North Rhine-Westphalia is a large and very populous region along the French border. It is one of the most important German industrial districts, in which there are also many historic cities.
North Rhine-Westphalia has been one of Europe's leading industrial centers since the 18th century. To this day, a lot of factories and concerns operate here, and the old, already closed factories are open to tourists. The most important of them is the UNESCO industrial complex of the Zollverein mine in Essen. The state capital, Dusseldorf, also has an industrial character.
However, this does not mean that there are no interesting facilities for tourists in the region. On the contrary. This is where the most visited monument of Germany is located - the monumental cathedral in Cologne. The city also boasts many interesting museums and art centers.
The nearby Bonn, which was the capital of Germany during the division of Germany after World War II, is a place associated with Ludwik van Beethoven. There is a museum dedicated to him, and the city itself has preserved its 18th-19th century climate.
One of the most important monuments of the Rhineland is the Aachen cathedral, a UNESCO site, of which part, the palace chapel is one of the few examples of Carolingian architecture.
