Krefeld travel guide
Mies van der Rohe villas, silk looms and a moated castle on the Lower Rhine
Krefeld is a Lower Rhine city near Düsseldorf whose silk wealth paid for two Mies van der Rohe villas, now art museums, plus a textile museum and the moated Burg Linn. The parks and the Rhine are at their best in the warmer half of the year. A day covers the essentials; a second adds the villas at leisure. Prices are high.
Krefeld lies on the Lower Rhine in North Rhine-Westphalia, about 20 km north-west of Düsseldorf, with its centre a few kilometres back from the river and its old harbour suburb of Uerdingen right on the bank. Its fortune was made by silk. Mennonite and other religious refugees, tolerated here under the House of Orange, built a silk and velvet trade in the 18th century that made the von der Leyen family rich and earned the town the name Velvet and Silk City. Thirteen Krefeld families sailed in 1683 to found Germantown, now part of Philadelphia.
The reason to visit today is what that money paid for. In the late 1920s two silk industrialists commissioned Ludwig Mies van der Rohe to design neighbouring brick villas, Haus Lange and Haus Esters. Both now show contemporary art. Nearby you can watch jacquard looms at work in an old silk-weaving mill, and in the east of the city stands the moated Burg Linn with its Roman and Frankish finds. One full day covers the highlights; two lets you add the Rhine at Uerdingen or an evening in Düsseldorf's old town, an hour away by light rail.
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Top things to do in Krefeld
Most sights relate to silk money: modernist villas, a textile museum and a weaving mill, plus a castle at Linn and the Rhine at Uerdingen.
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Best time to visit Krefeld
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
The mildest, longest days; the Flachsmarkt fills the grounds of Burg Linn at Pentecost and the Stadtwald beer garden and the Rhine promenade at Uerdingen come into their own.
Mild by German standards but grey and damp, with Atlantic weather off the Lower Rhine plain; a fine time for the art museums and an ice hockey night with the Krefeld Pinguine.
The Flachsmarkt at Burg Linn on the Pentecost weekend draws huge crowds to watch traditional crafts; trams to Linn are packed, so go early in the day.
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Getting there
Düsseldorf Airport, the U76 light rail and the RE lines
Düsseldorf Airport (DUS), about 20 km away, is the obvious gateway, with flights from all over Europe and beyond. By public transport, allow about an hour from the terminal to Krefeld Hauptbahnhof, changing in Düsseldorf or Duisburg; a taxi takes roughly 25 minutes outside rush hour. Budget airline passengers may land at Weeze (NRN), about 50 km north-west, where a bus to Weeze station connects with the RE10 regional train for a trip of about an hour. Regional trains make Krefeld Hauptbahnhof a hub: Duisburg is 15-25 minutes away, Mönchengladbach around 20, Düsseldorf about 20 and Cologne roughly 40, with RE7, RE10, RE42 and several RB lines. One ICE a day runs to Berlin via Hanover; otherwise change in Düsseldorf or Duisburg for long-distance trains. The U76 light rail also links Krefeld's Rheinstraße stop with Düsseldorf city centre, slower than the train but direct to the old town. Road access is the A57 from Cologne and Nijmegen or the A44 from Düsseldorf.
- Düsseldorf Airport
- About 1 hour by train with one change, or about 25 minutes by taxi
- Weeze Airport
- Bus to Weeze station plus RE10, about 1 hour
- Düsseldorf
- Regional train about 20 minutes, or the U76 light rail to the old town
- Krefeld-Uerdingen station
- Regional stop by the Rhine for RE42, RB33 and RB35
- Roadworks around the Hauptbahnhof sometimes move tram and bus stops; check SWK notices for temporary stops before you arrive.
Where to stay
Inside the Four Walls, leafy Bockum or riverside Uerdingen
The town centre is a grid laid out in stages and framed by four tree-lined boulevards, the Ostwall, Westwall, Nordwall and Südwall. Staying inside or near that rectangle puts you close to the station and the trams. Krefeld gets mostly business visitors, so rooms are easier and cheaper at weekends.
- City centre within the Four Walls
- Walkable to the Hauptbahnhof, Kaiser Wilhelm Museum and shops; plain postwar streets, quiet at night
- Bockum
- Villa suburb toward the Stadtwald and the zoo, with the old Krefelder Hof park hotel; tram ride into town
- Linn
- Village-like district around the moated castle, peaceful and pretty; few hotels and far from the station
- Uerdingen
- Old Rhine port with a riverside promenade and its own station; feels separate from the city
- For a livelier evening scene, some visitors stay in Düsseldorf and day-trip to Krefeld instead; the U76 and regional trains make this easy.
