After the fire of 1687 the city of Heimbach was rebuilt to house the town's population; however, the castle of Hengebach was left a ruin until 1904 when restoration work began.

Heimbach is a popular town for tourists, particularly on day trips from the nearby cities of Cologne, Aachen and Düsseldorf but also from the Netherlands.

The main attractions are the Eifel National Park, the Art Nouveau power station, the Rur dam, the monastery of Mariawald and the Hengebach castle.

The renowned Spannungen chamber music concerts, founded by Lars Vogt, which take place in the power station are also popular and have attracted musicians such as Sharon Cam and Sabine Meyer.

The villages of Hausen and Blens, located in northern Heimbach, provide great views of rocky outcrops which are now part of a nature conservancy area.