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Hotels in NRW (7381 results)
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North Rhein-Westphalia Guide
Planning a journey to NRW? Here you will find information about cities, sights, carnivals, exhibitions, festivals 2020, climate, and how to get there.
North Rhine-Westphalia is a state in western Germany which includes a thriving Ruhr, the state also borders on Belgium and the Netherlands. It is rich in numerous lakes and forests. NRW is a tasty morsel for culture fans. If you are keen on museums, theaters, and festivals, don’t miss the chance to visit this wonderful state.
Panorama from the Dom by Radomir Cernoch, https://www.flickr.com/people/30718644@N03/
What to see / What to do
Whether you are planning a short vacation or a family journey, travel for business or plan a romantic weekend - in North Rhein-Westphalia you will your perfect cornucopia and many interesting sights. Even if you are on a business trip in a small town you have all chances to enjoy ancient churches and town halls.
Cities
Must-see cities:
● Dusseldorf: the state capital;
● Bonn: the birthplace of Ludwig van Beethoven, the Bonn carnival;
● Cologne: the culture centre, where Cologne Cathedral and Romanic churches are situated, the Cologne carnival;
● Münster: the German bicycle capital;
● Aachen: here is one of the most famous Christmas markets in Germany;
● Essen: the European culture centre.
Map of NRW
City tour deals
Must-see sights
Cologne Cathedral
“Built for God and People”
This is one of the most famous sights not only of NRW, but also of Germany.
The history of the cathedral begins in middle times, as its foundation stone was laid in 1248. The cathedral receives from 20.000 to 30.000 visitors per day.
| Opening hours | November - April: 6:00 am- 07:30 pm; May - October 6:00 am - 09:00 pm; Sundays and holidays: 01:00 pm - 04:30 pm. |
During services and special events, you cannot visit the cathedral.
Learn more about opening hours, holidays, services and special events: https://www.koelner-dom.de/index.php?id=19173&L=1
Schloss Drachenburg in Königswinter
Despite the name, the castle has absolutely no depressing atmosphere. From a distance, it even seems like the castle is a toy that you can take in the hand. You might have the impression that Drachenburg has a long history which reaches to the medieval times. Don’t be fooled. The castle was built between 1882-1884 and simply decorated in the historical style.
| Opening hours | to the 4. November: everyday 11:00 am - 06:00 pm; 5. - 25. November: everyday 12:00 pm - 05:00 pm. |
| Prices | Adults - 7 €; Children / entitled to discount* - 5 €; Children under 6 years - free; Family ticket** - 17 €; Annual individual pass - 30 €; Annual family pass** - 60 €. |
Photo by Jacek Piotrowski
* Children (6-17 years), pupils, students, seriously disabled people, groups of 20 people or more
** 2 adults + max. 2 children (6-17 years), children under 6 years - free
But don’t think that there are only guided tours among activities. For example, the guests are invited to the Christmas market “Einzigartige Weihnachtszeit” (“Unique Christmas Season”) to experience the Christmas spirit. There will be some surprises for kids!
When:
1st Advent weekends: Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th November 2020;
2d Advent weekends: Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th December 2020;
3d Advent weekends: Saturday 12th and Sunday 13th December 2020;
4th Advent weekends: Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th December 2020.
Saturday: 12:00 pm - 09:00 pm.
Sunday: 12:00 pm - 08:00 pm.
| Prices | Combined ticket (incl. ride by the Drachenfels railway und castle sightseeing). | Adults 12 €; Children / adolescents (6-17 years) 6 €. |
| Ticket (pedestrian) | Adults 7 €; Children / adolescents and the entitled to discount* (6-17 years) 5 €; Family ticket** 17 €. |
* Children from 6 years, pupils, students, seriously disabled people, federal volunteer service members, groups (of 20 people or more).
** Family ticket: 2 adults and 2 children (6-17 years).
Notice, please, that dogs are not allowed!
Buy tickets and vouchers online: https://schloss-drachenburg.ticketfritz.de
Tickets for pedestrians can be purchased locally at the castle ticket window.
Other events in the Drachenburg castle
• Marriage ceremony
A wedding in a fairytale castle - let yourself become a princess or a prince and experience one of the happiest moments in your life in the Drachenburg castle. You can choose a room for the ceremony which will cost you from 600 €.
• Catering
If the number of your guests goes beyond 50, you can employ the services of the hotel MARITIM in Königswinter.
