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Explore Germany: North Rhine-Westphalia

North Rhine - Westphalia has over 18 million inhabitants, contributes about 22% of Germany's gross domestic product and comprises a land area of 34,083 km² (13,158 square miles). North Rhine - Westphalia is situated in the western part of Germany and shares borders with Belgium and the Netherlands. It has borders with the German states of Lower Saxony to the north and northeast, Rhineland-Palatinate to the southwest and Hesse to the southeast.

The capital city is Düsseldorf, and the largest city is Cologne (Köln). Other major cities are Dortmund, Essen, Duisburg, Oberhausen, Aachen, Bielefeld, Bonn, Bochum, Bottrop, Bergisch Gladbach, Mönchengladbach, Mülheim, Münster, Gelsenkirchen, Krefeld, Hagen, Hamm, Herne, Iserlohn, Leverkusen, Neuss, Paderborn, Recklinghausen, Remscheid, Siegen, Solingen, Witten and Wuppertal.

Popular Destinations - North Rhine-Westphalia

Cologne

Founded by the Romans in 38 B.C., Cologne (Köln) lies on the Rhine river, and is the largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia. Besides visiting the awesome Gothic Cathedral, visitors will want to explore the city’s even older Romanesque churches, as…

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Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf is famous for its nightlife, carnival, events, and shopping, and also for fashion and trade fairs like the Boot Messe (famous for boats and watersports) and Igedo (fashion). Every year more than 4 Million people visit the big fun fair (Kirmes)…

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Gütersloh

Gütersloh is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, in the area of Westphalia and the administrative region of Detmold. Gütersloh is the administrative center for a district of the same name. Gütersloh has a population of 96,200 people.

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Paderborn

Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St. Liborius is buried.

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Münster

Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region and it is also capital of the government region Regierungsbezirk…

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Aachen

Aachen is a historic spa city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was a favored residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the medieval Kings of Germany. It is the westernmost city of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and…

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Essen

Essen is a city in the center of the Ruhr Area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Located on the Ruhr River, its population of approximately 579,000 (as of June 30, 2008) makes it the 7th- or 8th-largest-city in Germany. The city was appointed European…

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Dortmund

Dortmund is a city in Germany, located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 587,830 (20 June 2005) makes it the 7th-largest city in Germany, and 34th-largest in the European Union.

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Möhnesee

Möhnesee is a municipality in the district of Soest, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The Möhnesee municipality is situated around the Möhne Reservoir (hence the name), approx. 10 km south of Soest.

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Brühl

Brühl is a city in Germany, located 20 km south of Cologne, in the Rhein-Erft-Kreis. The town of Brühl was the residence of the Prince Bishops of Cologne. In the 18th century the Prince Bishop Clemens August replaced a former ruined castle and built…

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Browse our comprehensive collection of Germany vacation rentals and travel guides organized by destination, with detailed, personal destination guides for many different locations. Each of vacation rentals and holiday apartments are hand picked to meet our stringent quality requirements. You can book those all conveniently online. In addition, we work very closely with each of our property owners so that we can offer you special discounts, as well as last minute availability offers with substantial savings! The combination of our vacation rentals and travel guides will let you truly 'Live like a German' during your Germany vacation.

Most Popular Destinations in Germany

Germany has numerous cities of interest to tourists; these are the top nine travel destinations:

Berlin - the reunified and reinvigorated capital of Germany; known for its division during the Cold War - and the Berlin Wall. Today its a metropolis of diversity with elegant clubs, galleries and traditional restaurants. It is also a haven for shoppers.
Bremen - one of the most important cities in northern Germany, its old town will be of interest to travelers who want a slice of history.
Cologne - Germany's fourth-largest city. Cologne was founded by the Romans and is 2000 years old with its huge cathedral, Romanesque churches, and archaeological sites. Cologne also well known for its carnival and its Christopher-Street-Day parade. Don't forget to try the local cuisine and of course the local beer, called "Kölsch".
Dresden - once called Florence on the Elbe, and world-famous for its Frauenkirche and historic center which was destroyed during the war, the city offers more than what the average traveller can expect: Great festivals, all kinds of cultural entertainment, vibrant night life, and surrounded by beautiful natural vistas. Dresden hosts the Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Dresden State Art Collections) which is one of the world's most impressive museums and collections. The art collections consist of eleven museums, of which the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister and the Grünes Gewölbe are the most well-known.
Dusseldorf - Germany's capital of fashion, the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia offers a wide scale of fascinating new architecture. Right along the shores of river Rhine, the "Altstadt" and the "Medienhafen" are among the best places in Germany to enjoy a vibrant nightlife. Being one of the country's wealthiest cities, the atmosphere is very pleasant. Germans call it "the only metropolis ending with -dorf (German for village)".
Frankfurt - Germany's leading financial center, transportation hub, seat of the European Central Bank (ECB), international trade fair center (Book Fair, Motor Show), hub of multicultural activity (30% Immigrants), and site of numerous world-class museums and theaters. It is also Germany's only city with enough skyscrapers to have a skyline.
Hamburg - Germany's second-largest city, famous for its harbour as well as its liberal and tolerant culture. Don't miss the Reeperbahn with its night clubs and casinos. Hamburg is also popular for its many musicals.
Hannover - One of Germany's newer tourist cities, having hosted various international events in recent times.
Munich - Bavaria's beautiful capital city and Southern Germany's primate city. Third largest city in Germany, Munich is the site of the famous Oktoberfest and the gateway to the Alps.
Nuremberg - Second largest city in Bavaria, after WW2 over 90% of the old-town was destroyed. Today it has already been reconstructed, including the Gothic Kaiserburg Castle (Emperor's Castle of the Holy Roman Empire of German Nation). You can also visit the Nazi party rally grounds, the Documentation Centre and Courtroom 600 - venue of the Nuremberg Trails.