233.500 neighbours looking forward to welcoming you.

Now you just need to decide which of Krefeld‘s 19 districts to live in.

Living in Krefeld

The city on the Rhine is one of the 15 largest in North Rhine-Westphalia with around 233.500 inhabitants. So, it’s big enough to enjoy the urban vibe and small enough for you to know your neighbours’ names. Here, you can live more affordably than in the nearby larger cities of Düsseldorf and Cologne – and be just as well connected. You can be in the State capital, Düsseldorf, in less than 20 minutes. Whether it’s the detached home you have always dreamed of, loft space with a rooftop terrace or a stylish old apartment – everyone can find something to their taste thanks to Krefeld’s versatile housing stock. While many families are drawn to the green outskirts, the city centre and historic buildings near the university in the south of Krefeld are popular with younger people. And speaking of green: More than two-thirds of the urban area consists of woods, fields and vegetation. So there’s plenty of room to breathe and relax.

How living in Krefeld feels.

At home between the Lower Rhine, Rhineland and Ruhr area.

  • #krefeldamrhein
  • #wohnenimgrünen
  • #niederrhein
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Transport

Stadt mit besten Verbindungen

No matter what your destination, it’s not far from Krefeld. The A57 and A44 motorways will take you in all directions – on popular routes, you may need a few extra minutes depending on the time of day. And if the motorways in Europe’s densest road network don’t quite reach, then simply take the plane from Düsseldorf Airport. The third largest airport in Germany is about 20 minutes away by car from Krefeld city centre and you can fly to around 200 destinations worldwide. If you are not travelling as far, you can easily get to both the city centre and neighbouring cities by bus and train. New services, such as SWK’s Car Sharing scheme, offer even more flexibility. Commuters and party animals take the U76 Rheinbahn tram to Düsseldorf’s metropolitan bustle in just 30 minutes. From Krefeld’s main railway station, you have access to Deutsche Bahn’s national rail network.

SWK public transport maps and timetables

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Districts

Urbanes Flair trifft ländliche Idylle

The city of Krefeld is divided into 19 districts, each with its own character. In the districts of Uerdingen, Linn or Gellep-Stratum, you can see the Ruhr area and the Rhineland from the eastern banks of the Rhine. The idyllic Lower Rhine waits in the west with a view of open countryside. From here, it’s only 30 minutes to the Dutch town of Venlo. From districts in southern Krefeld, for example Fischeln, you can reach Düsseldorf’s Old Town in less than 30 minutes by car or train. Live comfortably in, for example, Verberg or Bockum, close to the centre, with a choice of leisure and recreational activities nearby. Stylish old apartments at affordable prices can be found in the city centre and surrounding neighbourhoods. And it’s not giving too much to say that, wherever you decide to live, the nearest motorway or shop won’t be too far away.

an overview of all districts on www.krefeld.de

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Architecture

Eine Stadt im Bauhausfieber

Krefeld and architecture – the two have been synonymous since the early 20th century. Many famous architects have left their mark in Krefeld through their buildings. Two of the most famous buildings – Haus Lange and Haus Esters – are now art museums, located on Wilhelmshofallee near the Stadtwald park. They are modern icons from the 1920s by the renowned Bauhaus architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe who designed the two villas on behalf of the silk industrialists Dr Josef Esters and Hermann Lange. Since then, avant-garde architecture has become something of a defining characteristic of the city and courageous architects still carry on the tradition today. A more recent example comes to mind when visiting the city centre: the glass Behnisch-Haus, built in 2002 by leading Stuttgart architect Günter Behnisch.

Discover Krefeld’s architectural highlights

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Nature

Grüne Großstadt

When you visit Krefeld for the first time, you will be surprised how many parks and green areas there are in all parts of the city to tempt you to go for a walk, to play sport or just to laze around. The city’s best-known and most popular green space is the Stadtwald park. With its impressive size of more than 120 football pitches, it not only delights walkers and joggers, but also attracts horse riders, tennis players and golfers. In summer, you can row across the lake in a boat, or in winter enjoy the spacious peace. It’s only a stone’s throw to the woodland paths from the districts of Bockum, Verberg or Kliedbruch. The Stadtwald park’s beer garden, which has twice been awarded Germany’s prettiest beer garden, is particularly popular in fine weather.

Find suggestions for daytrips for nature lovers in the Local-Guide.

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Construction

Modernes Wohnen im Stadtgebiet

In Krefeld’s districts, attractive, modern housing projects are creating spaces for new neighbours. In the northwest of the city, the environmentally-friendly residential district of Gartenstadt is near completion with 102 new apartments and 10 terraced houses. In a convenient location a few kilometres from the Stadtwald park, a further 15 high-specification apartments are being built – the Stadtwaldterrassen. Still in the planning phase, the Rheinblick construction project is located in western Uerdingen consisting of nearly 40 apartments with a direct view of the Rhine. And in southern Fischeln, new living space is also being developed. In Marienhof Fischeln, a former air-raid shelter is being converted into 30 high-quality, architecturally designed apartments to be completed mid-2020. In close proximity to Düsseldorf, the Planker Heide development in Fischeln will also create new housing and outstanding transport connections for around 1,500 people in the near future.

Kollegen-Story

Krefeld ist bodenständig geblieben.
Lisa-Marie Spohr (33) arbeitet bei Hambloch.

Your questions

Kann ich in Krefeld auch ländlich wohnen?

Want to have a view of fields or to live on the edge of a forest? The further away you travel from the city centre into the outer districts, the more meadows and woods you see. With a bit of luck and the right knack for real estate, your rural dream can become reality in Krefeld.

Können meine Kinder alleine zur Schule gehen oder fahren?

Most children can easily cycle to school in Krefeld. In the bicycle-friendly city, road safety is regularly taught in schools and day care centres. In addition to timetabled buses, school buses also travel across the city taking children with longer journeys safely to school.

Welche Wohnmöglichkeiten bietet die Umgebung?

The surrounding areas are as diverse as the city itself. Metropolitan Düsseldorf on one side – rural Lower Rhine on the other side. The towns of Tönisvorst, Meerbusch, Willich and Kempen are most closely connected to Krefeld by transportation infrastructure. From rural Kempen, the Dutch border is only a few kilometres away. In Meerbusch, southeast of Krefeld, you can live close to nature and the river Rhine.

Wie grün ist Krefeld wirklich?

About 69% of Krefeld’s urban area is planted or vegetation. This makes Krefeld one of the greenest cities in Germany – a surprising boast from an urban area in the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Region.

Wie hoch sind die Mieten in Krefeld?

Rents in Krefeld average about € 7.10 per square metre. This is more than 10% below average rental costs in North Rhine-Westphalia and € 3.00 below average rents in Düsseldorf. Attractively priced living space can be found in Krefeld, especially in the city centre. In districts such as Bockum, Verberg or Traar, most properties usually go for more than € 8.50.

For number crunchers

7,10 approx. €/m² rent

30.000 roadside trees

161 playgrounds

What Krefelders say

85% of Krefeld citizens rate their hometown as good or very good in terms of housing.

Für Besserwisser

  • Krefeld has a public transport network with over 40 trains and 160 buses.
  • The oldest building in Krefeld is the Linn Castle from the year 1000.
  • The average annual temperature in Krefeld lies between 10.6°C and 11.1°C.
  • The oldest tree in the city is about 950 years old and grows in the grounds of Haus Rath in Elfrath.
  • The Mississippi steamer is not a ship, but, at 70 metres, the tallest residential building in the city.