Sechs-Seen-Platte Duisburg
Would you like to take a break from hecticness and everyday life? Take a beach towel, swimming trunks / a swimsuit and don’t miss any minute! It is recommended to take some food and drinks or buy it all in the nearest grocery store, because there are not so many restaurants near the beaches. Not only swimming, but also cycling and walking are especially good here. And kids definitely won’t be bored, as the numerous visitors say.
Sechs-Seen-Platte is also interesting for sailing fans. There are 6 yacht clubs, two of which sail in the 2. Deutsche Bundesliga.
Photo by kb_ralf, https://www.flickr.com/people/kb_ralf/
Kaiserpfalz Kaiserwerth
The Kaiserpfalz was built by Frederick I Barbarossa in the 12th century. Unfortunately, only ruins remained, but even in such a condition they enchant people until this day. Surprisingly, but without a guided tour and knowledge of history you will also have a great time when visiting the Kaiserpfalz.It would be a good excursion for children because they have rich imagination. In this case it is recommended to inquire of a guided tour.
Photo by Andy von der Wurm, https://www.flickr.com/photos/9099757@N05/
Opening hours: 09:00 - 18:00 everyday from Good Friday till the 31st October.
Heimat-Tierpark Olderdissen (zoo)
An ideal destination for families with children, kindergartens and pupils. More than 450 animals of 90 different species live here and about 400.000 people per day visit this place.
The zoo was founded in 1930 and has an interesting provenance. The wife of the city forester brought a fawn up and had to find a new home for her fosterling. And so, the idea of a recreation and nature park surfaced.
The animals go free in the park and look healthy and well-cared-for. You can even come closer to some animals and feed them.
If you come at about 10 o’clock in the morning, you have a possibility to see the wolves being fed.
It is recommended to come earlier to find a parking slot without any problems. The parking not only for cars, but also for buses is situated right before the zoo.
Photo by Ethernum, https://www.flickr.com/photos/ethernum/
If you can’t find any parking slot here, there is a parking on the Johannisberg in 500 m from the zoo.
One more piece of advice: buy an annual parking ticket for 30 euro in the zoo’s shop and forget all worries about parking for a whole year from the date of buying.
Navigation map
| Opening hours | round-the-clock everyday |
| Opening hours of the zoo’s shop | Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday, holidays On NRW holidays: from Tuesdays to Sundays |
| Summertime (April - October) | 10:00 am – 12:00 pm and 12:30 pm– 06:00 pm |
| Wintertime (November - March) | 10:00 am – 12:00 pm and 12:30 pm – 05:00 pm |
Phantasialand Brühl
This is a Disneyland for young and old. It is gorgeously decorated and has a great variety of attractions.
Here are several of them:
• Taron. The fastest and longest multi-launch coaster of the world with the most intensive catapult gear and 116 crossings. The design of Taron should suit the fans of Norse mythology.Minimum height: 1.30 m; children between 1.30 and 1.40 m accompanied by an adult.
Photo by clemensPapa, https://www.flickr.com/photos/69379674@N00/
• Raik. Both Taron and Raik belong to the “village” Klugheim on the park territory. Wooden decorations create the impression that you are in the pagan times. Raik is a family roller coaster which is one of the 3 best German roller coasters.
Minimum height: 1 m
• Chiapas. The state-of-the-art log flume.
Minimum height: 1.20 m; children between 1.20 and 1.30 m accompanied by an adult.
• Black Mamba. The inverted coaster with a waterfall.
Minimum height: 1.40 m
Maximal height: 1.95 m
Minimum age: 10 years
• Das verrückte Hotel Tartüff (The crazy hotel Tartüff). Go through 27 rooms and 3 floors and experience the crazy atmosphere: furniture on the ceiling, a feeling that the painting has just moved, a glass labyrinth where you will be disoriented and more other mysterious things. And, of course, the rooms are specially decorated - “as in films”.
| Opening hours | 20.04.2020-01.11.2020 |
| regular Monday-Friday | 10.00 am - 6.00 pm |
| Weekends & Holidays | 10.00 am - 7.00 pm |
| daily from June 27th to August 15th | 10.00 am - 8.00 pm |
| Prices | from 37 €; It is better to buy tickets online to get a discount: https://shop.phantasialand.de/Tickets/ |
| Please pay attention | you can buy parking tickets only for cash (5 €) |
Note that opening times for the winter season 2020/21 will be announced later. For additional information, please visit the official website.
Park map
Museums
Chocolate Museum Cologne
Chocolate addicteds, ready, steady, go! The whole museum is dedicated to chocolate - this is not a dream, but reality.
Everyone will find here something suitable: the whole history of chocolate, sweet delicacies to taste, different courses where you can create your own chocolate masterpiece.
