Essen, Germany

Essen Germany

Visitors will be pleasantly surprised when they visit Essen. Many people expect a grey, industrial cityscape shaped by heavy industry, but they soon realise that this is in fact a largely residential city with several museums, plenty of green spaces, and a lively cultural scene. It’s worth visiting Essen for the cathedral alone. The internationally renowned Essen Cathedral was built over an Ottonian crypt dating from the 10th century. Inside the crypt, objects of remarkable value were found, including the oldest known sculpture of the Virgin Mary and the lost crown of Otto III. Essen is home to a wide range of museums. The internationally acclaimed Museum Folkwang displays works by famous artists such as Renoir, Édouard Manet, Gauguin, Van Gogh and others. The Ruhr Museum is dedicated to the social history of industrialisation, with original documents showing what life was like for working families and the upper middle classes in the early 20th century. Essen is proud of its industrial past and has plenty to show for it, but the city is not stuck in history; it is forward-looking. It has evolved into a cultural hub to such an extent that it was named European Capital of Culture on behalf of the entire Ruhr area in 2010.
Recommended airport
Dusseldorf (DUS)
Points of interest
  • Messe Essen
Nearby destinations
  • Dortmund a 32.07 km
  • Herne a 17.20 km
  • Dusseldorf a 30.26 km