Question 1

Is Düsseldorf or Cologne the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia?

Accepted Answer

Düsseldorf is the capital, even though Cologne is nearly twice its size. The British military government chose Düsseldorf when it created the state in 1946: Cologne's centre was around 90 per cent destroyed against roughly 40 per cent of Düsseldorf's, and Düsseldorf sat closer to the Ruhr industry the new state was built around. Cologne still regards this as an injustice.

Question 2

What are the biggest cities in North Rhine-Westphalia?

Accepted Answer

Cologne is the largest at around 1.1 million, Germany's fourth-biggest city, with Düsseldorf next at roughly 620,000. Then come the Ruhr cities — Dortmund and Essen at about 585,000 each, then Duisburg and Bochum — followed by Wuppertal, Bielefeld, Bonn and Münster. No other German state has this many large cities packed so close together.

Question 3

What is the Ruhr area, and why does it feel like one giant city?

Accepted Answer

Because it nearly is one. Around 5.1 million people live across roughly 4,435 sq km, and the towns grew outward into each other during the coal and steel boom without ever merging — so it is polycentric, with no single downtown. Essen, Dortmund, Duisburg and Bochum each keep their own council, their own football club and their own fierce local identity.

Question 4

When is the best time to visit North Rhine-Westphalia?

Accepted Answer

May to September for the Rhine promenades, parks and beer gardens. But the fixed point in the calendar is Carnival in February, when Weiberfastnacht and the Rose Monday parades take over Cologne and Düsseldorf. December is the other high season, with some of Germany's biggest Christmas markets in Cologne, Dortmund, Essen and Aachen.

Question 5

How is the state organised administratively?

Accepted Answer

Into five government regions — Düsseldorf, Köln, Münster, Arnsberg and Detmold — which subdivide into 31 rural districts and 23 independent cities. The older split matters more to locals than the paperwork does: the Catholic, carnival-mad Rhineland in the west and south, and the more reserved, Protestant-rooted Westphalia in the east and north.

Question 6

Is Cologne Cathedral worth the crowds?

Accepted Answer

It is Germany's most visited landmark at roughly six million people a year, and it stands directly outside the main station, so you will see it regardless. Construction began in 1248, stalled around 1560 and only finished in 1880 — 632 years — and its twin spires reach 157 metres. UNESCO listed it in 1996. The south tower climb is a long spiral staircase and worth it on a clear day.

Question 7

What UNESCO World Heritage Sites are in North Rhine-Westphalia?

Accepted Answer

Six, more than any other German state. Aachen Cathedral, Charlemagne's chapel, was listed in 1978 as Germany's very first World Heritage Site. Then the Brühl palaces of Augustusburg and Falkenlust, Cologne Cathedral, the Zollverein coal mine in Essen, the Carolingian westwork at Corvey, and the Lower German Limes along the Rhine.

Question 8

Is Zollverein actually worth visiting?

Accepted Answer

Yes — it is the single best place to understand the Ruhr. Once the biggest coal mine in Europe, it closed in 1986, and its Shaft XII was built to Bauhaus-influenced designs, all stark red steel frames, which earned it the nickname of the most beautiful coal mine in the world. UNESCO listed it in 2001, and it now houses the Ruhr Museum and the Red Dot Design Museum.

Question 9

What is the Kölsch versus Altbier rivalry about?

Accepted Answer

It is the friendliest expression of the Cologne-Düsseldorf feud, which folklore traces to the Battle of Worringen in 1288. Kölsch is Cologne's pale, crisp, top-fermented beer, brewable only in and around the city under a 1986 convention; Düsseldorf's Altbier is darker and maltier. Order either in the wrong city at your own risk.

Question 10

How does ordering beer work in a Cologne brewery pub?

Accepted Answer

You do not really order after the first one. Kölsch comes in a 200 ml glass called a Stange, carried around by a waiter known as a Köbes on a circular tray holding eleven or twelve at a time. He swaps each empty glass for a full one and pencils a tally on your beer mat. When you have had enough, put the beer mat on top of the glass — otherwise they keep coming.

Question 11

How do Cologne and Düsseldorf Carnival differ?

Accepted Answer

Cologne shouts Alaaf, Düsseldorf shouts Helau, and neither concedes the other is doing it properly. Cologne runs the bigger folk festival, with hundreds of carnival associations and Germany's largest Rose Monday parade, while Düsseldorf leans harder into sharp political satire on its floats. Street carnival starts at 11.11am on Weiberfastnacht in both cities.

Question 12

Which regional transport ticket should I buy in NRW?

Accepted Answer

For a full day of unlimited travel across the whole state, the 24hTicket NRW — renamed from the SchönerTagTicket NRW in January 2026 — costs 39.80 euros for one person or 59.80 euros for up to five, valid from 9am. It covers buses, trams, U-Bahn, S-Bahn and regional trains statewide. For a longer stay the Deutschlandticket at 63 euros a month covers all of that plus the rest of Germany.

Question 13

Do I need a car in the Ruhr?

Accepted Answer

No, and you are better off without one. The Rhine-Ruhr transport association serves 7.8 million people across 16 cities and 7 districts with one of Europe's densest regional networks, and city-to-city hops are often only 10 to 20 minutes by S-Bahn. Driving means the A40 and A42, among the most congested motorways in Germany, plus scarce and expensive city-centre parking.

Question 14

What should I eat in North Rhine-Westphalia?

Accepted Answer

In the Ruhr, a Currywurst from a roadside Imbiss with Pommes Schranke alongside — chips with both ketchup and mayonnaise, named for the red and white of a railway crossing barrier. In the Rhineland, order a Halve Hahn, which is a rye roll with aged Gouda, mustard and onion rather than the half chicken the name promises. Westphalia is ham and dark Pumpernickel country.

Question 15

Why does Düsseldorf have such a large Japanese community?

Accepted Answer

Around 15,000 Japanese residents live in and around Düsseldorf — Germany's largest Japanese community and one of Europe's biggest — built up around hundreds of Japanese companies with European bases in the city. The visible result is Little Tokyo, a dense run of ramen bars, bakeries and bookshops around Immermannstrasse by the main station.

Question 16

Is Bonn still a capital of anything?

Accepted Answer

Bonn was the capital of West Germany from 1949 until reunification, and it kept the title Bundesstadt, federal city, when the government moved to Berlin. Several federal ministries still have their main offices there, alongside a cluster of United Nations agencies. For visitors it is a relaxed Rhine-side university town with Beethoven's birthplace and a strong run of museums.

Question 17

What is the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia?

Accepted Answer

Düsseldorf is the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Question 18

How many cities in North Rhine-Westphalia does lodomap cover?

Accepted Answer

lodomap currently covers 7 cities and towns in North Rhine-Westphalia, including Aachen, Bonn, Cologne. See the full list in the Cities & Towns sidebar.

Question 19

What is North Rhine-Westphalia known for?

Accepted Answer

North Rhine-Westphalia is known as Germany's most populous state and its industrial heart: Cologne Cathedral, the polycentric Ruhr with its UNESCO coal mine, Rhineland Carnival, and the long-running Düsseldorf-versus-Cologne feud over which city — and which beer — comes first.

Question 20

What is the national capital of Germany?

Accepted Answer

Berlin is the national capital of Germany.

North Rhine-Westphalia

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