"Dormagen / Zons – Medieval Customs Town" Dormagen by MikeAtSea

Dormagen Travel Guide: 39 reviews and 84 photos

The contrast of Zons a pretty medieval historical town along the Rhine River to the industrial town of Dormagen spread out on the horizon is quiet steep.
On the one side on can stroll and discover historical houses and on the horizon the chemical industry and a large power plant spew out fumes into the sky.
Zons draws a few hundred thousand visitors each year, and it was also the place where I joined my first VT meeting.
First mentioning of the town Zons one can find in historical books already in the year 1288 after the House of Zunce was destroyed in the Battle of Worringen. The years following the battle the decision was made to move the customs control from the town of Neuss which is further north to the town of Zons.
Hence the town was formed in the 14th century by Bishop Friedrich von Saarwerden with the main purpose to control the taxes and excise duties for goods been brought in and out of the district of Cologne.
Almost the entire town has been left as it was built some 600 years ago and the fortifications particularly on the Southern side are quiet remarkable. This also explains the nick name for Zons which is the Rothenburg along the Rhine.
Today many events such as open air theatre, the annual Matthäusmarkt; a medieval crafts market and other art markets draw visitors to this town.
The surroundings of the town Zons are protected nature reserves and one can enjoy long walks along the green zone of the Rhine River.

VT members with cold 'bottoms' :-)

Thank you to Winfried for organising this stunning day and all the VT members who I was able to meet. It was really a great afternoon and a new destination for me to explore! Thank you again!

Last visit to Dormagen: Feb 2005
Intro Written Feb 28, 2005
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Reviews (18)

St. Martinus Church Things to Do (13)

One of the two churches in the town centre is the St. Martinus Roman Catholic Church. The church is situated right in... more travel advice

Pancake Haven Restaurants (2)

In summer certainly a nice place, but in winter this pancake restaurant was like a deep freeze, a heater in winter... more travel advice

In the old customs house Restaurants (2)

The old customs house of Zons has been carefully renovated to host a restaurant on two floors. The upper floor overlooks... more travel advice

The contrast to Dormagen Things to Do (13)

Zons feels a bit out of place if one looks toward the horizon and sees the chimneys of the chemical industry in the... more travel advice

Local Customs (1)
Zonser Canon Balls

Transportation (2)
See All Reach Zons by Ferry

Comments (10)

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ettenaj Feb 4, 2007 at 10:29 AM

The canon balls look tremendous, worth a trip there just tp try one of those!
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garridogal Nov 21, 2006 at 5:50 PM

Just booked a trip to Cologne today and am looking around for good day trip spots. Dormagen looks lovely. Can I assume you'd recommend?
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Bigs Feb 28, 2005 at 10:49 AM

Beer with champagne, apfelstrudel and pancakes.....hell, what a mixture! Hope your stomach is ok. :) I know that you spend the 50 cents rhineroll...I also did it when I was in Zons!
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Mariajoy Feb 28, 2005 at 10:46 AM

Hi Mike! Looks like you had a great time at your 1st VT meeting! You have been busy on your Dormagen page too! Well done... btw those Zonser balls are HUGE!! : Did you eat one?? :))
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sabsi Feb 28, 2005 at 10:23 AM

hmmmm i was looking for nature tips on pheasants actually here. can you help? ;)
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RhineRoll Feb 28, 2005 at 7:55 AM

*Impatiently wating for an answer to Big's question about the 50 cents... :-))))
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TinyTuck Feb 28, 2005 at 5:22 AM

Wow, I see you've done your homework! A+ for excellent research! ;-)
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IceBear7 Feb 28, 2005 at 4:55 AM

i had one bite of my canon ball last night, tasty but 1 billion calories ;-) nice photos and interesting info!
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HORSCHECK Feb 28, 2005 at 3:48 AM

Phhhewww, excellent page with brilliant photos. Now I am well informed about what we have seen yesterday ... *verybigsmile*
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m-joy Feb 28, 2005 at 3:19 AM

Hah, you are fast - nice start here!! I realized this morning that the A1 motorway will be extended soon so you can make the way down to QB in less than one hour ;-))