Geldern Art Guide: Street Murals and Dragon Tales in the Lower Rhine

My dear friend, welcome to Geldern. Yes, I know what you are thinking. You left Haarlem, bypassed the glitter of Düsseldorf, and ended up in a town that sounds like a currency but looks like a postcard. As an art critic, I usually demand white cube galleries and overpriced espresso, but Geldern has a certain "je ne sais quoi" – or rather, a "ich weiß nicht was" – that demands our attention. It is January 10, 2026, the air is crisp enough to shatter a glass sculpture, and we are going to find the soul of this former capital of the Duchy of Guelders.

09:00 – Caffeine and Cartography

We begin at the Markt. If there is no coffee, there is no art criticism. We are heading to a local bakery – let us try Cafe Keuck – because in Germany, the bakeries are the true cathedrals of the morning. Order a Milchkaffee. It will be served in a cup the size of a baptismal font. While you thaw your fingers, look out at the square. This is where the magic happens in summer during the International Street Art Festival. Even now, in the depths of winter, the town breathes creativity. Geldern is famous for its pavement art, and while the chalk washes away, the spirit remains in the permanent murals scattered around the side streets.

Practical Tip: Wear your thickest wool socks. The cobblestones are charming but they are essentially frozen heat sinks in January.

10:30 – The Dragon and the Tower

We must pay our respects to the dragon. Walk towards the Mühlenturm. Legend has it that around the year 878, two noblemen killed a dragon here. As the beast died, it roared "Gelre! Gelre!" and thus, the town was named. As a critic, I find the branding strategy of the 9th century quite efficient. The Mühlenturm itself is a 15th – century defensive tower that survived the heavy bombings of 1945. It now serves as a local history museum and exhibition space.

Inside, the contrast between the rugged, medieval brickwork and the rotating contemporary exhibits is delicious. It is small, intimate, and precisely the kind of "rare" find that makes travel worthwhile. We are looking for the way the light hits the ancient mortar – it is a masterclass in texture.

13:00 – The Quest for the Inland Oyster

You asked for oysters. In the middle of the Lower Rhine? In January? You are as demanding as a Dutch winter. However, we shall head towards the Seehotel area or a refined bistro near the center. While the region is more famous for its "Spargel" (asparagus) in May, a sophisticated palate in 2026 knows that the local gastronomy has evolved. If we cannot find a fresh Belon, we shall settle for a refined seafood platter and a glass of dry Riesling. The acidity of the wine is the perfect palate cleanser after all that medieval brickwork.

Local Insight: Geldern has a deep connection to the Netherlands – it was once the heart of the Spanish Netherlands. You will hear the linguistic echoes in the local dialect. It feels like home, but with better bread.

15:00 – Contemporary Murals and Urban Grit

Now, we walk. We are hunting the permanent street art. Geldern is an open – air gallery. Look for the large – scale murals on the facades of residential buildings. These are remnants and commissions from past festivals where artists from across the globe descend on this town. In the gray light of January, these bursts of photorealistic color and abstract geometry are a vital rebellion against the winter gloom. It is contemporary art at its most democratic – no tickets, no hushed whispers, just art living on a wall.

Tip: Keep your camera ready for the "hidden" pieces in the alleyways near the Glockengasse. The scale of some of these works is genuinely staggering for a town of this size.

17:00 – Schloss Haag

As the sun begins to dip – which it does quite early today – we take a short taxi or a brisk walk to Schloss Haag. This is a moated castle, or at least the outer bailey of one, as the main house was destroyed. It is hauntingly beautiful in the twilight. The architecture is a mix of late Gothic and Renaissance styles. There is a golf club there now, which is a bit "bourgeois" for my tastes, but the aesthetic of the dark water reflecting the ancient stone is pure Romanticism. It looks like a Caspar David Friedrich painting come to life.