Royal Dutch Shell and chemical giants Basell and Degussa chose to settle in Wesseling, midway between Cologne and Bonn, for its Rhine River access. But you will find many other good reasons to come here, especially if you enjoy culture, recreation, and sports.
Each July, you are invited to attend the Wesseling City Fest, a weekend celebration (since 2001) of everything that the culturati love. Start off by going down to Rhine Park to join visitors by the thousands on Saturday. You can hear four local bands and sing karaoke in an open-air concert that lasts until midnight.
On Sunday, sleep in before heading over to Town Hall in the late morning. Closed to traffic, the downtown streets will be lined with food, fashion, and arts and crafts stalls all day long.
Bring along your camera, because there will be lots of shots to take. See dance troupes perform; sample tasty local dishes; watch playful competitions; or test your fitness on a portable rock climbing wall. The festival has something for everyone.
The rest of the year, Wesseling treats you to a potpourri of engaging opportunities. Enjoy stage performances at the Phoenix or Little Theater; see paintings, sculpture, and photo exhibits at the 800-square-meter Municipal Gallery; or relish the choirs, rock bands, and jazz groups that form the core of a robust music scene.
The interactive Railway Museum is sure to impress you, with its hands-on displays of signaling systems, telegraphs, tools, and car models, various tickets, rules, schedules, and more. The same is true of the elegant Castle Eichholz, established in 1802 and now an educational center of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
As for exercise, you will not want to miss any of the local recreation opportunities, from fishing, swimming, and boating to cycling, golf, and tennis. Wesseling also offers you organized sports, including soccer, basketball, boxing, and volleyball.
Could you ask for more? Then do. The friendly residents of this Rhine River town will be more than happy to help you, as will the staff of the Mayor’s Office on Alfons-Müller Square.