Getting around
SWK trams along the Ostwall and buses to Hüls
The city utility SWKmobil runs the trams and buses. All tram lines meet in front of the Hauptbahnhof and run along the Ostwall through the centre as far as the Rheinstraße stop, where the U76 to Düsseldorf terminates. From there the other four lines fan out in every direction: line 043 runs through Bockum to Uerdingen, and line 044 runs via Linn to the Rheinhafen. Trams run until about midnight, and until about 3am on weekend nights, when night buses also cover the outer districts. Many trams are low-floor, but at some stops you board in the middle of the road, so watch the traffic. Buses fill the gaps, including routes to the Stadtwald, Hüls and Moers. The flat Lower Rhine terrain makes cycling easy, especially out to Linn or along the Rhine at Uerdingen. Tickets follow the VRR regional tariff, sold by machines and the operator's app.
- Tram
- Five lines meeting at the Hauptbahnhof and the Ostwall; U76 to Düsseldorf
- Bus
- Routes to the Stadtwald, Hüls, Moers and night buses at weekends
- Bike
- Flat routes to Burg Linn and the Rhine
- Haus Lange and Haus Esters are on Wilhelmshofallee, north of the centre; a bus or a 30-minute walk from the Ostwall.
Know before you go
Krefeld is silk history and two modernist villas.
Why travelers love it
- Haus Lange and Haus Esters, side-by-side Mies van der Rohe villas whose big windows frame the gardens as part of the art.
- The jacquard looms clattering at the Haus der Seidenkultur, a weaving mill for church vestments kept as it was.
- Burg Linn's moat and towers, with the archaeology of the Roman fort of Gelduba in the museum next door.
Good to know
- Several museums open only for exhibitions and close between shows, so check dates before planning around them.
- The centre is plain and functional; save your time for the villas, Linn and the parks.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Krefeld, month by month
Month-by-month climate figures for Krefeld are being researched.
Mies van der Rohe's silk villas and Burg Linn in a long day
A long day is enough for Krefeld. Start at the Kaiser Wilhelm Museum, then see Haus Lange and Haus Esters, the two Mies van der Rohe villas built for silk directors. After the looms at the Haus der Seidenkultur, ride a tram to Burg Linn and the Deutsches Textilmuseum, and end by the Rhine at Uerdingen.
Morning. Start at the Kaiser Wilhelm Museum on Joseph-Beuys-Platz, a 19th-century museum building whose collection runs from medieval art and applied design to Joseph Beuys. Walk or take the bus north to Wilhelmshofallee for Haus Lange and Haus Esters, built for two silk-industry directors between 1927 and 1930 by Mies van der Rohe. Inside, contemporary art shows hang in brick, glass and steel rooms designed in the same years as his Barcelona Pavilion.
Afternoon. Head back toward the centre for the Haus der Seidenkultur, a small weaving mill that made silk vestments for churches until the 1990s and kept its jacquard looms. Volunteers demonstrate them and explain how Krefeld's velvet once dressed half of Europe. Then ride a tram east to Linn. The moated Burg Linn has a restored keep and a baroque hunting lodge furnished in period style, and the museum alongside shows finds from the Roman fort of Gelduba and the rich Frankish graves found nearby. The Deutsches Textilmuseum in Linn, with textiles from around the world, is close by.
Evening. Continue to Uerdingen and walk along the Rhine as the barges pass, or ride back toward the centre for dinner in an old Altbier pub. Fans can catch the Krefeld Pinguine ice hockey team in winter.
Altbier, a Krefelder glass and Nappo nougat
Krefeld drinks Altbier, served in small straight glasses, and lends its name to the Krefelder, Altbier mixed with cola. Pub menus offer Rheinischer Sauerbraten, Himmel un Ääd and Reibekuchen, and the sweet souvenir is Nappo nougat, created here in 1925. Eat by the Rhine at Uerdingen in summer or around the Dionysiuskirche.
Krefeld drinks like the rest of the Lower Rhine: Altbier, a dark copper top-fermented beer served in small straight glasses that the waiter replaces until you put a beer mat on top. The local twist is the Krefelder, a half-and-half mix of Altbier and cola, which you will find on menus across the region under the city's name. The Gleumes house brewery has been brewing in the centre since the early 19th century.
