Tourism
Krefeld - a city presents itself
Krefeld, also known as Crefeld until 1929, is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located southwest of the Ruhr area, its center just a few kilometers to the west of the River Rhine; the borough of Uerdingen is situated directly on the Rhine. Krefeld is accessed by the autobahns A57 (Cologne - Nijmegen) and the A44 (Aachen - Duesseldorf - Dortmund - Kassel)
The boundary of the City of Krefeld is 66.6 kilometers long. The area of the city, which has a population of around 240,000, is 13,774 hectares. In addition to Huelser Berg, which is 63 meters high, and the Kapuzinerberg, which reaches a height of 77 meters, the highest point of the city at 87 meters is Inrather Berg. But anyone wishing to have a magnificent view over the City of Krefeld from the dizzy height of 107 meters should climb the viewing tower on Huelser Berg. On a clear day the breathtaking view reaches far across the Lower Rhine and the Ruhr Area! From noth to south the city is 13.3 kilometers and from east to west 15.9 kilometers. Krefeld also has a road network of 808.5 kilometers in length.
Krefeld is also called the "Velvet and Silk City".
Velvet and Silk from Krefeld – the shimmering reflections of these exquisite materials have cast their light for more than 300 years over the old city on the Lower Rhine. Velvet and silk have always been held in high regards by Krefeld’s citizens, and when the silk barons forged connections all over the world the wealth and reputation of the city grew extensively.
History
The origins of the town were in Roman times, when the legions founded the military camp of Gelduba (today the borough of Gellep). Krefeld itself was first mentioned in 1105 under the name of Krinvelde. Uerdingen was originally an independent town east of Krefeld, founded in 1255. In medieval times it was larger and more important than Krefeld.
The growth of the town began in the 17th century, when Krefeld was one of few towns spared the horrors of the Thirty Years' War. Because the town was quickly overpopulated, in 1683 a group of thirteen families (Mennonites) left Krefeld, crossed the Atlantic and founded the settlement of Germantown (now incorporated in Philadelphia). The town of Uerdingen was less fortunate; it was completely destroyed in the Thirty Years' War by troops from Hesse and almost ceased to exist.
After the 1702 death of William III of Orange, Krefeld passed to the Kingdom of Prussia. The Battle of Krefeld occurred nearby in 1758 during the Seven Years' War. Krefeld and Uerdingen were included within the Prussian Province of Juelich-Cleves-Berg in 1815 (after 1822 the Rhine Province. In 1872 Krefeld became an independent city within Rhenish Prussia. In 1929 Krefeld and Uerdingen merged to form Krefeld-Uerdingen; in 1940 the name was shortened to simply Krefeld. The town became part of the new state of North Rhine-Westphalia after World War II.
Internet: http://www.krefeld.de
| Tourist-Information | |
| Schwanenmarkt | Phone: +49 21 51 86 15 15 |
| City-Center | Fax: +49 21 51 86 15 20 |
| Hochstraße 114 | mail: freizeit@krefeld.de |
| 47798 Krefeld | Internet: http://www.krefeld.de |
| Mo to Fr from 9:30 am to 7:00 pm | |
| Sat 9:30 am to 4:00 pm |
Offer Krefeld ZOO during the WUSV 2009
In collaboration with the Zoo Krefeld visitors will get a 20% discount on admission to the zoo during the WUSV Championships.
The Zoo Krefeld also offers a night tour for 50 persons. The ticket will cost 15 Euros per person.
www.zookrefeld.de
