You might be wondering why Wuppertal — in contrast to most German cities — was founded just about 90 years ago… This comes from the fact that this city had been “built” in that year, so to speak.

In other words, it was created in 1929 by merging several villages and towns. (Barmen, Elberfeld, Vohwinkel, Ronsdorf, Cronenberg, Langerfeld and Beyenburg, that is.) It then got this name due to the fact that it lies right at the river Wupper.

By the way, Wuppertal lies in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen), and is a key industrial center.

It is flourishing with many industries and the list could be bigger as: textiles, metallurgy, chemicals, medicine (Bayer), electric, rubber, vehicles and printing equipment. Among the most renowned pain-killers, Aspirin was invented in Wuppertal by Bayer.

The city contains a ribbon-like structure due to the steep hillsides along the river Wupper which makes it a unique place in Germany. It also faced the wrath of World War II. During that period, it was destroyed about 40% by the Allies (as were many other industrial centers at the time).

A huge extent of historic sites have been preserved which are now making it a grand place to visit. Here, you’ll get to see Ölberg District, which is also termed as “Mount Petrol,” and is one of Germany’s largest working class districts. Or what about Briller Viertel, which is Germany’s largest district of Bourgeois dwellings.

The city possesses in excess of 4,500 buildings which are classified as national monuments. Most of them are dating from periods of classicism, Art Nouveau, and Bauhaus. Here you can see the Concert Hall, which is a fine masterpiece of turn-of-the-century architecture. It was inaugurated in 1900 by the German emperor William II and his wife.

The Tan Theater Wuppertal is a renowned and world-famous and frequently plays at theatres in New York, Tokyo, Paris, London, etc.

Also, go and visit Engels’ house, which is architecturally typical of the region. It contains an unending exhibit of materials associated with Friedrich Engels and other famous citizens.

Are you an animal lover? Then you’ll find your way in the form of the Wuppertal Zoo, which is one of the largest, nicely landscaped animal parks in Germany with many rare animals.

The Von der Heydt Museum falls among the most significant galleries in Germany, with works by 19th and 20th century artists. The earliest of Picasso’s works that ever happened in public was displayed here.

But… among the city’s supreme attractions is the suspended monorail which was established in 1901. You might love to see its tracks which are 8 m above the streets and 12 m above the Wupper River.

Last but not least, probably the most popular reason visiting Wuppertal might be its suspended monorail “rolling” throughout the city. It was already built in 1900 and is the oldest monorail system in the world!

You might be wondering why Oberhausen — in contrast to most German cities — was founded just in the 19th century and not earlier… This comes from the fact that this city had been “created” in that century, so to speak. In other words, it was established in 1862 by merging a few villages and towns.

This place was like a pastoral area until about 1860. Later, only after the opening of coal mines and the production of steel, it began to turn large areas of today’s city into a huge industrial complex.

Oberhausen lies in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, and a consequence of economic growth in the 19th century. It could be termed as a typical city of the Ruhr area, which had been growing around industries. At the moment, it is trying to revitalize itself.

Oberhausen is a new, modern and a bustling city with new shopping places. Now, visitors are flocking to the “New Center,” which is an abandoned steelworks in the middle of the city.

At its heart, you might love to see Europe’s largest shopping complex — the CentrO — through more than 200 shops and a broad range of cafés and restaurants. On the other hand, the city’s “Old Center” possesses a conventional pedestrian area and the Marktstraße shopping street, which is almost 1.5 kilometers long (0.8 miles).

In addition to all these, the city has other numeral attractions that you would not necessarily associate with a city in the industrial Ruhr region. The Gasometer, which is the city’s neglected gas tower, is currently Europe’s most curious exhibition hall.

The Altmarkt, which is a historical square in the heart of the city, is a wonderful place to stay and relax. During the festive season, the idyllic Christmas market casts a romantic glow over the CentrO during the festive season.

If you love to see water related stuff, then head towards the famous and attractive SEA LIFE, where everything revolves around water. It is an under water world adventure where you get to see more than 20,000 animals in 50 large aquariums.

And in the CentrO.PARK, a theme park with the world’s longest tractor train (!), you might end up getting guaranteed fun for all the family, the entire day.

By the way, Oberhausen organizes an international award festival for short films since 1954.

Kassel, an urban district in the northern part of the state of Hesse, was first mentioned in the 9th century as a place where King Conrad I signed two deeds.

Kassel (previously also named Cassel) turned out to be a notorious place in the late 18th century for selling mercenaries to the British crown. This act was initiated to hold back the American insurgency and to back the erection of palaces and the landgrave’s opulent lifestyle.

