Many visitors immediately associate Wuppertal with its famous suspension railway. Its construction in 1901 was a pioneering, innovative feat of engineering. It continues to be used to this day as a popular mode of public transport for the town. The route connects neighbourhoods along the valley with each other. Since 2017, new carriages have been gliding over the Wupper. A trip today is just as worthwhile as it was 100 years ago.

It is only a stone’s throw from the Historische Stadthalle to the centre of Wuppertal Elberfeld. A stroll through the town centre, which extends as far as the Luisenviertel (the picturesque old town area around Luisenstraße), provides opportunity for shopping or whiling away the hours in a wide choice of restaurants or cafes.

Wuppertal Marketing offers a range of different city tours and guided visits so you can get to know the town. Discover its unusual topography – the “San Francisco of North-Rhine Westphalia”, experience the insights and views offered by the “90 Minute Vintage Bus Ride” or take the classic, trip with the suspension railway in the historic “Kaiserwagen”.

The world-famous dance ensemble Tanztheater Pina Bausch, which is based in the newly renovated opera house, is frequently on tour. However, with a bit of luck, your visit will coincide with one of their highly regarded performances in Wuppertal.

An opera performance in the beautifully restored 1950s building is quite an experience. And theatre productions of the Wuppertaler Bühnen found their new home in the “Engelsgarten”.

The Engels-Haus in Wuppertal-Barmen is a hotspot for the economic and social history of early industrialisation. Friedrich Engels was the son of a local textile manufacturer. In 1848, he wrote the communist manifesto together with Karl Marx. In 2020, Wuppertal will be marking the 200^th birthday of Friedrich Engels.

To jubilee programme Engels2020

This former 65-metre high gasometer is an industrial monument with a skywalk and an innovative exhibition platform. Changing light installations are presented on a surface of 6,000 square metres which allow for a breathtaking 360-degree projection experience. The landmark Gaskessel is also a good option for a spectacular new event location on the eastern side of Wuppertal.

If you want to relax from a heavy conference schedule by “returning to nature”, you will find green parks set among hills offering wonderful views of the town and the rolling, wooded landscape nearby. A highlight is the Grüne Zoo Wuppertal, Wuppertal’s green zoo, one of Germany’s most scenic zoos.

A further bonus for such a hilly town as Wuppertal is the Nordbahntrasse. With the support of local citizens, the 23 km long former railway line has been turned into a very popular cycling, skating, jogging and walking route. It offers unusual views of the city and iconic one time train stations. This exemplary project was widely acclaimed throughout Germany and has won several awards.

A medieval castle, Schloss Burg, the one-time home of the counts von Berg, the 19th century, iron Müngstener Brücke railway bridge and the romantic setting of the Altenberg cathedral are also classics when it comes to day trip destinations in the Bergisches Land.

A guided canoe outing on the “wild Wupper” is also very refreshing. There are many different stretches of the river to choose from that offer amazing views of flora and fauna.

Wellness facilities are available just a short distance from the Stadthalle, where enthusiasts can indulge in an architectural treasure from the 1950s – what the Wuppertalers call the Schwimmoper or “swimmers’ opera house”. In this lavishly renovated swimming pool, reopened in 2010, you can work on improving your fitness or just relax in the sauna and salt grotto.

If that isn’t enough, the local area offers a wide range of wellness-, fitness- and sport facilities. Golfers particularly value the region for its many golf courses, such as the Golf-Club Bergisch Land or Golfclub Felderbach.

For climbing fans, the Bouldercafé und -Halle offers steep walls in the urban setting of old factory production halls.

Get moving with our fringe programme partner Deepwood. With their carefully timed planning, team events are ideal for loosening up your conferences. The balance of indoor and outdoor activities revives and refreshes body and mind – a welcome relief after hours of mental focus, glued to a seat.

In collaboration with Deepwood GmbH, we organise activities such as archery, raft-building, team missions, cocktail workshops, GPS tours, iPad trophies, alchemist quizzes, wine events, flip chart workshops, winter specials and much more.

“The University of Wuppertal regards internationally visible, top-level research and cooperative regional engagement as two sides of the same coin. It takes on specific issues from businesses, works on developing new technical solutions together with industry partners and in this way provides an impetus for innovation in the region.” (Vice chancellor Prof. Lambert T. Koch)

A focus on synergies and the creation of links between science and the economy not only drive the rapidly growing University of Wuppertal, but also other powerful institutions in Wuppertal, incl. the world-renowned Wuppertal Institute or the Business Development Corporation based in the w-tec technology park.

It is obvious that this strategy works. According to a survey by the German Economic Institute, the Bergisches Land ranks sixth among Germany’s 14 leading innovation regions. The Bergish Three and Wuppertal Marketing support this connectivity. Wuppertal makes sure it is fit for the future early on: the town’s junior university is one of a kind.

Film locations in Wuppertal are not only restricted to the Historische Stadthalle. The whole town is a favourite for film and television productions and a place where renowned directors such as Tom Tykwer (who was born in Wuppertal), Wim Wenders and many others choose to film. Award-winning productions such as the successful mystery web series “Wishlist” are made here. This popularity comes from the many and varied facets of Wuppertal, its inspiring neighbourhoods and fascinating topography.

Find out more about the references of the Historische Stadthalle as shoot location.