Industry and leisure on the Lower Rhine
Along the Lower Rhine between Cologne and Kalkar, industrial plants are becoming venues for culture and art. We travel along the river to see how architects and the leisure industry have revamped its bank.
Living on a crane
One hundred years ago goods were loaded onto barges here, but now the Rheinauhafen has become one of Cologne’s showcase projects of urban development. The crane houses are reminiscent of the old grain cranes that used to dominate the landscape of the harbor. Homes, offices, restaurants and clubs are now located high above the Rhine.
Cinema on the Rhine
The Rheinauhafen also hosts a small marina, and in summer there’s a large Open Air Cinema set up right on the waterfront. Film buffs can enjoy snacks and drinks from the boat during the showing. The cinema's motto: Use your imagination to sail into the distance.
Art instead of rockets
Art and nature come together at the site of this former NATO missile station. The Museum Island Hombroich in Neuss is an art museum with free-standing exhibition pavilions and restored buildings, surrounded by renaturalized parks and wetlands.
Showcase for architecture
Diverse architecture is what Dusseldorf's media harbor is all about. This exceptional building complex was designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry. Rail tracks, wharf walls and cranes remain from the ancient trading port. Today it is a protected monument.
Adventures in an industrial wasteland
Duisburg's Landschaftspark lies on the site of a former ironworks just north of the city. Today it is a public park that feels like a museum. Here visitors can go climbing on the blast furnace, or taking diving courses in the Gasometer.
Rollercoaster ride
The former mining waste tips are particularly suitable for art installations. One of the latest exhibits is "Tiger & Turtle - Magic Mountain" just south of Duisburg. The Hamburg-based artist duo Heike Mutter and Ulrich Genth created a unique rollercoaster that visitors can actually walk on.
Camping on the Lower Rhine
Down the Rhine at Wesel, you'll find Grav Island which is surrounded by water, floodplains and meadows. Carthusian monks lived here in the 15th and 16th centuries, and today the island offers campers a retreat right on the river. It is open from April to October.
Romans on the Lower Rhine
The Romans also had their harbors along the Rhine, leaving behind numerous imposing structures like these. The reconstructed Roman Harbor Temple can be seen in Xanten, one of the largest archaeological open air museums in the world. The public have been able to follow in the footsteps of the Romans here since the park was created in 1988.
Carousel in the cooling tower
The nuclear power plant in Kalkar never went online. In 1995 the site was instead converted into an amusement park, Wunderland Kalkar. Among the highlights is Adventure Plaza, where visitors can drive go-carts. There’s also a rollercoaster, ferris wheel and a spectacular swing ride in the cooling tower.
Understanding ships
The Rhine Museum in Emmerich is the largest maritime museum on the Lower Rhine. It features exhibits on life, work, and, most significantly, electricity in Germany. It also has more than 150 model ships on display, ranging from a dugout to a pushed convoy.
Strolling along the river bank
Like many towns on the Rhine, Emmerich has rediscovered and redesigned the banks of the river. The Rhine promenade was completed in 2007 and is the perfect place for a stroll. It has a beautiful view of the longest suspension bridge in Germany, and up to 500 ships travel past every day.