Baerler Busch, Forest and recreation area between Duisburg and Moers, Germany

Baerler Busch is a forest and recreation area situated between Duisburg and Moers, characterized by inland dunes supporting heathland vegetation. The landscape contains several lakes that break up the wooded terrain and provide focal points throughout the region.

The area remained sparsely settled until the Rheinpreussen coal company acquired it in the early 1900s as part of its industrial expansion. This period shaped how the landscape would be managed and eventually became a public recreation space.

The Waldfriedhof Lohmannsheide, just south of the A 42 in the southeast, holds 141 graves of forced labourers plus a memorial. They died of malnutrition and inhuman conditions while working in the nearby Rheinpreußen 5/9 colliery and the Meerbeck petrol works during World War II. The name Baerl comes from Bar/Ber (boar) and Lo/Loh (wood).

The area offers multiple trails suitable for hiking and mountain biking that wind through varied dune and forest terrain. Parking is available at several entry points, making it straightforward to access and explore the different sections.

About half the trees here contain shrapnel from bombs and grenades, overgrown by bark; the hidden metal can badly damage saw blades. In 2017 much of the timber cut by the RVR was therefore shipped in containers as far as China. Walkers also pass numerous World War II bomb craters, and more aerial bombs were found in the soil during construction of the A 42.