For some periods in the same century, the city was seized by Napoleon and became a short-lived capital under his brother Jérôme. The seized was brought back to the restoration in 1813.

During World War II, nearly 90% of the city were destroyed and on April 3, 1945, it then was seized by the U.S. Army. Following after the war, huge parts of the town were wholly rebuilt in the style of the contemporary period. (That’s why the city has a fairly modern rather than antique style.)

The city has six major sites (three large parks and three palaces,) which are about to become UNESCO World Heritage Sites…

The hilltop Wilhelmshöhe Park puts forward a spectacular panoramic view over the city. This park is such an incredible place with the sculpture of Hercules, fountains, a miniature temple, and Wilhelmshöhe Palace.

This Palace stages Rembrandt collections all along with the famous statue of Apollo that has truly put Kassel on the international horizon. This Palace is full of an Old Masters gallery, a collection of antiquities and the Weissenstein museum.

Ruins of the neo-Gothic Löwenburg Castle possess innumerable medieval features in the form of a moat and a drawbridge. In the interior, the castle is crammed with authentic medieval fixtures and a number of rare and unique objects. This place turned out to be a visitor’s delight. They love to flock here to savoir the past with the present.

Kassel presents several events throughout the year with something to go well with every taste. The Documenta Fest is the most central and celebrated expositions of contemporary art (hence its byline “documenta Stadt”), while the International Dance Festival makes the theme of contemporary dance as its center of attention.

Documenta is organized at every five years, while the International Dance Festival is a customary program of events.

The city is a delight for the aficionado with a thick choice of culinary treats on offer at rustic beer gardens, fashionable bistros, and international restaurants.

The Backstube, an imposing beer garden, provides some of the finest beers; whereas the restaurants in the city are on a roll while offering Italian cuisine and an excellent wine list.

Darmstadt is really a City Of Science, having almost everything to claim the veracity of the theory… Be it the European Space Operations Center (ESOC) or EUMETSAT, which maneuvers meteorological satellites. Or the more than 40 research institutes, including 4 Fraunhofer Institutes, universities and technical colleges, housing approx. 30,000 students altogether!

By the way, Darmstadt is located south of Frankfurt, in the state of Hesse.

It was renowned as a significant center for the art group of Jugendstil in the very starting of the 20th Century. Consequently, it became the first city in Germany to compel Jewish shops to put up their shutters in early 1930s. Soon after this event, the Nazis seized the seat in Germany.

The city also faced the rage of World War II. The old city center was chiefly wiped out in a British bombing raid on September 11, 1944. Shortly after WWII, it recuperated and turned out to be a perfect setting to several technology companies and research institutes.

The Art Nouveau Mathildenhöhe artists’ colony is like a perfect township, set in the core of a park landscape to provide artistic delight to the artists from all over the world. It hosts an exhibition since the time of 1901, which has certainly planted this small town on the map of the world’s art and culture horizon.

The Forest Spiral (Waldspirale), a residence built by the artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, carries scenery and urban living jointly in perfect harmony.

The Moller Theater, home to diverse cultural activities, is also a must-see spot.

Herrngarten, which is situated in the center of the city, is the biggest and oldest park. On the other side, the Prince Georg’s Garden, is a marvelously laid out spot while Rosenhöhe Park tenders far-reaching sights from its elevated position.

Either way, take advantage of its extensive range of art and culture. The House of History is the city’s artistic treasure. The building often organizes momentary expositions along with concerts and lectures.

The Glückert’s House, part of the architecture exhibition, festooned in the midst of various paintings and ornaments, could definitely be the charming place to art lovers.

Similarly, the vicinity in the region of the city possesses plentiful nice-looking places to take a trip. The Abbey and Altenmünster of Lorsch and the Messel Pit Fossil Site — together nominated as world heritage sites — should be placed as a high priority to see.

Some folks tell me Heidelberg is more popular than Berlin or even Frankfurt… Perhaps it’s due to the fact that this beautiful and mystique city always somewhat enlightened people. And I confess — it does have something very special and unique you won’t find in any other city, anywhere.

Well, just in case you don’t know what I’m talking about, this city is located in the nothern corner of the state of Baden-Württemberg and the Neckar river flows through it.

In terms of places of interest, it has almost everything you can think of. The very historical and huuuuge Heidelberg Castle (Heidelberger Schloss) is world famous and includes ingredients of the Gothic and Renaissance periods.

And you’ll be amazed of how huge its castle gardens is. It really is THE spot to relax, take a pick nick, and to take a look over the city and enjoy this scenic beauty.

