Krefeld

Introduction

Krefeld (German pronunciation: [ˈkʁeːfɛlt]), also known as Crefeld until 1929, is a city in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. It is located southwest of the Ruhr area, its centre just a few kilometres to the west of the River Rhine; the borough of Uerdingen is situated directly on the Rhine. Krefeld is accessed by the autobahns A57 (Cologne - Nijmegen) and the A44 (Aachen - Düsseldorf - Dortmund - Kassel). Krefeld is also called the "Velvet and Silk City".

In more recent decades the city has hosted an honors program in foreign language (German) studies. The program annually places thirty specially selected high school students with families in and around Krefeld for intensive German language training.

Krefeld's residents speak Hochdeutsch, the standard German taught to all people in Germany. However, the native dialect is a Low German variety, sometimes locally called "Krefelder Plattdeutsch," "Krieewelsch Platt," "Plattdeutsch,," or sometimes simply "Platt." The Uerdingen line isogloss, separating general dialectical areas in Germany and neighboring Germanic-speaking countries, runs through and is named for Krefeld's Uerdingen district, originally an independent municipality

Neighbourhoods

Krefeld is divided into several distinct neighbourhoods, each with its own character and charm. The Altstadt (Old Town) is where you'll find historic buildings and quaint cobblestone streets, perfect for a leisurely stroll. For those seeking a more modern vibe, the Krefeld-Uerdingen district boasts contemporary architecture and bustling commercial areas. Other notable neighbourhoods include Hüls, with its picturesque parks, and Fischeln, known for its community spirit and local markets.

Sights and Activities

There's no shortage of things to see and do in Krefeld. History buffs will appreciate a visit to Burg Linn, a medieval castle with captivating exhibits and scenic gardens. Art enthusiasts can explore the Kaiser Wilhelm Museum, showcasing a diverse collection of contemporary and classical artworks. Nature lovers should not miss a trip to the Krefeld Zoo, home to a wide range of exotic animals and conservation efforts.

Getting There

By Plane

Krefeld is located within the triangle Dortmund-Düsseldorf-Nijmegen (Netherlands) and as such profits from having three (major) airports within half an hour drive or so:

• Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS) is a large airport with over 18.3 million passengers (2008), making it the third largest airport in Germany. The airport is located 9 kilometres from the city centre of Düsseldorf and is the major airport for the entire area. Because of the good connections and proximity to the Netherlands, a lot of Dutch people living in the southeast of the country prefer to use this airport.
• Airport Weeze is located near to the Dutch border. Its main user is Ryanair. But also some smaller airlines use this airport.
• Dortmund Airport - Easyjet flies to Barcelona, Budapest, London, Krakow and Thessaloniki, while Air Berlin flies to Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Ibiza, Nuremberg, Mallorca and Tenerife. Bucharest, Cluj-Napoca, Gdansk, Katowice, Kiev, Lviv, Poznan, Sofia, Timisoara, Warsaw and Wroclaw, and Istanbul, Munich, Palma de Mallorca, Salzburg and Split, are served by Wizz Air and Germanwings respectively.

By Train

Getting to Krefeld is convenient, thanks to its excellent transportation connections. By train, Krefeld Hauptbahnhof (main station) serves as a major hub for regional and national rail services, making it easily accessible from cities like Düsseldorf and Cologne.

By Car

If you prefer driving, the city is well-connected via the A57 and A44 highways, offering straightforward routes from all directions.

By Bus

For eco-conscious travelers, Krefeld is also accessible by bus, with several routes connecting it to neighboring towns and cities.

Getting Around

By Car

Once you're in Krefeld, exploring the city is a breeze. Renting a car provides flexibility, especially if you plan to venture beyond the city limits to explore the picturesque countryside.

By Public Transport

Public transport, including trams and buses, offers an efficient way to navigate within Krefeld itself, with frequent services covering all major attractions and neighbourhoods.

Krefeld has an extensive network of trams (Straßenbahn) and buses (Busse) operated by SWK MOBIL GmbH. The trams and buses cover the entire city, including its suburbs and major attractions. The public transport network is well-integrated, with frequent services that run from early morning until late at night.

2. Ticketing:
Tickets for trams and buses can be purchased from vending machines located at tram stops, major bus stops, and in some cases, onboard the vehicles. There are various ticket options available, such as single tickets (Einzelfahrkarte), day tickets (Tageskarte), and weekly or monthly passes (Wochenkarte, Monatskarte), which offer unlimited travel within specified zones and durations.

3. Zones:
Krefeld's public transport system is divided into different fare zones. Typically, the city center and immediate suburbs constitute Zone A, while outer areas are covered by Zone B and sometimes Zone C. When purchasing tickets, it's important to select the appropriate zone(s) based on your travel itinerary.

