Living in Krefeld

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

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.

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.

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

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