City Tours

What secrets are hidden behind the city’s old walls? Anyone interested in uncovering them should participate in a city tour offered by both the Heritage Association St. Tönis as well as the Heritage Society Vorst by appointment.

Within the framework of each respective city tour, the city’s landmarks are highlighted. In St. Tönis those include the Streuff Mill, the St. Cornelius Church and the Mertens Farm (oldest Patrician house). Old street names are looked into and their secrets uncovered, such as for example the secret of the "Alter Graben" ("old Moat").

The name of the city district of Vorst – a district rich in old manor houses – is said to hail from the large forests around the Brempt Manor. As opposed to natural woods ("Wald"), these were well maintained and carried the name "Vorst" (which simply meant today's "Forst" - the German word for forest - but spelled with a "V" as was customary in the 12^th or 13^th century. The village was rectangular, surrounded by a moat and accessible by only two drawbridges. These were located at the corner of Mühlenstrasse and Giesenstrasse - where the Dohr Farm stood until 1959 – as well as the junction Vossenhütte into the Hospitalstrasse.

For anyone interested, city tours are available by appointment with the maximum number of people being 25. For appointments in St. Tönis, please contact the First Chairman of the Heritage Association St. Tönis 1952 e. V., Mr. Heinrich-Josef Thelen, at 02151/79 88 56 as well as the Honorary Chairman of the Heritage Association, Mr. Rolf Schumacher, at 02151/79 95 01. Appointments for tours through Vorst may be scheduled by calling the City at 02151/999-174.