Tourist’s guide to Duisburg, a city of abandoned factories

Duisburg, Germany is a city with a rich history and developed industry. Unlike other German cities, dozens of old factories and factories were not demolished here, but made them the main attractions of the region.

Duisburg, Germany

General information

Duisburg is a city in western Germany near Düsseldorf. It covers an area of ​​232.8 km². The population is 494 thousand people (constantly decreasing).

The city is located at the confluence of the Rhine and Ruhr, and here is one of Germany’s largest river ports. It is interesting that the Russian name of the city is fully consistent with German: “Dui” means that strong winds constantly blow in Duisburg, and “burg” from German translates as “fortress”.

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Evening Duisburg

The first information about the city dates back to the 5th century, when Duisburg became the capital of the Franks. In the X century, an imperial residence was built here, and around 1000, a strong economic crisis began in the city due to the fact that the Rhine channel shifted to the west. After the city was part of the Hanseatic League (the first economic union of Europe), and in 1655 a university was established here.

sights

Duisburg is rather an industrial city, and despite the fact that it was founded back in the 5th century, there are not many sights here.

Park Landschaftspark
Park Landschaftspark

Landschaftspark is a city park located in Germany. The authorities thought for a long time how to attract tourists to the city, and in 1991 it was decided to create a park on the site of the former industrial zone. The old factory chimneys, factory premises and warehouses have not disappeared – they still stand here, but many trees were planted in the park, flowerbeds were laid out and safe walkways for tourists were built.

Interestingly, until today, the sign “Caution!” Hangs at the entrance to the attraction, which means that people come here at their own peril and risk.

Flowerbed at Landschaftspark

The only thing that still works on the territory of the park is a biological station where employees study plants. They adapted the former factory buildings for flower beds, and the plant with a blast furnace now serves as an observation deck.

The territory of the park is very large, so it is better to come here by bicycle for a few hours – it certainly will not be boring.

Also on the territory of the attraction there is a playground and several ponds with clean water, in which ducks and swans live.

All in all, Landschaftspark is a great example of how you can give a second life to old plants and factories.

  • Address: Emscherstr. 71, 47137 Duisburg, Germany.
  • Official website: https://landschaftspark.de
Tiger and Turtle – Magic Mountain
Tiger and Turtle - Magic Mountain

The tiger and the tortoise on the Magic Mountain are not the symbols of the city and the inhabitants of the zoo not even loved by the townspeople. It’s like two old roller coasters on which high-speed wagons no longer ride. They are designed for walking.

For 8 weeks, 2 German sculptors assembled this bulky design. They even made a “dead loop”, but you won’t be able to get on it. The height of the attraction is 200 meters.

Tourists often come to this attraction in order to admire the views that open from this attraction to Duisburg. In the evening, the attraction is highlighted.

By cons, travelers include an inconvenient location (the northern part of the city) and too many tourists.

Address: Duisburg-Angerhausen, Duisburg, Germany.

Sechs-Seen-Platte Duisburg Park
Sechs-Seen-Platte Park

Sechs-Seen-Platte Duisburg Park is one of the most popular holiday destinations among citizens and tourists. The park has 6 picturesque lakes (these are former construction careers, now absolutely safe), which are surrounded by a pine forest. At Sechs-Seen-Platte Duisburg you can:

  • sunbathe on the beach (there are more than 10 beach areas);
  • climb Mount Wolfsberg (there is an observation deck);
  • Sailing (every day, regardless of the weather, instructors are ready to teach tourists how to sail)
  • play beach volleyball or basketball on the court;
  • take a walk (along the lakes and in the forest special paths for tourists are laid);
  • have a picnic (it is allowed to bring barbecue to the park);
  • ride a bike (there are special bike trails).

Please note that 2 out of 6 lakes are not allowed. You can find out about this from the warning signs and the fence with which these places are fenced.

Address: Kalkweg 262, city of Duisburg.

Duisburg Inner Harbor (Innenhafen Duisburg)
Inner harbor

Inner Harbor – one of the most expensive areas of Duisburg, built on the site of the old port. A number of industrial facilities have been preserved, so many tourists are ambiguous about this place. Nevertheless, now in the Inner Harbor many cafes and restaurants are open, there are shops and places for recreation.

