Krefeld: City of Silk, Gardens and Culture
Accommodation in Krefeld
Krefeld is nicknamed the “City of Silk” and has a long tradition of textile manufacturing. This history shapes the city’s cultural focus, while the zoo, botanical garden and environmental center bring other subjects to the fore. When planning your trip, you can therefore consider whether museums and textile history, wildlife observation or plant diversity are of particular interest to you. The range of attractions gives you a specific thematic framework for choosing a holiday apartment, without suggesting that they all offer the same kind of outing.
Krefeld
Photo: Markus Lenk
Krefeld Zoo: Wildlife Observation and Getting There
At 14 hectares, Krefeld Zoo is the largest zoo on the Lower Rhine and also Krefeld’s most visited leisure attraction. One special feature is the Gorilla Garden, where you can observe the largest living primates in an expansive outdoor enclosure. This makes the zoo an option for devoting a day of your trip to animals; the Gorilla Garden adds its own distinctive feature within the zoo.
You can take tram lines 042 and 043 from Krefeld Central Station to reach the zoo. From Uerdingen station, line 043 runs to the Grotenburg/Zoo stop. If visiting the zoo is one of your top priorities, include this specific connection in your day’s plans. When looking for a holiday apartment, you can first decide which of Krefeld’s themes—such as the zoo or culture—is most important to your trip.
Textile History and a Range of Museum Themes
The House of Silk Culture combines Krefeld’s textile past with an engaging insight into historic weaving techniques. This industrial heritage site has a rich history and preserves an original Jacquard hand-weaving room with eight historic looms from the 19th century. Guided tours, workshops and special exhibitions are suitable for all age groups. Along with seeing the looms, visitors can also choose from different ways to learn about them.
The German Textile Museum Krefeld presents another aspect of textiles through its changing exhibitions. These include the contemporary textile art series “Asia Europe – Fiber Art.” Those interested in textile design can choose between the historical focus of the House of Silk Culture and the changing exhibitions at the German Textile Museum. Burg Linn Museum offers a different cultural perspective: it comprises an archaeological museum, a medieval castle and a Baroque hunting lodge. Archaeology, the medieval castle and the Baroque hunting lodge form three clearly distinct areas of interest.
Plant Diversity and Nature Themes
Krefeld Botanical Garden covers 3.6 hectares, lies at the edge of Schönwasser Park in the Oppum district, and is home to around 5,000 plant species from around the world. The diverse origins and extensive plant collection make it a different kind of place to explore than the zoo: here, the focus is on plant species, while the zoo is about observing animals. In 2026, the botanical garden’s events program includes guided tours, workshops, concerts, plant markets and exhibitions. If you want to plan your trip around a particular event, you can check the dates for the program item you are interested in separately.
Krefeld Environmental Center also brings together a range of nature-related themes. Its grounds include a cottage garden, traditional orchards, a grain plot, beehives, a natural pond and woodland. The grounds are generally open to everyone. The environmental center offers age-appropriate programs for school classes and kindergarten groups. If you are traveling with children, this gives you the opportunity to distinguish between a visit to the zoo, the plant collection at the botanical garden, and the programs specifically mentioned for groups at the environmental center, without treating these attractions as interchangeable.
For information about the local area, you can also find Bockum and Krefeld.
For the broader travel overview: North Rhine-Westphalia.
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