North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia (German: Nordrhein-Westfalen) is the most populous state in Germany, with 18 million inhabitants, located in the west of the country. It consists of two historically independent parts: Nordrhein, the urbanized area across the river Rhine in the southwest, and Westfalen in the northeast, which is quite diverse as it includes both the heavily industrialized and densely populated Ruhr Valley and the very green Teutoburg Forest.
Over North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia (German: Nordrhein-Westfalen) is the most populous state in Germany, with 18 million inhabitants, located in the west of the country. It consists of two historically independent parts: Nordrhein, the urbanized area across the river Rhine in the southwest, and Westfalen in the northeast, which is quite diverse as it includes both the heavily industrialized and densely populated Ruhr Valley and the very green Teutoburg Forest. The region contains several of the most-often visited cities of Germany, both for business and pleasure. Here you can find numerous headquarters of Germany's large and mid-sized corporations, European outposts of Asian and American multinationals, as well as world-renowned factories. Many of the globally important trade fairs take place in Düsseldorf and Cologne; the latter is also a major cultural centre. The beautiful historic city of Bonn was West Germany's capital from 1949 until reunification in 1990; it remained the seat of government until 1999 and still contains many federal institutions, both governmental and cultural. With a large population concentrated within a small area, as well as significant tourist traffic, North Rhine-Westphalia possesses an extensive transportation infrastructure, including three major international airports and a dense railway and motorway network that is comprehensive, though frequently prone to delays and congestion. NRW, as it is commonly abbreviated, also features Germany's first "cycle highway" (Radschnellweg); several sections are already in use, with plans to extend the fully grade-separated route to over 100 km. Accommodation and dining options are widely available throughout the state.