Hotels in North Rhine-Westphalia

With green forests, fairy-tale castles and buzzing cities brimming with culture, North Rhine-Westphalia is a popular place to visit. Located in the west of the country, the state is home to several of Germany’s most globally important cities, such as Dusseldorf and Cologne. But while it’s famous as a giant in the world of commerce and industry, ‘NRW’ as it’s sometimes referred to is also a major draw for tourists, boasting over a thousand museums, the beautiful Teutoburg Forest and six stunning UNESCO World Heritage Sites to explore.

Whether you’re visiting North Rhine-Westphalia for business or pleasure, you can look forward to warm welcomes and great-value rooms with free Wi-Fi at any of our Premier Inn North Rhine-Westphalian hotels. 

If you’re keen to see German states outside of North Rhine-Westphalia, then why not visit Baden-Wurttemberg, home to the stunning Black Forest? Bavaria is another great destination, with its picture-postcard castles and mountainous landscapes, or there’s Saxony, which is a great spot for outdoor activities like hiking and skiing. But wherever you chose to explore, you’ll find one of our German Premier Inn hotels ready and waiting for you between adventures.

Residents of NRW are understandably proud of their region’s industrial heritage and do a great deal to keep this history alive by transforming former sites into monuments. A great place to see this in action is in the city of Essen. Essen is home to the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex, awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 2001. Although the mine closed in 1986, it has since been transformed into a prime destination for art and culture, attracting more than two million visitors a year.

Among North Rhine-Westphalia’s many museums are two that are perfect for kids big and small – and they’re right next door to each other  in the city of Cologne! There’s the Deutsches Sport & Olympia Museum (German Sports and Olympic Museum) – from climbing and running to boxing and jumping, there’s so much for children to do, learn and explore here. Afterwards, families can head to the Imhoff-Schokoladenmuseum (The Chocolate Museum Cologne) to explore the 5,000-year history of cocoa and sample some treats.

Just outside of Dusseldorf is the impressive, moated castle of Schloss Dyck with beautiful rooms that are open to the public. In 1999, Schloss Dyck became an international centre for landscape design, and its themed gardens, wooded paths and meadows with an old tree population are well worth a visit. There’s also a high-rope course for climbing fans, an adventure playground, seasonal markets and the Illumina festival that bathes the castle park in magical light at dusk.

North Rhine-Westphalia is a great place to do business as it plays such a leading role in the German national economy. The country’s most important mining and energy-producing area runs right through the middle of the state. Many globally important trade fairs take place in Dusseldorf and Cologne, and both commercially-important cities contain many of Germany's largest corporations and world-renowned factories. But don’t worry, it’s not all work and no play here – if you’re visiting with the kids, you’ll find plenty of family-friendly attractions too! 

The state is in western Germany and bordered by Lower Saxony and Hesse, and by the countries of Belgium and the Netherlands.

For many, the region is synonymous with spicy Currywurst sausage, and one of the most popular places to try them is a small snack bar in Wanne-Eickel in the city of Herne, about 20km from Essen. Called simply Die Currywurst, it serves them with ten different levels of spice, and you can even try a sweet version with cinnamon and sugar afterwards.

Dusseldorf is home to one of Germany's largest airports, with connections to all major European cities. In Cologne, you’ll find Cologne-Bonn Airport with great domestic and European connections. There’s also Dortmund Airport which is mostly used by low-fare airlines.

There’s Dusseldorf, the state capital. Dortmund is the biggest city of the Ruhr district, while Cologne is the fourth largest city in Germany. Other famous state landmarks include Aachen, the spa and university town; Bonn which was once the seat of government and de facto capital of West Germany; and Essen, once a booming industrial site and now a cultural hotspot. Duisburg has the world's biggest inland harbour; Münster is a historic, bike-friendly city, while Wuppertal is famous for its vintage suspended monorail (Schwebebahn) over the river Wupper.