North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state in Germany and therefore inspires its visitors with holiday experiences in abundance. The state offers the perfect mix of vibrant cities and dreamy nature, which are a good basis for a relaxing and eventful holiday.

Are you looking for a varied stay where there is a lot to discover? Then North Rhine-Westphalia is the right place for you. Immerse yourself in the Rhenish joie de vivre and enjoy the culinary specialties served to you by cheerful innkeepers.

The State of Cities – Adventure Big City

Great cities await you in NRW – Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Essen, Bonn, Duisburg and Oberhausen are definitely worth a visit. If you love shopping, you will find your Mecca in the shopping streets of the cities and in the Centro Oberhausen shopping centre. If you like it elegant, you can visit Düsseldorf’s Königsallee – affectionately called “Kö” by the people of Düsseldorf – and watch all kinds of luxury cars and rich people shopping there. From a cultural point of view, the Ruhr area has a lot to offer, as most of the colliery sites from Duisburg onwards have been redesigned as museums, exhibition or event venues and provide a great insight into the industrial past of mining.

Are you looking forward to delicious food and iconic drinks? Then you should visit Cologne and Düsseldorf in particular and treat yourself to a Rhenish Sauerbraten together with a delicious Altbier or Kölsch in rustic breweries. For night owls, the “longest bar in the world”, Düsseldorf’s old town with the legendary Bolker Straße, and in Cologne the Kölner Ringe – a lively pub and trendy district in the middle of the city centre await you.

Bochum also inspires its visitors with the “Bermuda Triangle”, a collection of restaurants, cafés and bars, which is also home to what is said to be the best currywurst stand in the Ruhr area.

If your hotel is located in one of the vibrant cities and you are still hungry or thirsty late at night, you can enjoy the “Büdchen” or “Trinkhallen” – kiosks that offer all kinds of snacks and drinks until midnight (in North Rhine-Westphalia, the purchase of alcoholic beverages is also allowed after 10:00 p.m.).

If you want to relax away from the hustle and bustle of the city centres, you can do so in Bonn, Cologne, Düsseldorf and Duisburg directly on the banks of the Rhine, as the Rhine meanders through these cities and offers downright picturesque opportunities to unwind by the water. There are many beaches and Rhine promenades as well as cafes directly on the banks of the Rhine (e.g. the Düsseldorf casemates). Just ask locals for tips – the cheerful Rhinelanders are generally very open-minded and happy to help visitors.

Breathtaking nature – worthwhile hinterland

A holiday in North Rhine-Westphalia is also extremely attractive from a scenic point of view. Apart from the beautiful banks of the Rhine, holidaymakers will find a perfect holiday environment in the rural areas of the state. For example, there is the region of the Lower Rhine, north of Düsseldorf, which invites you to extensive hiking and cycling tours with its dreamy villages and flat meadows and fields. Sun-yellow rapeseed fields, historically interesting villages (e.g. the Sigfried town of Xanten) and healthy, fresh air will accompany you. The proximity to Holland is noticeable by the fact that most of the paths are flat and the place names seem slightly Dutch – in one or the other café you will even be served poffertjes (Dutch mini pancakes).

You can also find relaxation in the midst of nature in the Sauerland, which is located in eastern Westphalia and inspires its visitors with a Black Forest feeling. Here you can hike to your heart’s content and relax in cosy nature hotels. In winter, skiing and tobogganing areas around the village of Winterberg await snow lovers.
Last but not least, there is the Bergisches Land – you certainly know the Krombacher advertising with the breathtaking nature around a small island in the water of a lake?
You can marvel at these, only a few kilometres from Cologne, at the Wiehltalsperre in the Bergisches Land. In addition to the vantage point on the Krombacher Island, the extensive nature area also offers fantastic picnic areas, numerous hiking opportunities and a special biodiversity, as over 160 bird species live here. With a bit of luck, you can spot and observe Canada geese, cormorants, great egrets and other endangered species.

Events & fun – there is always something to experience

If you want to have fun and experience a lot on your holiday, you will also have a great stay in North Rhine-Westphalia. Because nowhere else is the density of events and events as high as here. A wide variety of open-air events await you, such as the Parookaville Festival in Weeze on the Lower Rhine, the Bochum music festival “Bochum Total” at the Bermuda Triangle and the Juicy Beats Festival in the Westfalen Park in Dortmund. In the same park, the Festival of Lights also takes place in summer, where visitors can look forward to breathtaking shows, lots of lights, music and a fireworks display. Dortmund is also known for the legendary Mayday, which traditionally takes place every year on the city’s exhibition grounds and attracts music fans from all over Europe.

