Krefeld: City of Silk, Art and Zoo

Krefeld is known as the “City of Silk” because of its long tradition in the textile industry. Textiles, 20th- and 21st-century art, the zoo and the city forest offer different highlights for a stay. When planning your trip, it is worth first considering whether you are particularly interested in textile history, art, nature and environmental education, or events.

Textile History, Museums and Art

The German Textile Museum preserves 30,000 textiles, including late antique tunics, wafer-thin christening dresses and precious evening wear. There is no permanent exhibition: selected textiles are regularly presented in themed exhibitions, such as “German Couture,” “Traditional Costume or Fashion,” and exhibitions on liturgical textiles. If a particular theme is important for your trip, check the current exhibitions as you plan.

The Krefeld Art Museums comprise Haus Lange, Haus Esters and the Kaiser Wilhelm Museum. Their focus is on fine and applied art of the 20th and 21st centuries. Alongside the changing textile themes, works of art from two centuries are also in the spotlight. In the wider Krefeld travel destination, the House of Silk Culture preserves an original Jacquard hand-weaving room with eight historic 19th-century looms. The house is an industrial heritage site with a rich history and offers guided tours, workshops and special exhibitions for all age groups. Program content changes over time.

Zoo, Environmental Education and Dining

At Krefeld Zoo, children and young people can explore the connection between local environmental and nature conservation and global efforts to protect biodiversity in the research lab and the educational programs at the BNE Regional Center in the Research House. The themes therefore range from local conservation to biodiversity around the world.

Around the Grotenburgschlösschen, the zoo offers places to eat and drink, including a terrace and a restaurant. Individual offerings may change.

Crafts and History around Burg Linn

At the Flax Market around Burg Linn, more than 300 exhibitors from Germany and nearby countries demonstrate how clothing, cultural goods and everyday objects are made using traditional methods over the Whitsun weekend. Visitors can try a selected traditional craft activity themselves under the guidance of professionals. Demonstrations and hands-on activities thus offer two different ways to experience traditional crafts. Check the specific event dates before your trip.

In the wider Krefeld travel destination, the Burg Linn Museum comprises an archaeological museum, a medieval castle and a Baroque hunting lodge. Together with the Flax Market, this offers an interest in crafts and history that can be explored in different ways.

Nature and Other Places in the Wider Krefeld Travel Destination

The city forest is open year-round. The wider Krefeld travel destination also includes the 3.6-hectare Botanical Garden on the edge of Schönwasserpark in the Oppum district. It is home to around 5,000 plant species from around the world. The garden’s 2026 events program includes guided tours, workshops, concerts, plant markets and exhibitions; check the specific dates before your trip.

The Krefeld Environmental Center grounds include a kitchen garden, traditional orchards, a cereal plot, beehives, a nature pond and woodland. The grounds are generally open to everyone. The Environmental Center offers age-appropriate programs for school classes and kindergarten groups. This distinction is useful when planning: the programs are intended for the groups mentioned, while the grounds are generally open to everyone.

In the wider Krefeld travel destination, the zoo covers 14 hectares and is the largest zoo on the Lower Rhine. At GorillaGarten, visitors can observe the largest living primates in an expansive open-air enclosure. From Krefeld Central Station, take tram lines 042 or 043 to reach the zoo; from Uerdingen station, take line 043 to the Grotenburg/Zoo stop. Check your route before travelling, as routes may change.

Choose Accommodation to Suit Your Plans

Then tailor your search to the places you want to visit, taking into account the relevant event dates and transport connections.

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