4. Timetables and Routes:
Timetables for trams and buses are available online on the SWK MOBIL GmbH website, as well as at tram stops and major bus terminals. These timetables provide detailed information about departure times, routes, and any schedule variations that may occur during weekends or holidays.

5. Accessibility:
Krefeld's public transport system is designed to be accessible to all passengers, including those with disabilities or mobility impairments. Trams and buses are equipped with low-floor entrances, ramps, and designated seating areas to accommodate passengers with special needs.

6. Intermodal Options:
For longer journeys or travel between cities, Krefeld Hauptbahnhof (main train station) serves as a central hub connecting regional and national train services. From the Hauptbahnhof, passengers can easily transfer to trams or buses to reach their final destinations within Krefeld.

7. Integration with Regional Transport:
Krefeld's public transport network is well-integrated with regional transport systems, allowing seamless travel between neighboring towns and cities. Regional trains (Regionalbahn, RegionalExpress) provide additional options for exploring the broader region around Krefeld.

By Foot

Alternatively, exploring the city center on foot or by bike allows you to soak in the local atmosphere and discover hidden gems along the way.

Eat

Restaurant Dachsbau - Miesmuscheln Rheinischer Art

Restaurant Mamma's Ristorante

Keep Connected

Internet

Internet cafes (rates €1.50 to €5 per hour) are starting to become less common due to widespread offers of free wifi by shops, restaurants or cafes. Sometimes it requires minimum consumption but usually it's free within the premises. Phone shops will often offer internet access, too. In general hotels offer internet access. In several cities, projects exist to provide free "community" hotspots for wireless networking. Passenger lounges at some airports and central railway stations also provide internet access to their customers.

Several pre-paid SIMs allow Internet access for a monthly flat fee, for example those available at Tchibo coffee stores (o2 network, €10/month limited to 500 MB, €20/month for 5 GB) or Aldi (E-Plus network). A regular O2 sim card, which can be used for calls and text messages, is €15 and another €15 buys 1GB of data valid for 1 month. Vodafone offers a prepaid sim card for €25 which includes €22.5 of credit, out of which you can get 300 MB of data for 2 days for €15 and be left with €7.5 of credit.

Phone

See also: International Telephone Calls

The international call prefix in Germany is 00. To dial out of Germany, dial 00, followed by country code, area code, and the telephone number (for example 00 44 1234 567890). If you're using a mobile phone, simply add the plus sign "+" before the country code to call out of Germany (for example +44 1234 567890). The general emergency number is 112 and the additional number for less emergent issues for police is 110.

Mobile phone coverage on the four networks (T-Mobile, Vodafone, E-Plus and o2) is excellent across the whole country. UMTS (3G data and HSDPA) and EDGE is also available. UMTS is still somewhat limited to urban areas. All mobile providers use GSM technology on the 900 and 1800 MHz frequency ranges. If you stay for a longer period of time, consider buying a prepaid phone card from one of the mobile phone companies; you won't have trouble finding a T-Mobile (in a "T-Punkt"), Vodafone, E-Plus or O2 store in any major shopping area. In most supermarket chains (for example ALDI), there are prepaid SIM cards from their own virtual providers available. These are normally quite cheap to buy, but expensive for international calls (around €1–2/min), but incoming calls are always free and SMS cost around €0.09–0.19. They are available at: Aldi, Lidl, Penny, Netto, Tchibo, Rewe, toom. A registration via Internet or (expensive) phone call is necessary after buying to activate the SIM card.

The cheapest way to call abroad from Germany is to use the internet cafés run by immigrants. They sell special calling cards that give the best rate to certain countries as well as offer cheap international calls from phone booths. It is also the cheapest way to call landlines in Germany.

Post

Germany's postal system is very efficient, their logistics branch DHL is one of the best companies in this field world-wide, with domestic post or within a radius of 400 kilometres, send within a day. The website of Deutsche Post has an online calculator for postage fees as well as a post office finder. Stamps are available at post offices and sometimes at newsagents or shops selling postcards. Also stamp vending machines can be found at a lot of places around the cities. You can purchase every stamp you need from this machines. They are unique as they accept every coin from 1 cent to 2 euro but change is only given in stamps. It costs about €40 to send a small package to Australia and €1.70 to send an old-fashioned letter to any place in the world outside of Europe. Within Germany, sending postcards costs €0.45 and standard letters €0.55, within Europe it is €0.65 for a postcard, standard letters to places in Europe cost €0.75. Outside Europe, the prices for sending a postcard or standard letter are €1 and €1.70 respectively. Although you will find the old post offices (mainly in the city centre), most of the smaller neighbourhood post offices are part of a small tobacco shop or grocery store. For larger package, you might consider competitive private companies like UPS, DHL or TNT.