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Life is fun in the Niederrhein region

No mountains, no coast, no major metropolis. And yet people still live – very happily – in the Lower Rhine region. For the Lower Rhine region is a unique and diverse cultural landscape which, once you have got to know, touches your heart and creates an everlasting bond. The friendly, sociable, jovial, down-to-earth and yet cosmopolitan brand of people you find in the Lower Rhine region are another major reason why life is fun here.

If the place where you live is a good place to live, you usually enjoy working there too. The good quality of life is one of the key reasons for the Lower Rhine’s appeal and one of the region’s main ‘soft assets’.

Natural surroundings

Meadows, pastures, woods, fields, rivers, lakes – an unspoilt country where people work, recharge their batteries, and can see for miles. Nature and its protection is an integral part of the planning, even in cities in the Lower Rhine region. The people have the beauty of nature right on their doorstep, hence they don’t just want to live off Mother Nature, they also want to live with her and for her.

At the Niederrhein region, the land between two rivers, between the Maas in the West and the Rhine in the East, water has played a key role since time immemorial, beyond its economic function as a transport path and fuel for industry. Water is life, water is nature, water brings vitality to the natural surroundings. Thus, the people there don’t just like taking trips into the green countryside, but also into the blue waters. Even Siberian wild geese are not afraid of the long journey to the banks of the Rhine.

Culture

2,000 years ago the Romans brought civilization to the Niederrhein region. Traces of this Roman past can still be seen today, particularly in Xanten – cathedral city, Roman town and home of Siegfried the dragon-slayer.

The region’s cultural history continues through to the Middle Ages, which gave the Niederrhein region many dearly loved churches, palaces, castles, parks and city center outlines. One million visitors a year come from all over the world to visit the pilgrimage town of Kevelaer alone. Alongside Fatima and Santiago di Compostela, Kevelaer is one of the most significant Christian pilgrimage sites in Europe.

Today history and the present merge into a rich cultural symbiosis which attracts people from near and far. The most popular among the tourist sites are the unique museums like Schloss Moyland in Bedburg-Hau with its Beuys Archive, the Museum Abteiberg in Mönchengladbach and the Museum Island Hombroich with its former missile base and the Langen Foundation at the gates of the city Neuss.

Theater, opera, concerts, cultural festivals – there’s always something happening in the Niederrhein region and something for everybody to enjoy. And if the cultural diversity still isn’t enough for you, you can take the short trip to the nearby Ruhr region with its major cities, Düsseldorf and Cologne.

Sports

Top-level sport has found a good home in the Lower Rhine region with its modern stadiums and halls. Mönchengladbach offers Borussia Bundesliga football and Europe’s biggest hockey arena where the top European and worldwide field hockey athletes can play their championships.

In ice hockey it is Krefeld that has the edge; the Penguins play there in the top league. But there are also warmer sports in Krefeld – on the long-established gallop racetrack in the city forest, for instance.

Amateur and popular sport, whether organized in the countless associations and clubs, or enjoyed by individuals on a more spontaneous basis, whether as a hobby or ambitious competitive sport, can relish in the ideal conditions in the Lower Rhine region. Thanks to the nearby countryside, sport is possible here in all forms: on foot, on wheels or on horseback; with or without a ball; on land, on or in the water, on the ice or in the air; alone, with friends or in a team; inside or outside.

And let’s not forget: The Niederrhein region is home to Europe’s largest integrated network of cycle paths, almost entirely without hills. However, what is an advantage for cyclists is a disadvantage for skiing enthusiasts. Yet the Lower Rhine even has something for them: Alpine sports are available in the indoor skiing slopes hall in Neuss, which is open 365 days a year for skiing and toboggan rides.

Living and life in the Niederrhein region

Town or countryside, right in the heart of it or away from the hustle and bustle? The Niederrhein region caters to all different ways of life. And there are countless other options in between town and country, ensuring there is somewhere to live for everybody, whatever their wishes. In this region you can afford to reside in pleasant surroundings that would be far too expensive in the big cities.

Everything the good life requires is available in the Niederrhein region. Take education, for example: kindergardens, all sorts of private and public schools, even an international school in Neuss, the universities in Kleve, Kamp-Lintfort, Krefeld and Mönchengladbach provide for a rich educational landscape; universities in Aachen, Duisburg, Düsseldorf and Cologne are also nearby.

And what about shopping? The large, cross-regional, attractive shopping streets, especially in Krefeld and Mönchengladbach have something for all keen shoppers; individual, refreshing, small-scale shopping streets in many of the other towns, little towns and the outskirts offer a very different and personal shopping experience; the popular weekly markets with their regional and freshly harvested products really can be found all over the region, rounded off with many fun craft, jumble and other colorful markets as well as specialist stores and superstores. And if that’s not enough, Kö in Düsseldorf or the designer outlet Roermond are just a stone’s throw away.

What about gastronomy? From award-winning haute cuisine to rustic country guesthouses – the Niederrhein caters to every kind of palate. In the last few years a restaurant scene has developed that does not have to shy away from comparison in any aspect - quality, diversity nor flair. The hotel business has also caught up and offers places to spend the night that are such a joy to stay in, it almost seems a pity to go to sleep. The Niederrhein region has become a popular location for bon vivants.

What about transport? An extensive network of Autobahns and main roads in the region take you in all directions; there are rail connections to the national and international ICE network; flying is possible from Düsseldorf, Weeze and Mönchengladbach airport; local transport is closely integrated in all the region’s municipalities.

What about holidays? Since the Lower Rhine region likes to celebrate, the region has invented ways of celebrating all year round. In the summer you have the shooting festivals and fairs, in winter the carnival. Spring and autumn are the high seasons, with festivals, open-air concerts, parties and balls, medieval knights and Roman festivals and other games as well as the largest fashion show in the world (in Krefeld). It’s easy to forget you have to work with all the celebrations going on...