North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia, Federal state in western Germany.
North Rhine-Westphalia is a federal state in western Germany that borders the Netherlands and Belgium, covering the Rhine-Ruhr and Rhineland metropolitan areas. The territory stretches from the Lower Rhine to the Sauerland hills, combining flatlands, industrial zones, and forested uplands.
The state formed in August 1946 when the British military government merged the northern part of the Rhine Province with Westphalia. This decision aimed to create an economically powerful region and replace the former Prussian administrative structure.
Locals celebrate carnival season with street parades and costumes, especially in Cologne and Düsseldorf where entire neighborhoods join the festivities in February. Visitors also encounter beer gardens, Christmas markets, and converted industrial sites that host exhibitions and concerts throughout the year.
The region is well connected by public transport, with regional trains and commuter rails linking major cities to smaller towns across the territory. Drivers find a dense motorway network that makes it easier to navigate between different areas.
Some of Germany's oldest breweries operate here, including monastery breweries that have followed traditional recipes since medieval times. The Rhineland also holds many old castles and manor houses along the rivers, often overlooked but freely accessible to walkers.
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North Rhine-Westphalia contains many sites that demonstrate the historical and cultural richness of this German region. Millennia-old geological formations, Roman relics, medieval fortresses, and industrial era monuments reveal different aspects of the regional heritage. These destinations include...
Nürburgring
132.8 km
Cologne Cathedral
71.6 km
Spa-Francochamps Circuit
159.3 km
Jahnkampfbahn Wald
47.5 km
Westfalenstadion
7.4 km
Hermannsdenkmal
101.8 km
Phantasialand
87.8 km
Edersee
105.9 km
Externsteine
104.5 km
Wuppertal Schwebebahn
33.9 km
Aachen Cathedral
128.2 km
Arena AufSchalke
34.8 km
Schloss Drachenburg
92 km
Drachenfels
92.3 km
Emperor William Monument
127.3 km
Merkur Spiel-Arena
61.2 km
Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex
34.8 km
Taron
87.7 km
Hercules monument, Kassel
129.1 km
Schloss Nordkirchen
29.6 km
Movie Park Germany
43.5 km
Weserbrücke Eisbergen
129.8 km
Bergpark Wilhelmshöhe
129.6 km
Villa Hügel
38.1 km
Ehrenbreitstein Fortress
122.7 km
Möhne Reservoir
35.9 km
Petersglocke
71.6 km
University of Cologne
74 kmDiscover hidden gems everywhere you go!
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