Tourismus NRW e.V.
Düsseldorf Airport, located in the heart of North Rhine-Westphalia is the ideal starting point for adventures, discoveries and road trips. For convenience, hire a rental car from the airport and you’re on your way through the region’s pretty historical towns and cities.
Tourismus NRW e.V.
Düsseldorf Airport to Bedburg-Altkaster
31 miles
First stop: Bedburg Alt-Kaster.
Good to know: Bedburg and its historic district of Alt-Kaster, is also known as the „castle town on the Erft“, due to its picturesque setting. The city’s annual Nikolausmarkt, is particularly special, when residents even open up their homes and gardens and offer visitors hand-made products to try!
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Bedburg Alt-Kaster to Monschau
52 miles
From the historic district of Bedburg head to charming Monschau; this scenic journey takes just under an hour. Monschau has a very special atmosphere; it’s just the sort of spot to enjoy a coffee at one of its many special cafes and let the world go by.
Good to know: A typical feature of this picturesque town, set within the Eifel National Park region and the rocky Rur valley, are the beech hedges. Some are as high as the houses and were planted by residents planted generations to protect their homes against wind and rain. On a guided tour, visitors can walk through unspoilt nature in the Hohes Venn upland moorland, or experience culinary delicacies in a nearby historic mustard mill.
Eifel Tourismus GmbH
Monschau to Bad Münstereifel
34 miles
Your route continues with a one hour drive eastwards; the surrounding countryside of the Eifel National Park is spectacular, as you head onto the pretty, historical spa town of Bad Münstereifel.
Good to know: In this medieval Eifel village, the Erft River wends its way past half-timbered houses and a restored town wall.
Tourismus NRW e.V.
Bad Münstereifel to Freudenberg
112 miles
You’re now heading to the Siegen-Wittgenstein region, with its mountains and valleys. Tip: stop in the charming town of Freudenberg along the way - just 2 hours by car as your next stop.
Good to know: as you drive through the tranquil forests and valleys, you will find traditional, fairy-tale black-and-white half-timbered houses. Clustered close together, they form the „Alter Fleck“ (as Freudenberg residents call their historic old town centre), which has become a very popular photo spot.
Tourismus NRW e.V.
Freudenberg to Xanten to Düsseldorf Airport
151 miles to Xanten | 37 miles to Düsseldorf Airport
Xanten, in the Lower Rhine region, is your last stop on this route, but definitely not least! Good to know: during the Roman era, Xanten was one of the most important metropolitan towns of Rome’s Germanic provinces. Worth a visit is the LVR-Römermuseum, which displays models of Roman landmarks including an amphitheatre and port temple, residential settlements, spas and town walls from the Roman period.
Having now visited six exciting, different destinations, from here it would be time to head back to Düsseldorf airport and your journey home; but this is just a fraction of what North Rhine-Westphalia has to offer, so read on to explore our other themed routes.