Opening hours:
Monday - Friday: 10:00 am - 06:00 pm;
Saturday, Sunday and holidays: 11:00 am - 07:00 pm.
In November and January till March on Mondays the museum is closed. From January 2020 it works from 10:00 am till 06:00 pm.
Photo by H.Frings, https://www.flickr.com/photos/hugofrings/
| Prices | Weekdays | Weekend |
| Adults | 12,50€ | 13,50€ |
| Pupils/Children | 7,50€ | 8€ |
| Children under 6 years old | free | free |
| Apprentices/students | 9€ | 10€ |
| The elderly from 65 years old | 11€ | 12€ |
| People with disabilities | 7,50€ | 8€ |
| Family ticket | 31,50€ | 34€ |
| Teacher as an accompanying person; Accompanying person for people with a disabled person ID group B. | free | free |
Tickets and vouchers are available online: https://shop.schokoladenmuseum.de/en
For a group of 15 people and more, you save 50 cents per person at all prices.
Neanderthal Museum
Travel through time and become a witness of the mankind evolution. The life-size figures were made after found human fossils.
Go through a small forest to the museum and enjoy 10 sculptures on your way which could bring you to think about human nature.
It will be interesting not only for adults but also for children to visit the Ice Age Wild Park Neanderthal. Now there are two wisents, a herd of aurochses and a herd of tarpans.
Photo by Voyageur du Monde, https://www.flickr.com/people/whereareyoumat/
Don’t miss the chance to visit the Neanderthal man site: to see with own eyes the way of life of prehistoric men.
There is also a good museum’s shop where you can buy some souvenirs.
Opening hours:
| Museum | Tuesday - Sunday: 10:00 am - 06:00 pm; Closed on Mondays. |
| Man site | November - February: 10:00 am - 04:00 pm; March - October: 10:00 am - 04:00 pm; Closed on Mondays. |
Prices:
| Permanent exhibition + audio guide | Combined exhibition (permanent and special exhibition) + audio guide | Special exhibition |
| Adults 9 € | Adults 11 € | Adults 7 € |
| Children (6-16 years) 5 € | Children (6-16 years) 6,50 € | Children (6-16 years) 3,50 € |
| Mini ticket (4-5 years) 4 € | Mini ticket (4-5 years) 5 € | Mini ticket (4-5 years) 3 € |
| Families (min. 1 child 4-16 years) -20% | Families (min. 1 child 4-16 years) -20% | Families (min. 1 child 4-16 years) -20% |
| Students (with student card) 6 € | Students (with student card) 8 € | Students (with student card) 4 € |
| Disabled people (with ID) 6 € (Accompanying person of a disabled person - ID mark B - entrance free) |
Disabled people (with ID) 8 € (Accompanying person of a disabled person - ID mark B - entrance free) |
Disabled people (with ID) 4 € (Accompanying person of a disabled person - ID mark B - entrance free) |
| Adult groups (15 p. and more, booking required) 8 € |
Adult groups (15 p. and more, booking required) 10 € |
Adult groups (15 p. and more, booking required) 6 € |
| School groups, youth groups (booking required) 4 € |
School groups, youth groups (booking required) 5 € |
School groups, youth groups (booking required) 3 € |
| Kindergarten groups (booking required) 3,50 € | Kindergarten groups (booking required) 4 € | Kindergarten groups (booking required) 2,50 € |
Purchase tickets online: https://www.westticket.de/neanderthal-museum/?referer_info=neanderthal
Filmmuseum Düsseldorf
This is the only film museum in North Rhine-Westphalia. You will find here answers for many questions, such as “How has the film history developed?”, “What technologies were used by film production in different time periods?” etc. Enjoy wonderful costumes and sceneries and immerse in the film art atmosphere.
The Black Box: what is this?
Generally speaking, it is a movie hall where both old films and new ones are running, very often accompanied with comments and discussions.
Photo by Mia Jaap, https://www.flickr.com/people/kimchipenguin/
Opening hours:
Tuesday - Sunday: 11:00 am - 06:00 pm;
Holidays: 11:00 am - 06:00 pm;
Closed: Mondays and the following public holidays: Carnival Sunday, May 1st, December 24th and 25th, December 31st.
