North Rhine-Westphalia where is located? general information

North Rhine-Westphalia is one of the most popular tourist regions in Germany, often called the "green heart of Europe". This is an area combining beautifully preserved natural landscapes: traditional European forests, fields and meadows reminiscent of the scenery of the Grimm brothers' tales, and large industrial enterprises. Indeed, it is on the banks of the Rhine are located coal and iron deposits, the desire to own which was one of the causes of the wars of the early twentieth century. Today, historical Westphalia is known as Germany's most populous federal state with a population density higher than in Japan. At the same time, most of the territory is occupied by unique nature reserves.

Location:

The land of North Rhine-Westphalia (in the original Nordrhein-Westfalen) is located in the west of Germany and is one of the largest administrative-territorial units in the country. To the north and partly to the east this vast region borders on Lower Saxony, in the east - with Hessen. In the south, its "neighbor" is the Rhineland-Palatinate land, and in the west - the neighboring states - Belgium and the Netherlands.

The total area of the territory is 34075 square meters. Km. Through it flows Ruhr, Rhine, Ems and Lippe, as well as the shortest in the whole of Germany the river Pader.

Infrastructure

The transport situation in North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany) is extremely favorable for the tourist business. In particular, there are two airports of international importance, and four - domestic European. For those who like to travel on the water there is the greatest river port in the world, which is in Duisburg. In addition, the territory of the earth is surrounded by a dense network of roads and railways, connecting it with any corner of the Eurasian continent.

Recreational resources of Westphalia are very rich and diverse, more than 10 million tourists from all over the world come here all year round.

North Rhine-Westphalia: administrative center

The official capital of this administrative unit of Germany is Dusseldorf. In addition, this city is an industrial center of North Rhine-Westphalia, because it was often avoided by tourist routes, the purpose of which is to show classical Germany. However, in the last decades the state of things has begun to change, and Düsseldorf is gradually acquiring the significance of the country's cultural capital. He already hosted the international Eurovision Song Contest, and regularly holds carnivals, festivals and exhibitions of contemporary art.

Düsseldorf meets tourists with the Royal Alley - a luxurious boulevard that crosses all roads in the direction from the railway station to the city center. The name of the boulevard is connected with an interesting legend: it seems to come from an extraordinary event that happened here in 1848. Then on the avenue, which bore the name Kashtanova, Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm IV was subjected to an unprecedented humiliation - the townspeople pelted the monarch with manure. Today in the middle of the boulevard is a canal, decorated on one side by the famous Triton fountain.

Main Attractions in Düsseldorf

The city occupies the right bank of the Rhine, and on the left are landscaped parks and fashionable sleeping areas.

Tourists who came to Dusseldorf, show:

• Mediagavan;
• The house of Henry Heine;
• The Yegerhof Palace - the Goethe Museum;
• Market square;
• The Castle Square, where you can see the sculpture "Tumbling boys" - a symbol of the city;
• Embankments, decorated with art objects and small architectural forms.

Cities in North Rhine-Westphalia

This ancient German land has been inhabited since time immemorial. Most of the cities within it were founded in the deep Middle Ages, and even in ancient times. In particular, it is known that the history of Cologne and Aachen began with the settlements of the Romans. By the nineteenth century, the North Rhine region was known as the Ruhr and united the largest coal and metallurgical enterprises in Europe.

Cologne

The main thing that interests tourists, visiting the land of North Rhine-Westphalia - the city. Of these, the largest and one of the oldest is Cologne, also recognized as the information capital of Europe. Here are the headquarters of many print and television companies. The greatest value of Cologne is the cathedral, built for the first time in the XIII century, where a relic is stored, connected with the gifts of the Magi brought to the baby Jesus. Despite all the destruction and restoration that had to be endured by the cathedral, and perhaps precisely because of them, it is one of the best examples of Gothic temple architecture. The tops of its towers are visible practically from any point of Cologne, their maximum height reaches 157 m.

Of the modern attractions the most interesting is the Museum of Chocolate. In addition, the ancient city hospitably accepts a wide variety of international profile exhibitions and festivals.

Bonn

During the post-war partition of the country the city was the capital of West Germany. It is famous for its university and attracts tourists as a monument of medieval architecture.

Münster

The oldest city in the Westphalian land, entered into the chronicles of many fateful events in European history. In Münster it is worth to look into the city cathedral of the XIII century - a real miracle of Romanesque architecture.

Aachen

An ancient city and a center, around which the thermal and balneological resorts of the region are united. This is an amazing combination of natural resources and monuments of old eras.

Other resort centers in North Rhine-Westphalia: Bad Iburg, Bad Salzuflen , Bad Wildungen.

History, economics

In modern borders, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia was approved in 1946 by the British authorities, under whose protector West Germany was at that time.

It is called the industrial heart of Germany, today this region has become a powerful center of technological production. Here are the largest machine-building, steel-making and coal-mining enterprises in the country. The dense transport and communication network has a favorable effect on the development of the region. Local authorities closely monitor compliance with environmental standards and take all measures to preserve the famous Riparian forests.

Are you interested in Germany? Land North Rhine-Westphalia is the best place where a tourist can admire the beauty of German nature, see interesting sights and get to know the local cuisine.