Tourists note that in this area it is very convenient to play sports: wide roads allow you to ride a bike or just run in the morning.

Where to find: Am Innenhafen, Duisburg, Germany.

Church of the Savior (Salvatorkirche)
Church of the Savior

The Savior Church in Duisburg is the main Christian church in the city. It was built in 893, and the cathedral acquired its modern appearance in 1847. It is located near the city hall. The building was built in the Gothic style with baroque elements.

Inside the attraction there is a wooden organ, in the windows there are bright stained-glass windows. The vaults of the church are ivory.

You can visit the temple at any time (except for those hours when services are held here) and examine the interior.

  • Attraction address: Burgplatz 19, 47051 Duisburg.
  • Opening hours: 9.00 – 18.00.

Where to stay

Hotel in Duisburg

There are about 40 accommodation options in the German city of Duisburg, so reservations must be made in advance (at least 2 months in advance). Most hotels are 3 *.

The average hotel room 3 * per night for two in the high season will cost 90-110 euros. This price includes a good breakfast (whether European or American), free parking, free Wi-Fi in the room and all necessary appliances. Most rooms are adapted for guests with reduced mobility. There are no 5 * hotels in the city.

Apartments will cost much cheaper. So, an apartment with a good repair in the center for two will cost 35-40 euros per day.

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Transport links (Dusseldorf, Dortmund, Cologne)

The largest city closest to Duisburg is Düsseldorf, 28 km away. Dortmund and Duisburg are 50 km away, while the distance between Cologne and Duisburg is 56 km. Nearest major airports:

Dortmund Airport
Dortmund Airport
  • Essen Airport – Essen, Germany (16 km);
  • Dusseldorf Airport – Dusseldorf, Germany (20 km);
  • Airport Weeze (Dusseldorf) – Kefeler, Germany (54 km);
  • Dortmund Airport – Dortmund, Germany (72 km).

Getting to Duisburg is not difficult. This can be done by train, bus or taxi.

From Dusseldorf:
  • By train. You need to catch the Ice train at Düsseldorf Hbf station and get to Duisburg Hbf. Travel time is 15 minutes. The cost is 6 euros. Trains run every hour.
  • By bus. Take the bus at the Düsseldorf Hbf stop and get to Duisburg Hbf. Travel time is 1.5 hours, as the bus travels through Dortmund. The cost is 20 euros. Buses run 3 times a day on this route.
  • By taxi. Travel time is 18 minutes. Cost – 50-70 euros.
From Dortmund:
Eurolines Bus
  • By train. You need to take the Re6 train at Dortmund Hbf station. Get off at Duisburg Hbf. Travel time is 40 minutes. The cost is 18 euros. Trains run every 2 hours.
  • By bus (carrier – Eurolines). Take the bus at the Dortmund stop and get to Duisburg. Travel time is 1 hour. The cost is 15 euros. Drive 3 times a day.
  • By taxi. Travel time is 40 minutes. Cost – 130-150 euros.
From Cologne:
  • By train. You need to catch the train at the Köln Hbf station and get off at Duisburg Hbf. Travel time is 35 minutes. The cost is 22 euros. Trains run every 3-4 hours.
  • By bus (carrier – Eurolines). Take the bus at the Köln ZOB stop and get off at Duisburg ZOB. Travel time is 1 hour 10 minutes. The cost is 30-35 euros. Buses on this route run 2 times a day.
  • By taxi. Travel time is 45 minutes. Cost – 140-160 euros.

It’s more convenient to buy train tickets in the main railway stations of cities. A bus ticket is best purchased through the Internet, on the official website of the carrier: www.eurolines.eu. There is news on the site, you can buy a ticket at a significant discount.

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Interesting Facts

Football club emblem
The emblem of the local football club
  1. The most famous person who ever lived in Duisburg is Peter, who was the first chronicler of the Teutonic Order.
  2. Most Duisburg residents have Turkish roots – they are the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of workers who once came to Germany in search of a better life.
  3. The city of Duisburg has its own football club of the same name.
  4. Duisburg houses the largest mosque in Germany.

Duisburg, Germany is an interesting and informal vacation spot that will appeal to active and loving tourists.

Walk around the city and visit the Landschaftspark:



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