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Matthias Groeneveld

Rails & Tales

Travelling by train equals being late, being crowded, missing connections, or, in a better case: having time to read in peace and listening to music, watching the scenery pass by the window, dreaming and properly enjoying the anticipation of one’s (next) destination. Next stop: North Rhine-Westphalia. Discover some railway lines that will surprise you and join us on a tour across the state that leads as high up as it does deep down. Parts of it will lead along or right into the heart of the wilderness. All of these tours share one common denominator: they’re worth going on.

Every stop a story.

Our railway tours at a glance

  • Bridge at the Bochum Dahlhausen Railway Museum.
    RuhrtalRadweg, Stratmann, Bridge at the Bochum Dahlhausen Railway Museum.

    Up high & down low

    By train from the Ruhr region to the Sauerland. A tour with highs and lows.
    Take me on this tour!
  • Minster at sunrise
    Johannes Höhn, Minster at sunrise

    And action!

    On a film tour by train - from Duisburg to Münster.
    Take me on this tour!
  • Düsseldorf Tourismus

    Tour of the future

    On the road from Rhine city to Rhine city. Düsseldorf, Cologne and Bonn.
    Take me on this tour!
  • Rothaarsteig wooden footbridge
    Tourismus NRW e.V., Rothaarsteig wooden footbridge

    The journey is what matters

    "The journey is the reward" - sometimes a cliché, sometimes not.
    Take me on this tour!
  • Museum Ludwig, Außenansicht bei Tag

    A treasure hunt on the art express

    With the RE 1 to the most important collections in NRW.
    Take me on this tour!
  • Urft Dam, Eifel National Park
    Urfttalsperre, Nationalpark Eifel, Urft Dam, Eifel National Park

    Setting out into the wilderness!

    By train to the Eifel National Park.
    Take me on this tour!
  • Marta Herford Museum for Art, Architecture and Design in the Teutoburg Forest
    c, Marta Herford Museum for Art, Architecture and Design in the Teutoburg Forest

    Façade tour

    On the road in the Teuto region: Paderborn, Höxter, Detmold, Lemgo, Bad Salzuflen and Herford.
    Take me on this tour!
  • Half-timbered house, Bergisches Land
    Tourismus NRW e.V., Half-timbered house, Bergisches Land

    Half-timbered houses, forests, hiking

    Just a moment ago I was in Cologne, now I’m in a hiker's paradise.
    Take me on this tour!
  • Staudamm an der Lingesetalsperre
    Leo Thomas, Tourismus NRW e.V., Staudamm an der Lingesetalsperre

    Short tours

    Rail travel with a difference - five special railway experiences in North Rhine-Westphalia.
    Take me on this tour!
  • Cyclists in front of the walls of the Xanten Archaeological Park
    Dominik Ketz, Tourismus NRW e.V., Cyclists in front of the walls of the Xanten Archaeological Park

    Following the Romans

    Time travel by train and two-wheeler
    Take me on this tour!
  • Nordkirchen Castle & Venus Island
    Johannes Höhn, Tourismus NRW e.V., Nordkirchen Castle & Venus Island

    From castle to castle

    A journey through fairytale land - from the Rhineland to Münsterland.
    Take me on this tour!

How to travel by trainOur advice for your railway experience in NRW.

  • How, where, and when do we leave? Plan your journey with mobil.nrw. If you only have a short distance to travel, the "eezy.nrw" online ticket will only charge you for the linear kilometres actually travelled. It allows you to save plenty of money.
  • An overview of roadworks or cancellations and their respective durations can be found on the website zuginfo.nrw.
  • Better safe than sorry, in particular where taking drinks along is concerned as trains grow quite hot in summer. A small snack won't do any harm either.
  • Are you looking for pretty vistas? Check Google Maps before setting out to see how the route’s layout and figure out the side on which the hidden highlights can be seen.
  • An often-repeated piece of advice that is truly important is: avoid the peak times such as the start of the weekend or after-work traffic if you are looking for a relaxed trip.