Paving - also in Bocholt

Enter and win!

You have until 31 October to register areas via the City of Bocholt for this competition! The City of Bocholt will be holding a prize draw for planting vouchers worth a total of €1,000 amongst all areas registered via abpflastern(at)bocholt(dot)de! Send us a 'before' and 'after' photo, stating the number of square metres of unsealed ground, and you'll be entered straight into the prize draw!

Breaking up sealed surfaces, removing gravel
- shaping the future together

A gravel garden in front of a house — *© Fam. Kern*

Sealed surfaces made of asphalt, concrete, paving or even "gravel gardens" are bad for the climate, the water cycle and biodiversity. They cause urban heat islands, prevent rainwater from seeping into the ground and destroy habitats. Yet there are simple alternatives - and this is exactly where 'abpflastern' comes in .

What does 'abpflastern' mean?

'Apflastern' is a Germany-wide competition: towns and local authorities compete against one another to jointly unseal as many areas as possible. Every area that has been unpaved, unsealed or cleared of gravel counts - whether by private individuals, clubs, schools or businesses.

Campaign period 2026:

21 March to 31 October 2026
The local authorities with the largest areas of unsealed ground will win.

Who can take part?

Everyone! Whoever you are! Whether you're setting out on your own or as part of a team: the main thing is that you're keen to remove paving and turn the area green.

👉 Important: The area must be unsealed during the season and registered online by 31 October 2026. The City of Bocholt will be happy to take care of this for you and will hold a prize draw amongst all entries received via abpflastern(at)bocholt(dot)de, with planting vouchers worth a total of 1,000 euros up for grabs.

Here's how it works

Take a photo of the area beforehand
Remove paving, tarmac, concrete or gravel
Take a photo of the area afterwards and measure it
Send your project, specifying the square metres and including the photos, to
or abpflastern(at)bocholt(dot)de

Why unseal?

Green roofs can do much more than just look good:

🌱 they cool down cities
💧 allow rainwater to seep away
🐝 create habitats for animals
🌍 store carbon and protect the climate

Sealed surfaces, on the other hand, exacerbate heat and flooding and put a strain on the drainage system. Unsealing surfaces therefore makes cities more resilient to climate change - and a better place to live for everyone.