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Vacation in North Rhine-Westphalia

Here is heaven on earth

Word has spread that the notorious Ruhr region is much greener than its reputation. What is less well known is that the quiet Sauerland region comprises 2711 mountains and that bison live in the wild next door. And of course there are the big cities, full of culture and joie de vivre. And if you eat the classic "Himmel un Ääd" (heaven and earth) instead of the local curry sausage, you will feel very close to culinary heaven. Our tips for your vacation in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Table of contents

Tips from locals | City experiences | Culinary | Historical | Quiet corners | Cultural vacation | Perfect weekends | Out into nature | Things to know about vacation in NRW | Webcams in NRW |

Latest articles from North Rhine-Westphalia

A view over Cologne in spring © sborisov - stock.adobe.com
European Football Championship in Germany

EM 2024 - 48 hours in Cologne

Five matches of the European Championship will be played in Cologne. If you are traveling to the games, it is worth spending two days ...

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European Football Championship in Germany

EM 2024 - 48 hours in Düsseldorf

Five matches of the European Championship will be played in Düsseldorf. If you are traveling to the games, it is worth spending two days ...

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European Football Championship in Germany

EM 2024 - 48 hours in Dortmund

Six matches of the European Championship will be played in Dortmund. If you are traveling to the games, it is worth spending two days ...

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European Football Championship in Germany

EM 2024 - 48 hours in Gelsenkirchen

Four games of the European Championship will be played in Gelsenkirchen. If you are traveling to the games, it is worth spending two days ...

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Most popular articles from North Rhine-Westphalia

The Reichsburg rises high above the town of Cochem on the Moselle © Boris Stroujko, Adobe Stock
Castles, fortresses and monasteries

Germany's most beautiful castles

High walls, pointed towers, deep moats and brave inhabitants, unconquered and unconquered - this is what the epitome of a knight's castle looks like. ...

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North Rhine-Westphalia

Beautiful shopping in Veedel and old town

What, please, is a Veedel? Fans of the "Bläck Fööss" know, of course, because the Cologne cult band sings in their classic ...

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North Rhine-Westphalia

Castles and palaces to dream

No one has to be descended from nobility to feel like they are at court here. We present four of many princely residences ...

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North Rhine-Westphalia

7 half-timbered dreams in NRW

If you ride through these idyllic places with your eyes closed and on a carriage, with a little imagination you will imagine yourself in eras, ...

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Tips from locals

My favorite place: A hike from Aachen back to childhood Learn more Learn more
At Schalke with Oli4 Learn more Learn more
5 photo spots for special snapshots Learn more Learn more

Vacation in the cities of North Rhine-Westphalia

North Rhine-Westphalia

More than a cathedral city - Welcome to creative Cologne

Kölsch beer, carnival and Cologne Cathedral: these are often the first keywords that come to mind when one thinks of the over 2,000-year-old ...

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North Rhine-Westphalia

Münster: On the bike through history

Basically, Münster exists twice: the historical, Catholic one with its numerous art monuments and castles from ancient times. And then ...

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Bonn Minster
North Rhine-Westphalia

A compliment for Bonn

Bonn's city center has its charm not only during the cherry blossom season: Wilhelminian villas, many small cafés, restaurants and stores make up the charming ...

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The Düsseldorf Media Harbor
North Rhine-Westphalia

Where you drink Alt

Düsseldorf has not just one image, but several. Carnival stronghold, little Japan, shopping metropolis and fashion city. And everything is true somehow. In any ...

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North Rhine-Westphalia

Aachen: Spa and university stronghold

Simply because of its location close to the Netherlands and Belgium, the influences in Aachen architecturally, culinary and culturally are quite ...

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North Rhine-Westphalia

Deep in the west

Herbert Grönemeyer dedicated a hymn to his hometown and said: "You're not a beauty, you're gray with work. High time, then, to ...

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It is only a few steps from the Rhine to the Museum Ludwig and Cologne Cathedral
North Rhine-Westphalia

Cologne: A city full of bon vivants

It's hard to talk about Cologne without immediately mentioning the Cathedral, the Rhine or Carnival - with this trio alone ...

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North Rhine-Westphalia

Beautiful shopping in Veedel and old town

What, please, is a Veedel? Fans of the "Bläck Fööss" know, of course, because the Cologne cult band sings in their classic ...

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Culinary from North Rhine-Westphalia

This is how NRW nibbles: Sweet specialties and where they originate

From potato cakes, which can be spread with jam or liverwurst, to deep-fried quark balls, without which the Rhineland carnival would be unthinkable: almost every region in North Rhine-Westphalia has its own sweet specialty. In each one, there is a lot of love in the preparation - and you can taste it!

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Historical North Rhine-Westphalia

A mighty moat surrounds Burg Vischering in Lüdinghausen © Tourismus NRW e.V.
North Rhine-Westphalia

Burg Vischering: Of horses and fortresses

The Bishop of Münster built a fortified water castle in Lüdinghausen in the 13th century. Today, Burg Vischering is one of the ...

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North Rhine-Westphalia

Drachenburg Castle: An eventful history

Castle Drachenburg looks like a spectacular mixture of a knight's castle and a confectionery. Completed in the style of historicism only in 1884, the building ...

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North Rhine-Westphalia

Nordkirchen Castle: the Westphalian Versailles

When you hear about the "Westphalian Versailles" for the first time, you are still inclined to smile mildly. However, when you stand there for the first time ...

