Emmerich am Rhein Germany North Rhine-Westphalia
Frequently Asked Questions
At the foot of the Rheinpromenade, the long redesigned riverside esplanade running along the centre. Emmerich is the last German town on the Rhine before the Dutch border, and everything is walkable from the landing stage.
A ribbon of steel 803 metres long spanning the river in a single leap, opened in 1965: it is the longest suspension bridge in Germany. You can cross it on foot or by bike, and the view from the deck, with the river running straight toward the Netherlands, amply repays the short walk.
The name locals give their riverside promenade, lined with restaurants, cafés and ice cream parlours. Wicker beach chairs, free to use, invite you to sit facing the current.
One of the busiest river traffic corridors in Europe: container ships, barge convoys and cruise vessels follow one another almost without a break beneath the great bridge. The spectacle is constant, free and hypnotic, and it can fill an afternoon on its own.
The river museum, gathering some 130 ship models that tell the story of Rhine navigation, from timber rafts to modern motor vessels. The modelmakers have taken care over every detail, from rigging to funnels, and period documents place each vessel in its century.
A Second World War midget submarine built for one man and two torpedoes, kept at the Rheinmuseum. It is a witness to the dark hours when the river became a front line, and the most startling item in the collection.
The shopping street parallel to the river leads from old churches to rebuilt facades: Emmerich paid a heavy price in the war before rising again. It is worth knowing on arrival, as the centre lacks the heritage density of a town that was spared.
A wooded hill at the edge of town where anyone who likes a view finds shaded paths opening onto panoramas in which the Rhine, the polders and Dutch church spires share the horizon.
Very close, so much so that it is a formality here: cyclists cross it every day without thinking about it. The Netherlands begin a few kilometres downstream, and Dutch spires are visible from the heights of Elten.
The euro and German, though this close to the border you also hear Dutch freely. The euro is legal tender on both sides. Bring cash for the ice cream stands and promenade kiosks.
