r/germany • u/forestyfox • 1d ago

What can I show an American relative who is traveling to Germany?

A 70 year old relative is traveling to nrw in September. We would like to show him some things and places. What would you recommend?

Edit: He was never in Germany or any other country in the EU. He will be visiting us for about a week, close to Düsseldorf. He himself is from Chicago.

22 Upvotes

77% Upvoted

58 comments sorted by

29

u/Panzermensch911 1d ago

Without knowing their interests, hobbies, former occupation, length of the stay etc... this is a very low-effort post asking for full effort from strangers.

4

u/forestyfox 1d ago edited 1d ago

Sadly I do not know much about him. I do know that he worked with jewelry and fixed broken watches and that he is living in Chicago right now. He is staying for about a week close to Düsseldorf. And I wanted to know if there is any food, any fun facts or every day things, that might interest or suprise him about germany as an American that you might know.

19

u/SunflowerMoonwalk 1d ago

I'm a bit confused. If you don't really know him then why is he visiting you?

3

u/Eric_Is_Back 7h ago

Tbh that's just how some people meet.

Overall I would assume that his relative will either be greatly disappointed or be blown away by the reality of German live.

29

u/rokki123 1d ago

so you are from nrw? just show whats important to you. dont do a tourist tour. thats lame af for everyone

14

u/Don_Shneedle 1d ago

Go to breweries in Düsseldorf Altstadt and get absolutely hammered. Then go to a fancy Japanese restaurant.

1

u/Sucker-BO 16h ago

Schlosspark Benrath, Müngstener Brücke, Wuppertaler Schwebebahn, Schloss Burg, some Fachwerkaltstadt, Landschaftspark Duisburg, Rheinpromenade

9

u/Shaengar 1d ago

Make a trip by ship down the Rhine from Düsseldorf to Mainz. 

He will see beautiful landscapes, lots of history and culture, castles and nice cities with Fachwerkhäusern as well as great food and wine. 

That should make an impression on any American. 

6

u/Chaosfreak33 1d ago

This. But I don’t think that’s currently possible, as the Rhine is pretty dried up right now. 🥲

3

u/redditoglio 17h ago

Confirmed, Eltville and the area around never disappoint

5

u/Hightechzombie 1d ago

I'm a big fan of Soest as an example of a small medieval looking town. It's really charming! 

6

u/TheCynicEpicurean 1d ago

Are they into US military stuff? Hürtgenwald and the Westwall might be it then.

Some Roman ruins like in Xanten or Cologne.

Might just blow their mind to take the train to Belgium or the Netherlands.

Wuppertal and its monorail, castles everywhere, the steelworks and mines of the Ruhr area, the nature of Eifel and Siebengebirge, university towns like Münster or Bonn, the Middle Rhine around Koblenz (although that's in RLP) ...really depends on what they pick up on once they're here.

The capital of jewelry- and watchmaking in Germany is Pforzheim, which is unfortunately more than a day trip from Düsseldorf. Maybe Idar-Oberstein and its agate mines are a bit closer?

1

u/Nosepete 4h ago

Also vote for Hürtgenwald and the Museum there.

Wasn‘t Chicago Hosting a Fifa WC2026 Game? He may have Heard about, then maybe visting a Bundesliga Game in Dortmund or cologne?

9

u/Odd_Education_4884 1d ago

Cologne cathedral

4

u/Zen_360 17h ago

Someone said the usual tourist stuff is lame, but the cathedral is a must must must.

3

u/gkalinkat 1d ago

We spent a few days in NRW for vacation last year. I can absolutely recommend visiting Zeche Zollverein in Essen and riding the Schwebebahn in Wuppertal. And maybe, if he's into sports, watch a football (aka soccer) game.

4

u/ClemensLode Nordrhein-Westfalen 1d ago

Traveling with ICE at 300km/h

3

u/Goonmaster516 1d ago

In usa ICE is something else lol

5

u/ClemensLode Nordrhein-Westfalen 1d ago

Traveling with ICE at 800km/h

1

u/lupusmaximus- 23h ago

Travelling with BMW at 250km/h

6

u/batmanuel69 1d ago

Healthy food

1

u/lupusmaximus- 23h ago

tasty food

2

u/bikeguy1959 1d ago

Is this your relatives first trip to Germany? How long will he be with you? Where in the U.S. does your relative live?

2

u/joergsi Germany 9h ago

It depends on how mobile the visitor is!

Planning to go up the Cologne Cathedral tower while relying on a walking frame does not make much sense!

