to the project), so you understand not just what changed but why.

The route takes about 73 minutes at a walking pace, and you control the speed. The app guides you point-to-point between stops and lets you ask questions about the history and surroundings as you move through the city. Audio is available in English or German. No guide is walking with you. The podcast plays on your phone, and you decide when to pause, rewind or linger at a stop. This works for anyone interested in how cities are rebuilt, how infrastructure shapes daily life, and what happens when a community chooses people over cars.

What’s included

• Podcast-style audio guide featuring experts and locals in English or German.
• point-to-point navigation via app between all six stops.
• interactive guide function to answer questions about history and surroundings as you walk.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Under 13: can't be booked

Audio guideEnglish and German

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Red Thread

Is this one for you?The audio is in English or German, so you need to follow one of those languages comfortably. This works best for anyone who likes to walk at their own pace and absorb information through listening rather than a live guide: ideal if you want to pause, replay a section, or spend extra time at a stop without holding anyone else back.

Top questions

What exactly is the Sieg and why was it buried under concrete?

The Sieg is Siegen's river, which the city covered over decades as it prioritized car traffic and parking. This tour traces the project to uncover it and restore it as a living part of the urban landscape, including the ecological work like fish ladders that let species move through the waterway again.

Do I need to be fit or experienced to walk this route?

The 1.3 km tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. You set your own pace and can pause the podcast whenever you need a break at any of the six stops.

Can I do this tour in a language other than English or German?

The audio guide is available in English and German only. The app also includes an interactive guide function for questions about history and surroundings.

What happens if I get lost between stops?

The app provides point-to-point navigation between each of the six stations, so you can see the route on your phone and know where to go next.

Is this tour about the architecture or the environmental restoration?

It covers both. The podcast explains the technical marvels (the bridge design, the plaza construction, the urban planning) alongside the ecological successes, like how the river's return has changed wildlife and water quality in the city.