Pub food is Rhineland comfort cooking. Rheinischer Sauerbraten is beef marinated for days in vinegar and spices, then braised and served in a sweet-sour gravy thickened with gingerbread and raisins, usually with potato dumplings and red cabbage. Himmel un Ääd, heaven and earth, combines mashed potato and apple with fried black pudding and onions. Reibekuchen, crisp potato pancakes with apple sauce, appear at markets and fairs, especially at the Flachsmarkt.
The sweet souvenir is Nappo, diamond-shaped pieces of nougat in a thin chocolate coat. It was created in Krefeld in 1925, and although another confectioner makes it today, the coloured foil wrapping has barely changed. Look for it in sweet shops and supermarkets. For a meal with a view, the restaurants along the Rhine at Uerdingen are the best bet in summer; in the centre, most places cluster around the Dionysiuskirche and the Ostwall.
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How we research our Krefeld travel guide
krefeld.de tells us when the Mies van der Rohe villas host exhibitions and when the Flachsmarkt runs. Tram routes and the links to Düsseldorf and Duisburg are checked with Deutsche Bahn, and the German National Tourist Board fills in context.
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Checked against trusted sources:
Official website of KrefeldGerman National Tourist BoardDeutsche Bahn
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Krefeld in short answers for day-trippers from Düsseldorf.
General
Yes, both villas are run by the Kunstmuseen Krefeld as contemporary art venues. They open during exhibitions, which now run through the winter too, so check the programme first.
A mix of Altbier and cola, roughly half and half, named after the city and served across the Lower Rhine region.
From the 18th century its Mennonite merchant families, led by the von der Leyens, ran one of Europe's leading silk and velvet industries. The Haus der Seidenkultur and the Deutsches Textilmuseum tell the story.
In 1683 thirteen families from Krefeld, mainly Quakers and Mennonites, accepted William Penn's invitation and founded Germantown, now a district of Philadelphia.
A moated medieval castle with a keep you can climb, a baroque hunting lodge with period rooms, and a museum of finds from the Roman fort of Gelduba and Frankish graves.
In Uerdingen, the old river port in the east of the city, which has a riverside promenade and its own regional station. Tram 043 also runs there.
A Krefeld sweet first made in 1925: diamond-shaped nougat chunks coated in chocolate, still sold in red, blue or green foil packs that have barely changed.
The city utility SWKmobil runs the trams and buses. All tram lines meet in front of the Hauptbahnhof and run along the Ostwall through the centre as far as the Rheinstraße stop, where the U76 to Düsseldorf terminates. From there the other four lines fan out in every direction: line 043 runs through Bockum to Uerdingen, and line 044 runs via Linn to the Rheinhafen.
Timing & weather
On the Pentecost weekend each year, when hundreds of craftspeople demonstrate traditional trades around the castle. It is one of the largest crafts markets in Germany.
The best time to visit Krefeld is May to Sep. Mild Lower Rhine summers for the Stadtwald, the zoo and the Rhine at Uerdingen, plus the Flachsmarkt crafts fair at Pentecost.
- Late spring and summer: May - September (The mildest, longest days; the Flachsmarkt fills the grounds of Burg Linn at Pentecost and the Stadtwald beer garden and the Rhine promenade at Uerdingen come into their own)
- Autumn and winter: October - March (Mild by German standards but grey and damp, with Atlantic weather off the Lower Rhine plain; a fine time for the art museums and an ice hockey night with the Krefeld Pinguine)
Getting there
The regional train is much faster, about 20 minutes to Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof. The U76 light rail takes longer but stops right in Düsseldorf's old town.
Düsseldorf Airport (DUS), about 20 km away, is the obvious gateway, with flights from all over Europe and beyond. By public transport, allow about an hour from the terminal to Krefeld Hauptbahnhof, changing in Düsseldorf or Duisburg; a taxi takes roughly 25 minutes outside rush hour. Budget airline passengers may land at Weeze (NRN), about 50 km north-west, where a bus to Weeze station connects with the RE10 regional train for a trip of about an hour.
Prices & payment
Yes, if the fare is right. Expect about an hour: a shuttle bus to Weeze station, then the RE10 regional train toward Düsseldorf, which stops at Krefeld Hauptbahnhof.
Visa & documents
As a Schengen member, Germany shares one set of entry rules with most of the EU. Citizens of the EU and of many other countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records non-EU travelers' fingerprints and a photo at the border.
Health & safety
Pickpocketing at large stations, Christmas markets and on big-city public transport is the main risk in a very safe country. Carry ID and validate paper tickets where required. Call 110 for police and 112 for fire or ambulance.
