Travel and Leisure in Duisburg

Duisburg is a city in western Germany which is very important for the economy of the country. Along the centuries, in this area, people exploited the land's natural resources, and mined coal, iron, copper and other metals. Today, Duisburg produces almost 50% of Germany's hot metal and more than a third of Germany's pig-iron. Using pig iron and other metals, the factories in the city produce large quantities of steel, and they've been doing this for a long time now. In the second World War, Duisburg played a very important role in the country's war machine production. They also had a coal mine, but it's been closed in August 2009.

Of course, tourists will not go to Duisburg to see the factories, unless they really like the "How it's made" show on the Discovery Channel. They will, however, go there to experience life in Duisburg from other points of view. And the city offers plenty of activities to satisfy everybody.

First stop, the Zoo. An excellent place for animal lovers. They keep many animals there, in perfect living conditions and excellent simulated habitats. The Zoo was designed in such a way to induce a visitor the feeling that they are really walking into the wild. Wide spaces, very few cages, lots of light, lots of different types of vegetation, each setting being an excellent substitute for the natural living environment for particular types of animals.

Duisburg also offers the opportunity to visit the largest inland port in the world. Experience the Inner Harbor from one of the numerous pubs, cafes or bars, or explore it from the water on an interesting harbor cruise. Whether you are a fan of sports, culture, food or drink, you will not get bored at the Inner Harbor. Walking, jogging, cultural events, excellent dining, nice views - the Inner Harbor has been, for a long while now, the heart of Duisburg's social and sporting activities.

Another attraction is the Wedau Water World, a place of fun, sun and leisure. Built with the idea to make people feel good no matter what their age is, the Wedau Water World gets you with big water slides, high-rope balance activities, boat rides, canoe rides and more.

Interesting architecture and buildings in Duisburg include: the bridge between the districts Duissern and Meiderich. Built in 1907, this bridge is a testament of German work discipline and precision planning. Then, we have the Alte Post, a representative building of yellow brick and contrasting red sandstone, the building is the old post office, located near the Town Hall. The third architectural point of interest is the Dreigiebelhaus, a historic jewel, the oldest surviving house in Duisburg (raised in 1536). Finally, we arrive at the picturesque mills of Duisburg, which are very cute. There are 8 mills in total, 6 of which are historical, made of red bricks and showing a design you only saw in Hollywood motion pictures with Frankenstein or Dracula.

Nobody has ever felt sorry for going to Duisburg for the holidays, so, if you too decide to choose this destination, don't worry, there are 0 chances to regret it.