West of the Rhine, between Bonn and the low hills of the Vorgebirge, a broad belt of oak and beech woodland covers a plateau called the Kottenforst. For centuries it was a hunting preserve of the Electors of Cologne, who lived in Bonn, and the forest still carries the marks of that history. Long straight rides, called Schneisen, cut through the trees in star patterns, laid out so that riders and hounds could drive deer toward the hunters, and some of these old alleys are now cycle paths and walking tracks. The southern and northern parts of the woodland are now a nature park, shared with the Ville, part of the Rhineland's wider belt of forests.
The Domhecken area lies on the northern part, close to Alfter, a municipality of about twenty-two thousand people. The woods here are a mix of old oak with younger beech and hornbeam, with small streams, ponds and clearings, and in spring the ground is a carpet of wood anemones and bluebells. Deer and wild boar live here, along with woodpeckers, nuthatches, buzzards and the occasional red kite. Local people walk dogs, ride horses and jog, so the forest feels like a shared park rather than wilderness.
For motorcyclists, the point to understand is that German forest tracks are generally closed to motor vehicles, and signs prohibit them on most paths, so the interest here is in the surrounding public roads. The Landesstraßen that cross the Kottenforst are well surfaced, with gentle bends through tunnels of trees, particularly lovely in autumn when the leaves turn, and they are lightly policed with speed cameras. The Vorgebirge, a ridge to the north, has fruit orchards and farm shops with apples, strawberries and asparagus in season. Mist often fills the woods in the early morning, and ice can linger in shaded patches in winter.
Alfter, three kilometres away, has fuel stations, bakeries and supermarkets, and Bonn is a short ride, with its Beethoven house, the Rhine promenade and many cafés. For something local, try a Rheinischer Sauerbraten with dumplings and red cabbage, or a Kölsch beer, the light local brew. Parking at forest car parks is usually free but sometimes limited, and mobile signals are good. Keep to the signed paths on foot, and give horses plenty of room if you meet them on a road.