Sightseeing in Wuppertal - what to see. Complete travel guide

Wuppertal is a German city that is located on the territory of North Rheine-Westphalia on the Wupper River that is a tributary to the Rhine River. The city was founded in 1929 in result of merger of 3 towns – Barman, Elberfeld and Brill.

According to the data of 2000, the population of Wuppertal estimates 369 thousand of people.

Wuppertal is known as a large center of textile, chemical, machine building and pharmaceutical industry. This is also a large transportation crossing, an industrial and a trading center of Ruhr.

Architectural style of this city does not have traditional traits of gothic and baroque influences. Lutheranism has had strong positions here and so this fact is reflected in the city’s architecture as well. After many ancient cities Wuppertal looks minimalistic. Even churches here are not distinguished by their elegant design. However, this doesn’t mean there’s absolutely nothing to see in Wuppertal. Here are not many historical sights and places of interest as the majority of them have been destroyed during bombings on World War II. Many buildings were completely burnt during the war as well. During the war times a large concentration camp was organized here. This wasn’t a camp for condemned men, but a place for concentration of labor forces. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

Among the sights of the city we can mention the oldest monorail pendant road in the country. The road is 13.5 kilometers long. Even it was built 110 years ago the road is functioning even now. You can also visit the city’s town hall that has been renovated after the war, Bismarck’s tower, the house of Engels, the local Botanical Garden, and see performances in Opera Theatre.

Among the few remaining historic sites worth highlighting, is the Bayenburg Castle. It is located in an incredibly beautiful natural area, in the valley of the River Wupper. The first mention of this castle dates back to 1336, whereas the exact date of its construction is unknown. For many years, this castle belonged to the noble family of Berg. In the middle of the 13th century it was completely destroyed during the Thirty Years' War. Today, the once majestic castle is reminiscent of only small fragments of the building. Many tourists come here just to take a walk in the picturesque natural area.

There are many unusual museums in the city. One of the most popular is Knipex Museum. This museum is located on the territory of the factory of the same name, which was founded in 1882 and has been working till now. This factory produces working tools: pincers, pliers, wrench, side cutters and many others. Since the foundation of this factory, it belongs to one family. Today members of this family personally conduct tours of the museum. Among its exhibits are the old tools used in production, as well as samples of products from a hundred years ago.

For travelers impartial to art, it will be much more interesting to visit the Von der Heydt Museum. It is located in the heart of the city and occupies the restored building of the old town hall. This museum has a very interesting collection of art works, some of them over 400 years old. The founders of this museum are members of a wealthy family of bankers Von der Heydt. They were the first to donate paintings for the museum from their personal collection. Subsequently, the example of this family was followed by other wealthy citizens. So today, we can say with confidence that the magnificent museum was formed with the support of the locals themselves.

Near the Elsa tower is the most beautiful and popular city park, in which it will be interesting and pleasant to relax at any time of the year. Walking through the park, you can go to the inconspicuous alley that leads to the Botanical Garden. Only a few tourists know about its existence. In this botanical garden is a very interesting collection of exotic plants and flowers, brought from different corners of the world.