North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany: Towns to Explore on Foot

North Rhine-Westphalia is Germany’s most populous state: a densely connected region of major cities, industrial heritage, historic landmarks and distinct local traditions. From Cologne Cathedral and Aachen Cathedral to the former coal and steel landscapes of the Ruhr, there are plenty of things to do in North Rhine-Westphalia. Neywo offers free audio guides for 9 cities in the state, with 1,531 narrated places in total.

What to see and do in North Rhine-Westphalia

North Rhine-Westphalia is not one uniform destination. The state brings together the Rhineland, Westphalia and Lippe, each with its own history and customs. Its cities are close to one another, linked by a dense transport network, while the landscape extends from the plains of the Lower Rhine into parts of the Central Uplands and reaches the borders of Belgium and the Netherlands.

Explore Cologne and its cathedral

Cologne is one of the central cities of the Rhine-Ruhr region and home to Cologne Cathedral, one of North Rhine-Westphalia’s World Heritage Sites. The city also offers a range of museums and cultural sights, including the Fragrance Museum, the Museum für Angewandte Kunst and the Museum of East-Asian Art.

Cologne has a strong local identity of its own. Kölsch, the city’s beer speciality, is one of the clearest examples of the regional differences found across the state. Discover more places to visit with the Cologne city guide.

See Düsseldorf’s local character

Düsseldorf is another major centre on the Rhine. Its historic and religious landmarks include the Church of St. Andrew, Neanderkirche, St. Maximilian and Schloss Kalkum. The city belongs to the Lower Rhine cultural sphere, where Alt is the traditional local beer speciality.

Visit Essen and the Ruhr’s industrial heritage

Essen is an important place to understand North Rhine-Westphalia’s industrial past. The Ruhr was one of Western Europe’s most important industrial areas during the postwar recovery, and the state was long known as the Land of Coal and Steel. The last coal mine in North Rhine-Westphalia closed at the end of 2018, but industry remains important, particularly mechanical engineering and metal and iron working.

Essen is home to Zeche Zollverein, a World Heritage Site and a powerful reminder of that industrial history. Other narrated places in the city include Finnischer Granit - gespalten, Kattenturm Essen, the Mineralien-Museum Kupferdreh and Essen Minster. Explore the city with the Essen guide.

Discover Aachen Cathedral and the city’s history

Aachen Cathedral is one of the state’s three World Heritage Sites, alongside Cologne Cathedral and Zeche Zollverein. Aachen also has several other places connected with the city’s long history, including Frankenberg Castle (Aachen), Büchel-Museum Rote Burg and Centre Charlemagne.

The region around Aachen reflects the deeper layers of North Rhine-Westphalia’s past. Before the modern state existed, the area was shaped by Roman expansion, Germanic peoples, events associated with Charlemagne and the Saxon Wars. The modern state, however, was created only after World War II. Visit the Aachen city page for more narrated places.

Walk through Bonn, Beethoven’s birthplace

Bonn is associated with Ludwig van Beethoven, who was born in the city. It also has a broad collection of historic places, including Hammerschmidt Villa, Palais Schaumburg, St. Helena-Kapelle and Beethoven House.

Bonn is one of the cities that shows how varied North Rhine-Westphalia can be. Its cultural identity differs from that of the Ruhr cities and from the traditions of Cologne or Düsseldorf, even though all belong to the same closely connected state. The Bonn guide introduces more of the city’s sights.

See Duisburg’s landmarks

Duisburg belongs to the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan area, where cities and industrial landscapes form one broad urban environment. Its narrated places include the Haniel Museum, Church of Our Saviour, Kreuzeskirche and Theater Duisburg.

The city is part of the wider story of the Ruhr: a region that adapted as coal and steel declined, while retaining the memory of the industries that shaped its economy and landscape. Find out more in the Duisburg guide.

Visit Münster and Westphalia

Münster represents a different side of the state, with landmarks including Domstift Münster, Schloss Münster, Erbdrostenhof and St. Lamberti. The city belongs to Westphalia, one of the historical regions brought together when North Rhine-Westphalia was formed.

The state’s name preserves that complex origin. In 1946, the British military administration merged Westphalia with the northern part of the Rhine Province in an action known as Operation Marriage. Lippe joined the following year. The traditions of these regions remain distinct, and Münster offers an opportunity to experience the Westphalian side of the state.

Explore castles and smaller towns

North Rhine-Westphalia is known for having Germany’s greatest number of castles and fortresses. The smaller towns in Neywo’s coverage offer a chance to move beyond the large urban centres.

In Anholt, narrated places include Anholt Castle, Schloss Raesfeld, Agneskapelle and Sts. Simon and Jude. Monschau offers Reichenstein Monastery, Dorfmuseum - Uraalt Scholl, Evangelische Stadtkirche Monschau and Pankratiuskapelle. These destinations show the range of the state, from dense metropolitan areas to historic towns and landscapes closer to the borders with Belgium and the Netherlands.

Culture, food and the legacy of coal and steel

North Rhine-Westphalia’s cultural life is made up of strong local traditions rather than one single identity. Cologne has Kölsch, Düsseldorf and the Lower Rhine have Alt, and Dortmund is associated with Dortmunder Export, a pale lager. These drinks reflect the differences between neighbouring parts of the state.

The calendar is equally varied, with Rhenish carnivals, the Ruhrtriennale and film festivals in several cities. Cologne hosts Gamescom, described as Europe’s largest video game convention. The state’s music culture ranges from Beethoven’s classical legacy in Bonn to the heavy metal bands associated with Germany.

Economically, North Rhine-Westphalia has changed considerably since the coal and steel era. A coal crisis began in 1958, when hard coal production exceeded demand, followed by a steel crisis. Today, the state has Germany’s largest state economy, and creative industries have grown alongside continuing activity in mechanical engineering and metal and iron working.

Explore North Rhine-Westphalia with Neywo

Neywo has free audio guides for 9 cities in North Rhine-Westphalia, with 36 walking tours and 1,531 narrated places in total. Narration is available in 11 languages.

The app tells the story of each place as you reach it, at your own pace, with no group and no schedule. Choose a city, walk through its streets and let the guide introduce the landmarks around you as you arrive.