Old Town is another incredible spot. A long small street going through downtown and café after café and restaurant after restaurant, providing international cuisine and drinks.

The city has a vibrant culture, supported ten museums. For example, the Museum of Ecclesiastical Arts remains the only museum of its kind which encloses ecclesiastical art from the 17th to the 19th century.

The Art Gallery is another interesting site which takes account of contemporary art along with the traveling exhibitions.

And the Zwinger theater including a choice of orchestras puts the culture forward at its best.

In the botanical gardens of the University of Heidelberg, you’ll notice an extensive array of fascinating flora types in the form of alpine garden, fern ravine, inland dune and natural vineyard.

The Neckarwiese park is another place to cherish the moment. Particularly in the summer time, this park turns out being a charming place to take pleasure in the sun, take part in sports, or hold barbecue parties.

By the way, the U.S. Army was intensively present since they had their European HQ here. Meaning, you’ll find plenty of English speaking people you can chat with. ;-)

Mannheim is a city in Central Germany with around 308,000 inhabitants. It is the second largest city in the state of Baden-Württemberg (after the capital Stuttgart) and is located between the rivers Rhine and Neckar.

The main path throughout the squares leads to a massive 18th century palace. The city is an active, open and multinational city. Art and society is just as essential here at present as it was returned in the days of Elector Theodor.

It is also the economic and intellectual center, offering a successful combination of architectural memorials and new constructions, great shops, and an active enlightening scene.

It has a well-merited name for being a “green city.” From its start as a quaint fishing village more than 1,000 years ago, it has grown into one of the largest and most developed cities in Southern Germany.

Since the 18th century, the city acted as a local government center. With a possession of a great university along with an industrial center, it is considered to be a place of the arts and commerce.

You’ll find a lot of pleasing spots with a lot to suggest if you’re with a curiosity in culture. Its several parks and gardens provide plenty of opportunities for you to calm down and chill out, surrounded by grassy nature.

For example, the woodland park and boardwalk with the banks of the Rhine are admired with joggers and God worshippers. And the attractive origin in front of the water tower in the core of the city is a nice place to cool down on hot summer days.

No need to travel too far to find olden university towns, the finest asparagus cuisine, a former Formula One racetrack (Hockenheim), commanding cathedrals, or the Castle Road… It has always drawn the attention of artists and art fans all over the history.

Mannheim City Festival is one of the central attractions in the region. Each year in May/June, you can take pleasure in this exciting event in its city center with songs and a mixture of leisure and attractions.

And there are several bars and clubs. They are not at one place — they are scattered in the entire center — but it’s certainly a pleasure to stroll through and explore, isn’t it?

Possibilities to enjoy the evenings are too high. Theaters, cinemas, many restaurants and other bars add a lot more to the desired entertainment.

Nowadays, the city maintains to take pleasure in its status as a significant place for art with a wide range of cultural memorials.

It’s major train location is the most significant railway intersection in the southwest of Germany and part of the ICE high-speed train system with links to Frankfurt am Main / Berlin, Karlsruhe / Basel and Stuttgart / Munich.

The city is also domicile to the second leading waterway port in Germany.

All parts of the city are provided by buses and trams, which is supervised by the regional association VRN.

Mannheim has a large variety of hotels. For example, Maritim, Wartburg, Tulip Inn, Novotel, Mercure am Rathaus, etc.

The Düren District is prominent as a transportation and industrial center. Its manufactures comprises paper, textiles, food products, plastics, chemicals and transportation equipments.

Düren District Map

You’re going to find historical buildings and plenty of museums here. Whether the Castle museum in Nideggen, Glas Painting museum in Linnich, or plenty others in Düren and Jülich, all of them are ready for you to be explored. :-)

The saint’s day of Saint Anne is one of the biggest folk festivals of Germany which is celebrated every year on July 26 in the city of Düren. And that city’s Christmas market is very charming and very well-liked to far-off places outside Germany. It is lit up beneath a glittery sky, where people flock to have the experience of the performance at the living Nativity scene.

Offenbach am Main is an industrial center with the reputation of a leading manufacturer of leather goods across the globe. It’s located in the German state of Hesse, right next to Frankfurt am Main.

Apart from the leather industry, it has also pioneered itself in chemicals, electrical products, textiles, and machinery.

Till the very period of early 1970s, Offenbach was leading the way by the means of machine-building and leather industries. Apart from all these, the city was also the European center of typography for some times in the mid 80s.

Some political moves shattered it hopes to gain further dominance in all these areas and it could not live up to its growing expectations. However, the position has changed a bit in its favor in recent years.

