Photo: Peter Prengel, City of Essen
Information about the Lake and Lights Festival on August 19, 2023
Ninety years ago, the waters of the Ruhr River in southern Essen, where the village of Baldeney once stood, were dammed to create a lake – the birth of Baldeneysee. Created for ecological reasons of water purification and economic reasons of drinking water supply, it was later developed into Baldeneysee Quickly becoming a leisure magnet, far beyond the city limits of Essen, the Baldeneysee is now known regionally and internationally – also due to the regular sporting events held there. To celebrate this, the city of Essen and Weisse Flotte Baldeney GmbH have launched the Lake and Lights Festival on August 19, 2023. The clubs and restaurants around the Baldeneysee will fill the day with life, offering various activities throughout. A spectacular fireworks display, scheduled to begin at 9:45 p.m., will conclude the Lake and Lights Festival at 10:00 p.m.
Words from the Mayor
„"The Lake and Lights Festival has had many supporters since its inception. I am particularly pleased about this. From the very first moment, the clubs and associations around the lake were involved with ideas and plans. We can present visitors with a very diverse program. I would also like to thank ruhrfibre, the sponsor of the Lake and Lights Festival, and Wohnbau eG Essen, which is financially supporting the family and hiking day," said Mayor Thomas Kufen, expressing his gratitude in advance to all the clubs and organizations that want to make August 19th around the lake a wonderful experience for the people of Essen.
Important information regarding arrival and departure
Around 60,000 visitors are expected at the lake festival. Anyone planning to attend the lake and light festival on August 19th should therefore use public transport or cycle to get there and back. According to information from Weisse Flotte Baldeney-GmbH, access to Haus Scheppen will also be closed to cars all day.
Source: Instagram, #happybirthdaybaldeneysee
Sea of lights and high-altitude fireworks
According to the organizers, the program for the lake and light festival will include star rides by Weisse Flotte Baldeney-GmbH, a family hiking day on the Baldeneysteig and form a spectacular fireworks display. Villa Hügel The Villa Hügel Park offers free admission on this day, and most of the activities offered by the clubs located around the Baldeneysee are also free. These include introductory courses in paddling and stand-up paddleboarding., Sailing, rowing and ergometer rowing. A live band is scheduled to play at Seaside Beach, Baldeney, and Strandbad on Baldeneysee, and from 7 p.m. onwards, illuminated ships and boats will gather around the fireworks zone, transforming Baldeneysee into a sea of lights until the fireworks are expected to begin at 9:45 p.m. For this event, Ruhrverband, in cooperation with the district government, has lifted the anchoring ban for this special day.
Boat trips and shuttle service
The lake and light festival is scheduled to begin at 10:00 AM. Starting at 11:00 AM, boat tours operated by Weisse Flotte Baldeney-GmbH will commence, with their standard fares applying. An additional free shuttle service for participants in the family hiking day will run between Haus Scheppen and Heisingen from 1:30 PM to 6:00 PM. Several water sports clubs will also offer a free boat shuttle service between the north and south shores of Baldeneysee. For refreshments, the restaurants and cafes around Baldeneysee will be the first port of call. Many clubs and organizations will also be operating food and drink stalls, offering cakes and barbecues at the lake and light festival.
Family hiking day, weir and DLRG
The family hiking day on the BaldeneySteig trail is designed to allow for individual customization, as starting points can be freely chosen at any time. The route is marked with a hiking symbol and, at eight stations every four kilometers, actors will bring exciting stories about the Baldeneysee to life. At the weir, the Ruhrverband will offer guided tours of the fish lift exhibition between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., and RWE AG will explain how the hydroelectric power plant produces green electricity. [At this point, the...] DLRG Essen District Thanks are due to the DLRG (German Life Saving Association) for providing water rescue services at the Baldeneysee throughout the year. During the lake and light festival, the DLRG will be holding an open house with musical entertainment and interactive activities.
Interesting facts about the Baldeneysee
On its more than 200-kilometer journey from its source in Winterberg in the Sauerland region to its confluence with the Rhine, the Ruhr River was dammed for the first time in southern Essen. Initial plans for this project date back to 1927. In February 1933, once the weir was completed, the Ruhr was dammed on a trial basis. On June 22 of the same year, the Baldeney hydroelectric power plant was commissioned. Passenger ships and an open-air swimming pool followed, proving extremely popular recreational opportunities for the residents of Essen and the surrounding area. To this day, the Baldeneysee remains one of the most popular destinations in the Ruhr metropolis. But the Baldeneysee is not just a recreational and water sports area. On the southern bank in the Heisingen district lies the "Heisinger Bogen" bird sanctuary, a wetland area with breeding grounds for herons, great crested grebes, and cormorants. Even water turtles have made their home here, basking on fallen tree trunks in the summer. Besides Villa Hügel, the former residence of the Krupp dynasty, there are the ruins Neue Isenburg, the castle Baldeney and the winding tower of the Zeche Carl Funke Listed buildings along the Baldeneysee. Not to be forgotten are the historic Hespertalbahn in the Kupferdreh district of Essen and the Haus Scheppen, in front of which a motorcycle meeting point has established itself. As the largest of the six Ruhr reservoirs, the Baldeneysee in Essen is always worth a visit.
