Top 15 Attractions and Activities in Wuppertal, Germany

The largest city in the Bergisches Land, a hilly region in North Rhine-Westphalia, Wuppertal is a collection of smaller towns situated on the high banks of the Wupper River. In the early days of industrialization, the Wupper Valley evolved into a hub of emerging industries amid a landscape dominated by textile mills and coal mines. The affluence generated by these enterprises profoundly impacted towns such as Elberfeld.

Visitors can immerse themselves in a wealth of 19th-century art at the Von der Heydt Museum, enjoy performances at one of the world’s premier concert halls—the Stadthalle—and explore upscale neighborhoods like the Briller Viertel and Luisenvietel, which are replete with impressive architecture. However, the highlight of Wuppertal is undoubtedly the renowned Wuppertal Suspension Railway. Opened in 1901, its trains traverse the city, suspended from a steel framework, reminiscent of a steampunk design.

Let us examine the noteworthy attractions in Wuppertal:

1. Von der Heydt Museum

Set within the elegant confines of Elberfeld’s former town hall, the Von der Heydt Museum ranks among Germany’s most prestigious art institutions.

Established in 1902 and initially sponsored by affluent bourgeois families in Elberfeld, including the von der Heydts—the museum’s namesake—it showcases an impressive collection.

The museum’s oldest artifacts include 17th-century Dutch and Flemish paintings from the Dutch Golden Age by notable artists such as Jan Brueghel the Elder, Jan van Goyen, and David Teniers the Younger.

Transitioning into the 19th and 20th centuries, the museum features works from major figures of the French Barbizon School, Impressionists like Degas, Sisley, and Monet, along with Post-Impressionists including van Gogh, Signac, Gauguin, and Cézanne.

Among the highlights of the 20th-century collection are pieces by Klee, Franz Marc, George Grosz, Emil Nolde, Munch, Max Ernst, and Salvador Dalí.

2. Wuppertal Suspension Railway

A visit to Wuppertal is incomplete without experiencing the city’s suspension railway, an essential transportation mode and a beloved local icon more than a century after its inauguration.

Designed by engineer Eugen Langen, this system represents the world’s oldest electric elevated railway featuring suspended carriages.

With over 80,000 daily riders, the railway boasts 20 stations, several of which are architecturally remarkable, like the Art Nouveau-style Werther Brücke.

Spanning a duration of 35 minutes from one terminus to the other, the journey is indeed worthwhile.

For a unique experience, consider securing a ticket for the deluxe Kaiserwagen, a vintage red train taking its name from Kaiser Wilhelm II, who rode it during its royal test run in 1900.

3. Stadthalle Wuppertal

A vital component of any city tour, the Stadthalle is a prominent concert hall situated on a verdant hill just a short distance from the Hauptbahnhof.

Completed in 1900, this venue emerged following Elberfeld’s economic resurgence in the late 19th century and embodies the classic Wilhelmine Neo-Renaissance architectural style.

Whether hosting a trade fair, congress, or chamber music concert, the Stadthalle remains the pinnacle venue, retaining its grandeur and charm from the turn of the century.

Renowned for its acoustics, the hall is frequently selected for live concert recordings.

While visiting, be sure to admire the Renaissance-style frescoes adorning the ceiling, the elegant chandeliers, the organ upgraded in 1996, and the delicate stuccowork.

4. Skulpturenpark Waldfrieden

A short distance east of Hauptbahnhof lies a 14-hectare park adorned with sculptures by the acclaimed artist Sir Tony Cragg and other notable contemporary sculptors.

The Skulpturenpark is located on the former grounds of Villa Herberts, previously the residence of 20th-century chemical magnate Kurt Herberts.

Acquired by Tony Cragg in 2006, the park has been transformed into an English landscape garden where contemporary artworks coexist with a rich variety of beech, lime, oak, and chestnut woodlands, all linked by winding walking paths.

The permanent exhibition showcases numerous pieces by Cragg, in addition to works by Thomas Schütte, Henry Moore, Jaume Plensa, Richard Deacon, and Markus Lüpertz.

Some of the collection is also displayed in a glass cube hall, and there is a cafe on-site serving cake and coffee.

5. Wuppertal Zoo

Set within a spacious hillside park featuring mature woodlands, Wuppertal Zoo stands as a year-round destination housing approximately 4,200 animals.

The zoo’s highlights include majestic big cats, elephants, gorillas, various bird species, aquatic life, and reptiles.

The gorillas are housed in a contemporary 525-square-meter enclosure constructed with large reinforced glass windows.

The lions and tigers inhabit an expansive habitat covering one hectare—the largest space designated for these species in any German zoo.

Visitors can also observe the rare sight of a tapir swimming, as its enclosure features a pool with underwater viewing windows; it is not unusual to see them diving underwater.

6. Luisenviertel

Also referred to as the Elberfelder Altstadt, the streets surrounding the southwest end of Luisenstraße epitomize elegance in Wuppertal.

These streets are lined with 19th-century Neoclassical mansions, hosting boutiques, family-run shops, cafés, and restaurants on their ground floors.

Additionally, take time to visit Laurentiusplatz, home to the Neoclassical St. Laurentius Church, completed in 1835. This area hosts a Christmas market and skating rink during December, along with a weekly fabric market offering velvet, silk, and felt.

The entire district bears the name of its patroness, Louise of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, who served as Queen of Prussia at the dawn of the 19th century.

7. Museum für Frühindustrialisierung

Located in Barmen, two former industrial buildings house a museum dedicated to the early stages of industrialization in the region during the first half of the 1800s.