In these times, it has morphosized itself into an admired setting for a wide array of services, particularly from the advertising, design, and transport sectors. The city also hosts the European headquarters of Hyundai Motors.

On the tourism front, though, Offenbach am Main is not far behind from other German cities. You will get to see a Renaissance-style palace, as well as museums of typography and graphics. The Bieber’s observation tower is there to remind you of the city’s dominance in the leather industry, as so does the German Leather Museum (Deutsches Ledermuseum).

It is considered among the biggest museums of the world in the midst of a wide variety of collection of leather items. All along the leather stuff, it also includes a number of exhibits, which are thought to be more than 3,000 years old.

You will get to see three wings in the museum, namely, the German Shoe Museum, the Museum for Applied Art and the Ethnology Museum. The museum takes account of a grand variety of leather items on show together with shoes, saddles, bookcases, photo albums, leather furniture, and toys.

Last but not least, Offenbach is also the seat of the German Weather Service (Deutscher Wetterdienst).

Hamm was set up in the year 1226 and lies in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen), acting as a vital railway junction.

Its key commerce activity is the manufacturing of wire and cables. Other important industries are coal mines and an oil mill producing canola and sunflower oils to be sent all over the continent.

It also has a DuPont chemical plant (a nuclear power plant) and the thorium high-temperature reactor. This plant could not uninstalled for the reason of dissent by the population. Further, the city also contains a power plant burning fossil material which is still very much operational.

Hamm’s climate is set apart by an irresistible quantity of rainfall, which occurs most of the time. The winters have a tendency to be moderately mild, while the summers around here are not too blistering. For most of the time of the years, temperatures remain under control and rarely get past three digit range. In the summer months, you might love to see a high relative humidity, rain and thunderstorms.

If you take a virtual walk around the town, you will come across with fine Roman style buildings. In this process, you will get past the City Hall, which is an imposing building with some unfolded past.

The Hamm State Court of Appeal is another stunning building which is meant to be a sign for the communities now being part of the city. It’s a castle-like edifice that dates back from the Prussian times in the 19th century.

Well on to this voyage, you will stumble upon Maximilian Park, which possesses an elephant-like-looking landmark. This building was fashioned in 1984 at the time when the North Rhine-Westphalia Gardening State Fair organized on the site. This elephant like structure, in the midst of overgrowing trees and shrubs, is however among the renowned hallmarks of the city.

Seeing the sights of this veiled gigantic creature is now turning out to be a sort of a temptation for a growing number of visitors from all over the world.

Tübingen is a conventional university town located in the state Baden-Württemberg. It is to be found nearly 32km or 20mi southwest of Stuttgart, on a point between the Neckar and Ammer rivers.

For the first time, the city was talked about in 1078 in a document. It developed its civil liberties and a court system in the 12th century. Its name, which terminates in “ingen,” is a powerful indication of its Alemanic tribes establishment.

Tübingen was taken over by count Ulrich III in 1342 and integrated into the County of Württemberg. In the mid 50s, it transformed itself into a very socio-economically divided city.

Tübingen created its own image of a peaceful town where underprivileged local farmers and tradesmen were lived along the City Canal. Students and academics resided in the region of the old university buildings.

Its governmental area was extended away from the core town to take in a number of outlying small towns and villages in the second half of the 20th century.

According to its 2002 census, the city had nearly 25% students of its all population. It could well be portrayed as a blend of old and eminent academic flair together with liberal politics and German-style fraternities. It is also home to a lot of appealing buildings from earlier centuries which could be seen on the Neckar river.

That river splits Tübingen into two streams. The stretched out 1500 meter-long Neckar Island is renowned for its Planes Avenue by way of its high plane trees. Some of the trees are more than 200 years old! Pedestrians might only get there using stairs on the thin ends.

For the duration of the summer, Tübingen transforms itself into the site for concerts, plays and literary readings. Old town, which endured the Second World War, is a popular tourist site in the city. The tourist attractions in Old town comprise its twisted cobblestone tracks, narrow-stair alleyways and conventional half-timbered houses.

Other landmarks Tübingen embrace is the City Hall on Market Square and the famous castle called Schloß Hohentübingen. This castle has now become a part of the University of Tübingen.

The Collegiate Church is the central landmark of the town. The Stiftskirche, all along with the rest of the city, was one of the foremost to alter to Martin Luther’s protestant church.

The town is the site of weekly and recurring events, together with usual market days on Holzmarkt (near Stiftskirche), as well as the Marktplatz near town hall (Rathaus).

You will also get to spot an outdoor cinema in winter and summer, Christmas markets in winters, and Europe’s biggest Afro-Brazilian festival in July.