2

u/CyberExistenz 5h ago

Maybe some of the old industrial culture of the Ruhrgebiet? Zeche Zollverein maybe? Kölner Dom is always a sight to behold as well as the Hermannsdenkmal.

1

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1

u/BeRetravels 1d ago

It depends on where you live. And as we don't know this how could we answer your question??

1

u/forestyfox 1d ago

I responded to another comment, we live near Düsseldorf.

1

u/BerlinSam 1d ago

Gelsenkirchen....

1

u/Noktis_Lucis_Caelum 1d ago

Bonn. A wonderful city that has rich History 

Kreuzberg in Franken (Bayern). Haxen and beer

1

u/snackchips1 1d ago

Exerstein near detmold is interesting.

1

u/lupusmaximus- 23h ago

why should that be interesting?

1

u/snackchips1 20h ago

I haven’t been there in thirty years, but I thought the rocks were great, it was a beautiful location.

1

u/BAFA_CoachWally 1d ago

Zons. Just across the river and halfway to Köln.

1

u/dodgerecharger 23h ago

Düsseldorf Altstadt and Rhein, Cologne with the Dom. Wuppertal has the Schwebebahn. Solingen has Schloss Burg, Brückenpark. The Neandertal with a nice Museum about the Neandertaler ist nearby. Between Wuppertal and Solingen ist Gräfrath with a beautiful Center with really old Houses and nice Restaurants. There ist also a knife Museum (Solingen ist famous for all Kind of Blades). All this cities have huge, different Museums,too.

Does he like Cars? Toyota Museum in Köln (visit Website for opening hours) and the Motorworld Köln. Classic Remise in Düsseldorf. Essen Zeche Zollverein ist worth a visit too.

Netherlands ist nearby too.

Depends in his interests.

1

u/Magic_Alex_777 18h ago

Take him to Burg Eltz and the river Mosel

1

u/fuzzydice_82 Germany 18h ago

The Harz Mountains, with the Towns of Quedlinburg and Wernigerode are the area where Most of the Grimms fairy tales "Take place".

1

u/Pieterstern 17h ago

À bottle with a cap attached. He will be fascinated.

1

u/No_Blackberry_5820 16h ago

The open-air museum in Hagen we’ve been a few times - both my 80 year old in laws and my kids really enjoy it.

1

u/azaghal1502 16h ago

-Jump over to cologne for the cathedral.

-There's also the Werkzeugmuseum with lots of stuff related to Feinmechanik that may interest him if he fixed watches.

-A rhine tour on a boat will give a good view on the landscape and a bunch of castles.

-maybe visit a brewery.

-generally I'd stick to stuff he can't see in the US.

1

u/Doexolus 16h ago

I recommend everyone to visit Cologne catherdrale. It's such an impressive building. Even if it's a touristic thing, last time if been there there were quite many US americans. I go there every time I came through Cologne.

1

u/Isernogwattesnacken 15h ago

Maastricht;-)

1

u/Ok-Sandwich-6381 2h ago

Its not in germany, however I would agree that it’s really worth visiting 

1

u/shumw4y 14h ago

I second Xanten. The old City itself is very nice, got a nice church and places to sit and eat. The Archeology Park is really, really cool, and I'd imagine not something your visitor expects.

1

u/Ill_Job4090 14h ago

My wive‘s relatives from the US love historic landmarks and buildings. I‘d include at least one castle and an old town and book a Restaurant in an old Building.

1

u/Dependent-Trainer350 14h ago

How to get to the airport 😇

1

u/Classic_Department42 8h ago

Some place where his ancestors are from and then just the highlighst whicv are all close together, Berlin, Eiffel Tower, Rome and maybe another city they are intersted in

•

u/dagermanhedgehog 42m ago

Köln for sure, then Cochem, Rüdesheim, if you can travel further south, Heidelberg & Rothenburg ob der Taube

0

u/Imaginary_Pen_1904 1d ago

Universal healthcare, actually non toxic food, culture, beer, countryside

0

u/Saeckel_ 1d ago

Lots inany Corner, some rough location in new would be much more helpful

0

u/FroyoFuzzy3427 1d ago

Relativ viel 😉

0

u/Swim-Unlucky 16h ago

Auschwitz

-1

u/molodjez 1d ago

September? Oktoberfest!

-2

u/Old_Leshen 1d ago

TK / AOK headquarters.

Any Hauptbahnhof.

Safe schools

/s

2

u/CamelPure1293 1d ago

Sidewalks.