In Cologne, the Cologne Lights (also a festival of lights with ships on the Rhine) and well-known musicals await you.

Typical for North Rhine-Westphalia are also the local fairs, where both children and adults get their money’s worth. With numerous rides and marquees, for example, the Düsseldorf Rhine Fair and the Cranger Kirmes in Herne are the largest in the country. If the fairs and shooting festivals of the regions are not enough for you, you can look forward to other attractions such as the ski hall in Neuss or the Aqualand in Cologne. Here you can let off steam in the snow or water all year round.

Accommodation and infrastructure

Hotels and rooms can be found in the big cities as well as in the countryside. However, accommodation in the cities may be fully booked during trade fairs. This applies in particular to the trade fair cities of Cologne, Düsseldorf and Essen. Timely planning is the order of the day here. In the Sauerland and the Lower Rhine, family-run, authentic hotels and guesthouses await you – you can even spend the night on farms. On private providers such as AirBnB you can find apartments and individual rooms near the airport. The airport in Düsseldorf has the best connection to the city, as it only takes you a quarter of an hour to reach the city centre.

The motorway network in NRW is well developed and connects all important cities with the rural regions.

In the north of Thuringia, the densely wooded Harz heights enchant nature enthusiasts with a wide network of hiking trails. The vibrant cities of Gera, Weimar and Erfurt attract visitors with a colourful range of exciting sights. And the historic Wartburg Castle invites you to visit as an almost world-famous sight. The Thuringian Forest, a wildly romantic low mountain range and the flat landscape of the Thuringian Basin characterise the varied landscape of Thuringia. The popular holiday region in the heart of Germany is easy to reach from all directions and offers interesting leisure activities for young and old.

Explore attractions in Thuringia

If you take a stroll through Thuringia, you will discover numerous interesting sights, such as the romantic Hanstein castle ruins, the Kyffhäuser monument or the castle ruins of the legendary Emperor Barbarossa. The Dornburg Castles building ensemble, enthroned on a steep slope above the Saale, houses an interesting museum. And the mighty Ranis Castle in the Saale-Orla district was once the imperial castle of numerous German kings and emperors.

The historically very important Wartburg Castle towers above Lutherstadt Eisenach. Since 1999, the building, in which Martin Luther translated the Old Testament into German in 1551/2, has been a World Heritage Site. During a tour, you will also visit the 40-metre-long ballroom and the Luther Room.

The home of the well-known poet Goethe in Weimar attracts many visitors.
The City Museum houses exciting exhibitions about Weimar’s history. And the DDR Museum Apolda takes you back in time.

Hiking fun in Thuringia – at the pulse of nature

If you are looking for active recreation or sporting challenges, you will find what you are looking for in Thuringia: The wildly romantic Slate Mountains or the idyllic Thuringian Forest run through a wide, well-signposted network of trails for hiking enthusiasts and mountain bikers, regardless of whether you love leisurely walks or challenging routes.

The Rennsteig high-altitude hiking trail, which is more than 160 kilometres long, offers hikers magnificent views and leads you through the Thuringian Slate Mountains, the Thuringian Forest and the Bavarian Franconian Forest.

Cyclists like to follow the Hercules-Wartburg Cycle Path, which leads past Eisenach into the Thuringian Forest.

Near Eisenach there is a narrow, partly only 70cm wide gorge, which you can cross on a wildly romantic wooden footbridge. Nature has created a unique scenery here. The quietly rippling Marienbach accompanies you on your hiking adventure through the Dragon Gorge. Afterwards, it is recommended to follow the hiking trail in the direction of the Rennsteig to the Hohe Sonne; because from here it is only a stone’s throw to the Hischstein viewpoint.

Summer, sun and great excursions

In the warm season, around 30 clear bathing waters allow young and old holiday guests to have refreshing bathing fun. The Eberswiese mountain lake is surrounded on three sides by rock faces and is a paradise for good swimmers. The Bleiloch Dam is the largest reservoir in Germany. There are idyllic bathing spots here, for example ‘Am Strandbad’ in Saalburg. Sports enthusiasts can enjoy various water sports at the Bleiloch Dam and recreational captains like to sail across the water sparkling in the sun on an excursion boat.

A colourful range of varied excursion destinations provides plenty of holiday fun in Thuringia. In the Thuringian Forest, for example, exciting climbing adventures await you in the high ropes course. Or would you rather take part in a dwarf tour through the stalactite cave? In the fairy grottoes it is ‘Glück auf!’ An experienced cave guide will be happy to show you the fascinating world underground.

