NORTH RHINE-WESTPHALIA
WE ARE 18 MILLION
North Rhine-Westphalia is not only the German state with the highest population, it is also the state of diversity and innovation.
With around 18 million inhabitants, North Rhine-Westphalia offers a unique blend of culture, history and modernity. Here, in the west of Germany, tradition and innovation meet, urbanity segues into rural charm to create a vibrant community, opening up exciting new horizons for visitors.
The great strengths of North Rhine-Westphalia are reflected in its renowned science and business centres – where innovations are ever-present.
North Rhine-Westphalia offers residents and visitors a lively arts and culture scene with numerous theatres, art galleries, museums and music festivals for a truly impressive range of cultural experiences.
For nature lovers, our state is a real paradise, offering a wealth of opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors with nature parks, hiking and cycling trails.
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5 Highlights
IN NORTH RHINE-WESTPHALIA
DUISPORT
The port in Duisburg is the world’s largest inland port and a key logistics hub in Central Europe. There are 30 million consumers within a radius of just 150 kilometres. Every year, more than 20,000 ships, 25,000 trains and several million containers are handled here.
CYCLING IN NRW
From comfortably flat paths on disused railway lines, along rivers from their source to their mouth or up and down through mountainous landscapes: North Rhine-Westphalia boasts a cycle path network of around 30,000 kilometres with the ideal route whatever your inclination.
FISU WORLD UNIVERSITY GAMES 2025
The Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games will take place from 16 - 27 July 2025, attracting up to 10,000 athletes from around 170 countries who compete for medals in 18 sports.
MUSEUM MARTA HERFORD
Marta in Herford, East Westphalia, is an international museum for contemporary art with a special focus on architecture and design. The building, designed by architect Frank Gehry, rises up in the centre of the city like a work of art in its own right and, since it opened has been a place where questions about the present meet tomorrow’s ideas.
Wuppertaler Junior Uni
Wuppertal Junior Uni offers children and young people between the ages of four and 20 a wide range of educational and research opportunities outside of the ordinary school curriculum. In practice-oriented courses, the youngsters carry out experiments under supervision and take a closer look at natural phenomena.
NORTH RHINE-WESTPHALIA AT THE FESTIVAL OF UNITY
The North Rhine-Westphalian Promenade
The words that sum up North Rhine-Westphalia best are diversity and a zest for life. At our stand at the centre of Schwerin on the Altstadt car park we’ll be giving plenty of examples of why that is.
There’s lots to discover:
Treat your tastebuds with typical specialities from the state in the west and wash them down with a glass of draught Kölsch beer. There will be fun galore with a magic show for aspiring magicians of all ages. Plus, several times a day we’ll be holding a North Rhine-Westphalia bingo game. The first person to shout “BINGO” wins a prize.
Immerse yourself in fascinating facts about our state in the MuseumMobil exhibition by the Haus der Geschichte Nordrhein-Westfalen Foundation.
We look forward to seeing you!
FOR GERMAN UNITY DAY 2024:
THE MINISTER-PRESIDENT OF NORTH RHINE-WESTPHALIA,
HENDRIK WÜST
In North Rhine-Westphalia, setting sail together means harnessing all our diverse talents and ideas as the wind in our sails. With a spirit of innovation and unity, we will navigate the waters of the future together and open up new horizons for our state.
Hendrik Wüst Member of the State Parliament
Minister-President of the State
of North Rhine-Westphalia