Hidden Treasures of NRW

Hi guys! “Hidden Treasures of NRW” will be a series of blog posts that will describe my experiences visiting some small and quaint towns of North-Rhine Westphalia (NRW), Germany. Let’s start with some hard facts about NRW (borrowed from Wikipedia): it is the most densely populated and most populous state in Germany. It is in Western Germany and borders Belgium and the Netherlands. NRW has always been Germany’s powerhouse with the largest economy among GDP states and you’ve probably heard of its capital, Düsseldorf.

Now before you start wondering why I am only talking about this region, it is because I live in the small town of Paderborn which is located in NRW. Moreover, I am a student of Paderborn University and as a student I get something called a semester ticket. Once I pay my semester fees (around 300 euros for 6 months), this semester ticket lets me travel on all kinds of regional transport in my own state with no extra cost. Now it might seem like a lot but if you look at actual prices of trains that Deutsche Bahn (national train service of Germany) operates throughout the country, the semester ticket is a very decent deal. And those who know enough about me will know well enough that I am not going to let such an opportunity slip through my fingers. Free travel across the state? Count me in!

I hope to be able to learn a lot more about this country as I use my free time here exploring these towns and I really wanted a platform to share a lot of my experiences and observations with you all. If any of you reading this know of any more beautiful towns of NRW that I could explore, please contact me via email.