During this period, the main industry in the Wupper Valley was textile production, and the museum showcases a substantial collection of machinery from that era, including power looms and spinners.

Additionally, the valley featured a metalworking industry that produced weapons and tools, which are also exhibited.

The displays strike a balance between technological advancements and social history, guiding visitors through the societal changes experienced by the population from the mid-1700s through the ensuing century, including shifts in working conditions and housing.

8. Engels-Haus

This site is part of the larger complex housing a museum dedicated to Friedrich Engels, co-author of the Communist Manifesto, who was born in Barmen.

It is one of five properties that belonged to the affluent Engels family.

Although the Engels-Haus is not his birthplace—destroyed during World War II—Engels spent his formative years in this residence during the 1820s. Since 1970, the house has contained a museum dedicated to his life and work. As of 2017, the museum was closed for renovations.

For those interested in 19th and 20th-century history, it is advisable to check the reopening date or visit for an intriguing photographic opportunity featuring a significant historical site.

9. Hardt-Anlage

East of Elberfeld’s center lies Hardt-Anlage, a district enveloped in woodlands and meadows on the elevated right bank of the Wupper River.

This area comprises six individual parks, including the former site of the botanical garden, known as the Rosengarten, located on the northern edge of Hardt-Anlage.

The Rosengarten features a charming rose garden surrounded by pergolas along a circular path.

The landscape is dotted with historical structures, such as the Gärtnerhaus, a hermitage dating back to 1882. Visitors can take a break at the quaint Café Hardt-Terrassen, a half-timbered establishment from the 1700s that once served agricultural purposes and now functions as a biergarten in the summer months.

On the eastern side, one can find the Bismarckturm, a monument dedicated to Otto von Bismarck, erected in 1907 and open for public access as a lookout tower on Sundays.

10. Botanischer Garten Wuppertal

The city’s botanical garden, founded in 1890 and relocated in 1910 to the former grounds of the Ellerschen Villa—once owned by 19th-century textile magnates—features the historical villa, which remains situated at the park’s highest point. Visitors can tour the 21-meter Elisenturm observation tower.

The original 19th-century orangery has since been complemented by three additional greenhouses, constructed in 2006. The largest of these boasts tropical vegetation on its southern side, while its northern side hosts botanical exhibitions in summertime and serves as a winter residence for plants during the colder months.

The park’s outdoor flowerbeds display approximately 400 different species of iris, gladiolus, peonies, moraea, scilla, and many others.

11. Bergische Museumsbahnen

In Kohlfurth, just a few kilometers south of Elberfeld, one can find a delightful heritage tramway.

The Bergische Museumsbahnen operates from 11:00 to 17:00 every Saturday throughout the year and includes Sundays during the summer months.

Measuring 3.2 kilometers in length, it ranks as one of the world’s shortest tram networks, making six stops while covering an elevation change of 150 meters.

The four trams operating along the line date back to 1927, 1936, and two are from 1957. Three of these vehicles previously operated in other cities, including Düsseldorf, Bochum, and Hagen, while the oldest tram has been in service in Kohlfurth for 90 years.

12. Opernhaus Wuppertal

Those who appreciate high culture should consult the Opernhaus Wuppertal for its program of opera, theatre, classical music, and dance.

This venue is noted for reinterpreting operas that have fell from the standard repertoire, having revived E.T.A. Hoffmann’s Undine in 1970 and Wolfgang Fortner’s Bluthochzeit in 2011. The Opernhaus also serves as the home for the renowned Tanztheater Wuppertal, founded by the legendary Pina Bausch in 1973. The building itself is recognized as a German protected monument, constructed in the Historicist style and dating back to 1905.

13. Briller Viertel

On the eastern slopes of Nützenberg hill, just a short walk from Luisenviertel, lies Germany’s largest contiguous villa district.

This opulent residential area remarkably avoided significant damage during World War II.

Approximately 250 of the houses within this district are listed, the majority constructed at the turn of the 20th century featuring imaginative Art Nouveau designs that blend Neo-Gothic, Neo-Renaissance, and Neo-Baroque styles.

Many homes also incorporate elements of Heimatstil, a counterpart to the Arts and Crafts movement, drawing inspiration from country chalets native to the Bergisches Land.

These residences were originally designed for Elberfeld’s affluent textile industrialists, reflecting significant investment in their architecture, ensuring no two houses are identical.

14. Neumarkt

Alongside Laurentiusplatz, Neumarkt serves as Wuppertal’s main central square.

A market operates here from Monday to Saturday beginning at 07:00, providing fresh produce, flowers, cheese, bread, and pastries.

Visitors with appetites can enjoy food stands offering Bratwurst, noodles, Indian street food, crêpes, and rotisserie chicken.

The square was established in the early 20th century, coinciding with the construction of the new Elberfelder Rathaus (town hall) on its northern side.

This grand Neo-Gothic structure features a 79-meter tower and an elegantly wrought iron entrance. Inside, magnificent frescoes adorn the entrance hall.

15. Schloss Lüntenbeck

Located seven kilometers west of Elberfeld in Wuppertal’s Vohwinkel district is a Baroque moated castle.

Schloss Lüntenbeck was first documented in the 13th century and acquired its current architectural style following the Thirty Years’ War in the 1600s.

The structure features a keep with two and a half storeys, dormer windows in its roof, all linked to a towering Baroque structure surrounding a large courtyard.

Currently, the castle is utilized as an event venue for occasions such as weddings; however, during the second and third weekends of December, it hosts a enchanting Christmas market in its courtyard.

At other times, visitors can enjoy coffee, waffles, or slices of freshly baked cake at the cafe located within the main building, which operates from 12:00 to 18:00.