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North Rhine-Westphalia

Castles and palaces to dream

No one has to be descended from nobility to feel like they are at court here. We present four of many princely residences ...

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Quiet corners in North Rhine-Westphalia

7 half-timbered dreams in NRW

If you ride through these idyllic places with your eyes closed and on a carriage, with a little imagination you will imagine yourself in eras, ...

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Relaxing in the spa gardens in Bad Driburg © Tourismus NRW, Dominik Ketz

For all-round well-being: five particularly relaxing spas in North Rhine-Westphalia

Often it is the simple, natural things that do us good, that relax and heal. That makes the teaching ...

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Culture in North Rhine-Westphalia

The K 21 is picturesquely located directly at the Kaiserteich. During the annual festival of lights, the building is colorfully illuminated © Düsseldorf Tourismus GmbH/U. Otte
North Rhine-Westphalia

Beuys, sheet metal and train station art: Düsseldorf's top museums at a glance

Art in tunnels and subway stations, nightclubs in museums and lots of innovative art projects - Düsseldorf is a hotspot for creative people. ...

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The Marta Museum in Herford is one of the most important museums of contemporary art © Tourismus NRW e.V.
North Rhine-Westphalia

Museum Marta Herford: Diversity is the art

If you are thinking about your excursion destinations in the Teutoburg Forest, you will come across the Hermann Monument or the historic half-timbered town of Höxter ...

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Kleve Museum Kurhaus © Tourismus NRW e.V.
North Rhine-Westphalia

Get out of the city! The most beautiful cultural treasures in the countryside

North Rhine-Westphalia is not only extremely lively in its urban centers. There is also plenty to discover in the countryside. ...

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North Rhine-Westphalia

Art to go: A virtual museum tour through North Rhine-Westphalia

Whether it's artist podcasts via Spotify, talk rounds via Zoom or Street View across gallery spaces - museums in North Rhine-Westphalia have ...

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North Rhine-Westphalia

Museums in NRW: Learn and marvel

The other day we read in a magazine what are 10 reasons to visit a museum. Under item 10 it said ...

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North Rhine-Westphalia

Colorful, more colorful, North Rhine-Westphalia

Slowly, attitudes are changing toward a long-controversial form of art: street art has taken hold in many cities ...

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Swimming in the shadow of gigantic production plants - industrial culture in Essen
North Rhine-Westphalia

Industrial culture in NRW: Architectural witnesses of times gone by

In the past, people worked hard in these places, but today they marvel, hike and swing: three industrial heritage sites in North Rhine-Westphalia. ...

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Perfect weekends in North Rhine-Westphalia

The perfect weekend: Cycling through Düsseldorf, Cologne and Bonn

Three cities in one weekend: A sporting undertaking that promises plenty of variety. And the destinations are not far apart. It's about 50 kilometers from Düsseldorf to Cologne, and just under 30 from Cologne to Bonn. Especially in the warmer seasons, these distances can be covered wonderfully by bike. You don't need a road map, the Rhine will show you the way.

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Out into North Rhine-Westphalia's nature

The Hermann Monument in the Teutoburg Forest
North Rhine-Westphalia

Border crossers: three bike tours through North Rhine-Westphalia

Cycling over 40-meter-high viaducts, through tunnels - masterpieces of their time - and along waterways that once were the ...

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North Rhine-Westphalia

Hiking off the beaten track

NRW on foot - that means you have a wide choice. There are more than 50,000 kilometers of hiking trails in North Rhine-Westphalia. ...

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North Rhine-Westphalia

The Myth of the Forest in NRW

Take a deep breath: You are in the forest. And what a forest! High above your head the crowns sway ...

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North Rhine-Westphalia

On the road in the Eifel National Park

Such a well-behaved national park in the Eifel can be the jungle of tomorrow. People leave it to the whims of the ...

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North Rhine-Westphalia

Colorful Wildlife: The Big Five of North Rhine-Westphalia

Who needs Africa when you can go on a great safari in North Rhine-Westphalia? Between industrial culture, legendary soccer arenas, metropolitan areas and ...

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North Rhine-Westphalia

Wild Eifel

The Eifel National Park is still a "development national park", a kind of nature promise for the future. But numerous hiking trails, bike routes and lakes attract ...

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North Rhine-Westphalia

Teutoburg Forest - in the land of Hermann

With his arm raised, he stands there, high above the land: the Hermann Monument is one of the largest statues in Europe and ...

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North Rhine-Westphalia

On the roof of Westphalia - the Rothaarsteig in the Rothaar Mountains

At the latest when you have experienced the swaying suspension bridge and the monumental sculptures in the middle of the forest between the trees, you understand ...

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Webcams in North Rhine-Westphalia

Webcam to Winterberg

Is the sun shining? Webcams are a great way to gather inspiration for your vacation. And they help to plan trips during the vacations. Take a look at Winterberg right now and find out which season is best for a vacation.

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Things to know about vacationing in North Rhine-Westphalia

It comes as it comes

May we introduce ourselves? NRW: Three letters, one federal state. And what a state it is. Self-confident, proud and loving. Locally patriotic, quarter-fixated and cosmopolitan. ...

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Climate-friendly to North Rhine-Westphalia

In long-distance traffic, you can travel to North Rhine-Westphalia with 100 percent green electricity from all over Germany, relaxed and without traffic jams. Within the federal state ...

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Cover image: © Tourismus NRW e.V.