A winter holiday in Thuringia

Thuringia is also worth a visit in the cold months and offers the best conditions for a relaxing winter holiday.

Believe it or not, 16 winter sports areas offer skiing and tobogganing fun.
The most famous among them is the Oberhof ski area, which extends up to 830m above sea level. The 800m long Fallbach slope attracts alpine skiers with sporting challenges. The adjoining snow park is an Eldorado for snowboarders. And various bobsleigh and luge competitions regularly provide variety.
Those who prefer to have fun away from the slopes can also look forward to a wide network of winter hiking trails and cross-country ski trails in the district of Saalfeld. At Lehesten am Wetzstein, there are around 28 groomed trails available for cross-country skiers. And families whiz down the Arnsgereuth toboggan hill with blowing hair, laughing.

Fine and hearty food for connoisseurs

Thuringian cuisine is considered down-to-earth and traditionally spoils gourmets with solid home cooking. The Thuringian grilled sausage is known far beyond the country’s borders.

But Thuringia attracts travelers with a variety of culinary delicacies for every taste.

Hearty roasts with Thuringian dumplings and sauce are among the most popular delicacies in Lutherstadt Eisenstadt.

Since 1828, the Wartburg Brewery has been delighting thirsty throats with its drinks. The ‘Schwarzer Esel’, a quaffable black beer, is considered a special speciality.
Why not take a culinary tour through Thuringian cuisine and try the beer soup with bread cubes, which has been popular since the 16th century.
For dessert in Thuringia, you will be served the seductively sweet sour cream cake with fruit.

Festivals and celebrations throughout the year

• From the maypole setting in Erfurt to the Biathlon World Cup in Oberhof, Thuringia is the venue for lively festivals and celebrations all year round.
• The Krämerbrückenfest in Erfurt is the largest old town festival in Thuringia and invites you to join in the celebrations with music, cabaret and culinary delights. The medieval market and the eagerly awaited fireworks display with laser show every year are among the highlights of the Krämerbrückenfest.
• In 1653, the Weimar Onion Festival was first mentioned in a document. Framed by a multifaceted cultural programme on numerous stages, the Onion Festival today offers colourful entertainment. Be sure to try the spicy bacon or onion tart.
• During the Advent season, Thuringia is transformed into a magical winter fairy tale. Romantic Christmas markets make Thuringia’s towns and cities shine in special splendour.
• More than 200 wooden stalls with handicrafts and delicious goods stretch out at the Weimar Christmas Market between Wenigemarkt and the Cathedral Square. At the Goethe-Schiller Monument, an ice rink provides great fun for young and old skaters every year.
• In front of the impressive backdrop of the cathedral, the Erfurt Christmas market has been taking place for well over 150 years. This is considered one of the most beautiful Christmas markets in Germany.

The varied state of Schleswig-Holstein in the far north of Germany is characterized by a rough charm and offers many fascinating landscapes. Since Schleswig-Holstein borders the North Sea in the west and is flanked by the Baltic Sea in the east, it is not surprising that this beautiful piece of land is significantly shaped by the sea. The very maritime character of the region is omnipresent and gives Schleswig-Holstein a relaxed atmosphere in which many holidaymakers feel very comfortable. Schleswig-Holstein is not only appreciated by many visitors because of its flair, but also convinces above all with spectacular natural monuments.

The North Sea – Vastness that inspires

The west of Schleswig-Holstein impresses with a certain originality and is dominated by the Schleswig-Holstein Wadden Sea National Park, which covers the entire North Sea coast of the region. The unique landscape of the Wadden Sea can be explored at various locations in the area, as part of mudflat tours, and offers an exciting insight into an incomparable habitat.

The rather sparsely populated regions of Dithmarschen and North Frisia, which lie on the shores of the North Sea , are characterized by a harsh beauty and offer many appealing places where you can relax thanks to the healthy maritime climate. In Dithmarschen, the communities of Friedrichskoog and Büsum are particularly popular, as you can relax very well there. Due to its imposing dikes, on which many sheep graze, Büsum in particular is typical of the region and invites you to try the famous Büsum crabs that are landed there.

Further north on the Eiderstedt peninsula is St. Peter-Ording, the most popular seaside resort in Schleswig-Holstein, which is very attractive due to its extensive beaches that can be accessed by car. Also very popular are the North Frisian islands, Amrum, Föhr and Sylt, of which the latter in particular is a place of longing on the North Sea for many due to its fantastic beaches and a unique dune landscape, which combines everything that makes this region special.