Prices:
| Museum | Black Box |
| Admission: 5 €, by special exhibition 7 € per person | 7 € per person |
| Reduced: 2,50 €, by special exhibition 5 € per person | Reduced: 5 € |
| School groups, children and adolescents (to 18 years) free The young to 21 years on Fridays free |
With Black Box pass: 4 €; Black Box pass: 18 €, reduced 6 €; 3 € discount for the regular admission price and a lot of special events for the whole year from the date of buying. |
| Happy Hour: everyday one hour before closing admission in the permanent exhibition free | Ticket reservation: 0211 - 8992232 |
Short break deals
Carnival and festivals 2020 Cologne carnival
This is one of the biggest and most famous carnivals in the world. This celebration is considered to come from the Roman Saturnalia which was a festival in honor of the god Saturn. Apparently, parades of the masquerade (“Narrenzüge”) originated from these times.
According to the tradition, the celebration begins on the 11th of November at 11:11 on the square Kölner Alter Markt. The holiday lasts almost three months - till Rose Monday. “Rose Monday” is a high point of the carnival. Beginning from afternoon, a lot of shops are closed, people participate in “Rosenmontagszug” - a special parade. The carnival ends on Ash Wednesday.
Before visiting the celebration, be sure to inform yourself about chants. In NRW, “Kölle Alaaf!” is widely used and sounds a little bit like a toast and means approximately the following: “Long live Cologne!”
Photo by Harold R Cologne, https://www.flickr.com/photos/haroldrcologne
Amphi Festival 2020
Would you like to feel a real drive and have a great time? In this case, the Amphi Festival is an ideal choice. Here a big number of visitors are expected to come - about 16000. You can not only enjoy music, but also buy a nice souvenir (T-shirts and hoodies).
| When | July 25-26, 2020 |
| Where | Tanzbrunnen Cologne |
| Who | ALIENARE, BRAGOLIN, CHEMICAL SWEET KID, JOY DIVISION UNDERCOVER, LETZTE INSTANZ, OOMPH!, ROME, SHE PAST AWAY, SOLAR FAKE, STAHLMANN, DIARY OF, DREAMS, DUPONT, EISBRECHER, LONDON AFTER MIDNIGHT, PERFECTION DOLL, SCARLET DORN, SCHWARZSCHILD |
| Genres | EBM, Synthie Pop, Gothic Rock, Dark Wave, medieval rock |
| Tickets | https://www.amphi-shop.de/de/festivaltickets/amphi-festival-2019/ |
Summerjam Festival 2020
Reggae fans definitely should get impressions of this festival. This is a colorful event with an already long history (the 35th festival). If you have always dreamt to meet reggae stars and to enjoy new reggae hits with like-minded people, prepare 118 €! And one more important detail: the tickets must be designed creatively.
When: 03.07. - 05.07.2020.
Where: Fühlinger See, Cologne.
The official website: https://en.summerjam.de/
Photo by Lars Igelström, https://www.flickr.com/photos/skumroffe
Parookaville 2020
“Celebrate the joy of life”.
It is said on the official website that Parookaville is “a crazy city” built according to sketches of the time traveler Bill Parooka. This is a big event with talented DJs, which will bring you a lot of joy.
When: 17.07.-19.07.2020
Where: on the old military airport, Weeze.
Photo by Geo H, https://www.flickr.com/photos/geoffreyhubbel/
“City map” and more about Parookaville: https://www.parookaville.com/en/city/#slide=1
Tickets: https://www.parookaville.com/de/tickets/
How to get there
“A thick net of waterways, rails and streets conquers enormous flows of commodity and people one day at a time”.
6 airports and more than 400 international direct flights and the biggest river port of the world (situated in Duisburg) are at the guests disposal.
Climate and the best time to travel
The climate in the North Rhine-Westphalia region is rainy, influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. The average annual temperatures are between 5-10 degrees. The highest average temperature in North Rhine-Westphalia is 24 °C in July and the lowest is 4 °C in January.
The best time to visit this region is from June to September when temperatures are pleasant and hardly any rainfall.
Hotels and Accommodation
In North Rhine-Westphalia, there are many types of tourist accommodation, ranging from boutique hotels, design hotels, golf hotels, historic hotels, wellness hotels to beautiful holiday apartments and holiday homes.
How much does a hotel room in North Rhine-Westphalia cost?
If you would like to stay in a 3-star hotel, the average cost for a room is € 87 per night. The average cost for a room in a 4-star hotel is € 119 per night. In North Rhine-Westphalia, you can also find luxurious 5-star hotels for an average of € 215 per night.
If you are looking for an inexpensive overnight stay, there are many nice holiday apartments and holiday homes. The average apartment for 2 guests with 1 bedroom in Wuppertal starts at 26 euros per night.
With HotelFriend, you can find an extensive range of accommodation options at every price category, including attractive deals with up to 50% off. Save time and money, and plan your trip with HotelFriend.