Tourismus NRW e.V.

City trips

High-quality cultural offers, interesting architecture and countless shopping opportunities, coupled with incomparable food and drink experiences all make North Rhine-Westphalia stand out as a travel destination.

UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site

In North Rhine-Westphalia, you can explore six magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Sites all in one: Cologne Cathedral, Aachen Cathedral, Schloss Augustusburg palace with the Jagdschloss Falkenlust hunting lodge, the Zeche Zollverein colliery in Essen, the Schloss Corvey palace in Höxter and the Lower Germanic Limes in the Rhineland.

Art Museums and architecture

Art lovers will always find something worth seeing in the top-class museums of NRW, from the Museum Ludwig in Cologne to the Museum Folkwang in Essen. Here, high-quality exhibitions show contemporary art as well as works of art from years gone by. Fans of architecture will find a varied mix, with major master builders and visionary architects leaving their footprints behind throughout the state.

Industrial culture

The industrial heritage of North Rhine-Westphalia is huge; no other federal state in Germany has such a large number, and such diversity, of industrial monuments. Exciting themed routes lead visitors right through the state, to collieries, gasometers, coking plants, furnaces and production sites, as well as to the Zeche Zollverein colliery, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.

Shopping fun in the towns and cities of NRW

With their luxurious boulevards, busy passenger zones, modern passages, fashionable districts featuring small boutiques and huge shopping centres, both the major cities and smaller towns of North Rhine-Westphalia are ideal locations for going for a stroll, exploring your surroundings and enjoying an excellent shopping experience. The federal state is also home to a multitude of outlets offering excellent quality at a low price.

Nature

From unspoilt forests and jagged hill ridges to romantic river and water meadow landscapes, North Rhine-Westphalia offers a pure nature experience, and is greener than many people think. Far more than half the state is covered by forests, rivers, meadows and fields. The Eifel national park specifically, as well as 12 nature parks, invite visitors to experience the green side of North Rhine-Westphalia in person, right up close.

Active

You’ll find opportunities for rest and active relaxation on every corner. You can choose from around 14,000 kilometres of cycle paths, over 50,000 kilometres of well-maintained hiking routes - many of them classified as premium or top routes - and the most important winter sports area north of the Alps. Cycle past 100 palaces through Münsterland, enjoy the view over glittering lakes in the Sauerland region, or conquer the most frequently climbed mountain in the world, the Drachenfels (“Dragon’s Rock”) near Bonn.

Healthy

In North Rhine-Westphalia, you’ll find the ideal combination of peace, relaxation and health. As well as health and wellness holidays, spa pools and natural remedies have a positive impact on the body, and bring new energy for everyday life. Whether in the Teutoburger Wald forest, the Sauerland region or the rest of NRW - you can’t go wrong with a health holiday in NRW.

Travel for all in North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is open to all! Here, holidays and day trips are barrier-free in many locations, with barrier-free access to museums, restaurants, hotels or tourist information offices throughout the state. Our barrier-free travel tips, as well as an overview of barrier-free offer providers, will help you find the right destination.

Visitors to North Rhine-Westphalia can travel with a clear conscience. The dense transport networks for buses and trains, both international and regional, the short distances within the state and various guest tickets, which not only include discounts and free admissions, but are also valid for climate-friendly travel to and from the destination by bus and train as well as for local public transport, are particularly helpful. Guests can even set sail sustainably in NRW, as Europe's largest all-electric passenger ship is in operation on Lake Bigge in the Sauerland region.

Smaller cities with shorter distances can be explored on foot or by bike. Aachen, Münster, Bielefeld or Bonn, for example, invite you to stroll through the streets and explore the sights on foot. With a rucksack and hiking boots, you can cover longer distances: whether it's a certified premium hiking trail, a "Top Trail of Germany" or an insider tip, you can experience nature, beautiful views and new experiences at every turn in NRW. Incidentally, vacations in NRW are particularly sustainable in the North Eifel and Ferienwelt Winterberg, as both of these regions have been certified as sustainable travel destinations by the renowned certification company TourCert gGmbH.