The Baltic Sea – gentle landscapes and a relaxed atmosphere

The catchment area of the Baltic Sea is more diverse in landscape than the west of Schleswig-Holstein and is characterized by hilly areas such as the Hüttener Mountains in the north and Holstein Switzerland in the south. Fine sandy beaches and imposing cliffs are characteristic of the many spacious bays of the region and make the Baltic Sea coast of Schleswig-Holstein a sought-after holiday destination. The Angeln region in the area of the northern Baltic Sea coast of Schleswig-Holstein is an area to unwind due to its beautiful nature and offers unique landscapes. For example, the Schlei, a 42-kilometre-long inlet, is very attractive, on the shores of which it is very picturesque and you can find a lot of peace and relaxation. Many inviting seaside resorts along the entire Baltic Sea coast of Schleswig-Holstein offer their visitors not only beautiful beaches and a good infrastructure, but above all an atmosphere in which holidays are fun.

A very family-friendly place is the idyllic Eckenförde just south of the Schlei, where families in particular will have a lot of fun thanks to a wide range of offers.
Further south on the Bay of Lübeck are sophisticated and well-known communities such as Grömitz, Scharbeutz and Timmendorfer Strand, which have a lot to offer their guests and are known for their imposing piers.

Water wherever you look – Schleswig-Holstein’s lake landscapes

But not only the coasts of Schleswig-Holstein convince with their beautiful nature and many beautiful places where you like to stay, the interior of the state also has a lot to offer. In addition to the remarkable Kiel Canal, which flows through the whole of Schleswig-Holstein and connects the North Sea with the Baltic Sea, various lake districts are particularly interesting. The region around Lake Plön in Holstein Switzerland, which is considered the largest lake in Schleswig-Holstein, for example, impresses with an idyllic atmosphere and many leisure activities. Lake Ratzeburg, located further south, is also a very popular excursion destination with charm.

The cities of Schleswig-Holstein – pure maritime lifestyle

Many of the largest and most interesting cities in Schleswig-Holstein are located in the area of the Baltic Sea coast of the state directly by the sea. Kiel, the state capital of Schleswig-Holstein, is known for its important ferry port, which is located in the middle of the city and from which there are connections to Scandinavia and the Baltic States. Furthermore, Kiel is the venue for the internationally renowned sailing event Kiel Week every year, during which numerous regattas take place on the Baltic Sea. The second largest city in Schleswig-Holstein Lübeck, impressed by its many historical buildings, through which its history as a very important trading city, which played an important role especially in the times of the Hanseatic League, becomes clear. The European Hanseatic Museum, which is located in the city and offers many interesting exhibits, also commemorates this time. Probably the most famous building in Lübeck is the imposing Holsten Gate in today’s city centre, which is an absolute eye-catcher. In the very north of Schleswig-Holstein, on the border with Denmark , the beautiful city of Flensburg welcomes its guests and offers a beautiful backdrop for long walks due to its picturesque location on the Baltic Sea.

The largest city in the area of the North Sea coast of Schleswig-Holstein is Husum, which is known above all for its idyllic harbour and a lovingly designed maritime museum.

Sights that inspire – Schleswig-Holstein has a lot to offer

Due to its varied landscapes and an eventful history, the beautiful state of Schleswig-Holstein is rich in attractions and sights, which can be found in all areas of the region.

In beautiful Dithmarschen in the southwest of the country, interested visitors can, for example, visit the Friedrichskoog seal station, where abandoned seals are prepared for their release. Further north, near the Schlei, on the other hand, you can visit the former Viking settlement of Haithabu, a sight that presents interesting cultural-historical backgrounds very vividly.

Several natural monuments of particular beauty are offered by the North Sea island of Sylt, where in addition to the legendary Red Cliff, the peninsula known as Ellenbogen, which marks the northernmost point of Germany, is also a destination worth seeing. The renowned Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival offers a very special cultural treat at various locations in Schleswig-Holstein, during which several classical concerts are played every summer at various locations throughout the state. Just as diverse as the cultural offerings of Schleswig-Holstein are the culinary offerings of the region, which offer many wonderful delicacies. Due to Schleswig-Holstein’s location, fish in all varieties is very popular, which is evident, for example, in the popular smoked fish speciality Kieler Sprotte, which actually comes from Eckernförde. Tasty marzipan from Lübeck is also world-famous.