NRW Chronicles: Unveiling the Journey Through North Rhine-Westphalia
There is a difference between a tourist and a traveler. According to the internet,
“A tourist is someone who travels to various destinations primarily for leisure, relaxation, and enjoyment. Tourists often follow planned itineraries, visit well-known attractions, stay in popular accommodations, and may engage in guided tours or activities. Tourists tend to focus on experiencing the highlights of a destination and might have limited interaction with the local culture and people. They often seek comfort, convenience, and a stress-free travel experience.”
and
“A traveler is someone who approaches their journeys with a deeper curiosity and a desire to immerse themselves in the local culture, traditions, and way of life. Travelers often seek authentic experiences, explore off-the-beaten-path locations, and engage in meaningful interactions with locals. They may have a more flexible itinerary, embrace spontaneity, and be open to exploring beyond the typical tourist spots. Travelers aim to gain insights, broaden their horizons, and develop a deeper connection to the places they visit.”
Talking about me, I like to play both roles — most of the time I consider myself a traveler, and sometimes I also like being a tourist. Why am I telling this now? Because I am setting off on a journey in Germany’s most populous state “North Rhine-Westphalia”. Being the fourth largest state of Germany by size, it shares international borders with Belgium and the Netherlands. If you want to visit this state as a tourist, the most popular attractions are found in cities like Cologne, Dusseldorf, Bonn, and Dortmund. As I said, as a traveler, visiting Cologne Cathedral, Rhine Tower, Ludwig Museum and other popular attractions are not the only things that attract me. Hence, I made a list of every major and minor city in NRW to understand the lifestyle, food, how local people spend their leisure time, and some history. I will be documenting my experiences as I keep exploring in this special series that is dedicated just to the state of “North Rhine-Westphalia”.
What to expect?
With each installment of the “NRW Chronicles,” you can expect to:
- Dive into the heart of NRW’s cities, neighborhoods, and landmarks, as I share my personal experiences and encounters.
- Uncover the best-kept secrets, off-the-beaten-path attractions, and local favorites that make each city special.
- Engage with the cultural fabric of NRW through art, music, cuisine, and the stories of its people.
- Join me in reliving the excitement, challenges, and moments of wonder that unfold during my travels.
Why the NRW Chronicles?
I like to live in a bigger city for months or years and during this period I cover every surrounding place of it learning about the way of life in that area. Then I move to another major city and repeat the cycle. This is usually my way of traveling that makes me a nomad maybe for the rest of my life. Anyway, right now I don’t live in a bigger city but I have access to every city in the state of NRW through my semester ticket.
The best part of being a student in Germany is: you get a semester ticket that allows you to ride every kind of transport like bus, train, tram, and ferry within a particular boundary (of course except ICEs). As I am a student in the state of NRW, my semester ticket allows me to travel anywhere I want within NRW for free as many times as I want. The other benefit is there is a pretty good discount for a student on the entry tickets for places like museums, zoos, etc. Not sure of which state I want to move to next year, I thought of utilizing my student card to explore the cities of NRW.
Through this series, I aim to capture the essence of NRW, one city at a time, and showcase its rich heritage, vibrant arts scene, and the warm embrace of its communities.
As we set forth on this epic journey, I invite you to be part of the exploration. Your comments, insights, and shared experiences will enrich our collective adventure and make the “NRW Chronicles” a true celebration of discovery.
Stay tuned for our first destination, Wuppertal, where we will wander through its charming streets, soak in its history, and immerse ourselves in its unique ambiance.
