Historical highlights or graffiti eye-catchers, living room atmosphere or party mood, Prussian splendour or half-timbered houses by the river: In the larger and smaller cities of North Rhine-Westphalia, there are streets that we can't just walk through. With their very individual characteristics, they have captured our hearts - so much so that we would like to stay forever.
Tip 1: Düsseldorf, LorettostraßeCelebrating festivals together
This street forms the heart of the Loretto neighbourhood of the same name in the south of Düsseldorf, which beats faster on various occasions: The people who live and work here regularly organise street parties and concerts - even digitally during the coronavirus pandemic - and decorate their street with colourful flags or lights, depending on the season. Whether family, creatives or people from the catering trade: there is a warm sense of togetherness here and visitors also feel immediately welcome in the Loretto community. Incidentally, it's worth taking a break on the pavement during a stroll: if you let your gaze wander and prick up your ears, you might spot and hear one of the green parakeets that have made their home in the town on the Rhine for years.
www.duesseldorf-tourismus.de
Tip 2: Ruhrstraße, EssenHalf-timbered house by the river
Half-timbered houses with black beams, white walls and grey slate roofs line Ruhrstraße in Essen-Kettwig, which lives up to its name and runs parallel to the Ruhr for quite some distance. On its way through Kettwig's old town, it passes galleries and boutiques, medieval half-timbered buildings, churches and the Tuchmacherplatz square with its fountain and church steps. The steps represent a historic escape route: They once formed one of the four fire lanes between the Ruhr and Oberdorf. The houses on the church steps are among the oldest medieval buildings in the town. There are more works of art from the 20th and 21st centuries to discover during your stroll, thanks to the Kettwig Sculpture Park, which is growing into an ever larger open-air gallery on the outskirts of Essen.
www.kettwig.eu
Tip 3: Merowingerstraße, CologneHospitality with retro charm
This street in Cologne's Südstadt district is perfect for a shopping spree during the day with stops at small boutiques, an ice cream parlour, cafés or the Eier- und Käsekönig, while in the evening various restaurants and pubs invite you to stop for a bite to eat. If you get lost here, you can spend the night right in the street. The small "Hotel am Chlodwigplatz" offers personalised hospitality with retro charm. The owner families themselves come from the Veedel, as the people of Cologne call the neighbourhoods, and have lovingly renovated the listed building. Breakfast, coffee and homemade cakes are served in the in-house café bar "Armer Ritter". A detour to Chlodwigplatz, where Merowinger Straße begins, is also worthwhile: here stands the Severinstorburg, once a gate of the medieval city wall of Cologne and still well preserved today.
koeln.mitvergnuegen.com
Tip 4: Waldhausener Straße, MönchengladbachMurals with a living room feel
This street adds a splash of colour to Mönchengladbach's old town: oversized murals adorn many of the facades here. Studios and small shops add extra splashes of colour and sometimes even tones. The Vinyl Garage, for example, a well-stocked non-profit record shop, offers both used records and selected new releases. The Kulturcafé Köntges is more than just a place for coffee and cake, it is a space for social, artistic and cultural projects and events. It is also worth taking a look up between the rows of houses: Retro lampshades hang over the street everywhere. There is something going on here day and night, the street is both a party mile and a living room, depending on the section and time of day.
Tip 5: Krumme Straße, DetmoldLiving museum
In fact, it is not only in the Krumme Straße in Detmold that things are a little "crooked and crooked". This is because lovingly restored half-timbered houses in the Weser Renaissance style are scattered throughout the historic old town of the East Westphalian university town. The artistically decorated gables, bay windows and decorative mouldings with inscriptions and coats of arms make each house unique. But unlike in a museum, there is always something going on in the Krumme Strasse and you are allowed to touch and feel. There are small fashion and gift shops, the stocking box and a hat shop as well as a bookshop called "Kafka & Co". And when the first rays of sunshine appear, the chairs are put out in the cafés and bistros and guests can take a leisurely look at the half-timbered art.
Tip 6: Kaiserstrasse, DortmundChandelier and imperial fountain
Old Art Nouveau buildings, owner-managed shops, cafés and restaurants line Kaiserstraße in Dortmund, which is popular with people of all ages. A meeting point for people from the neighbourhood and guests is the Kaiserbrunnen, which, like some other buildings, is reminiscent of the time of Kaiser Wilhelm. On the steps, everyone can let the sun shine on their noses, enjoy the calming splashing of the water and watch the hustle and bustle on the street. When hunger strikes, restaurants and cafés, such as Café Lotte, which offers coffee, cakes, chandeliers and ceiling paintings, come to the rescue. The products on offer at Pott au Chocolat will melt in your mouth: Handmade chocolates and many other products made from cocoa beans showcase the sweet side of the Ruhr region.
www.kaiserstrasse-do.de
Tip 7: Bismarckstraße, AachenHistoric and hip
Young and hip meets old and dignified here: student life, cafés and pubs blend in wonderfully with listed old buildings, myths and legends in the Frankenberg neighbourhood. Even if Bismarckstraße doesn't have as much to offer in all sections, the first half is so full of beautiful highlights that it has captured our hearts. Take Frankenberg Castle, for example, which sits slightly elevated in a park with a playground above the street and now serves as a civic and cultural centre. Especially when the weather is nice, a wide variety of people meet here to play, picnic, chat and relax - and often have an ice cream from the Öcher Eis-Treff in their hands, another highlight of this street. Just a few steps away from the park, the ice cream parlour offers a deliberately small but exquisite range with classics and surprises, such as tomato ice cream with a hint of basil. The flower decorations, which are sometimes attached to the lampposts, are small but very eye-catching.
Tip 8: Ost- & Weststraße, SchmallenbergPrussian splendour
The old town centre of Schmallenberg is a prime example of Prussian planning: after a town fire in 1822, the town in the Sauerland region was built symmetrically in strict accordance with classicist rules, with two parallel streets connected by cross streets. To this day, the parallel East and West Streets are not only the framework, but also the heart of the town: This is where locals and visitors go for an extended stroll through the town against a backdrop of historic half-timbered houses. In addition to a large selection of owner-managed shops, cafés and restaurants, hotels here also offer a bed for the night.
www.schmallenberger-sauerland.de
