The city with the suspended monorail: Wuppertal

Wuppertal is the biggest city in the Bergisches Land and is the region's main centre for business, education, industry and the arts. This 'green city' is the city with the suspended monorail – as its official slogan proudly proclaims. From the windows of the monorail, visitors look out onto a confident, historically aware city, with an amazing amount to offer.

Five become one – with a name that's to the point

The name Wuppertal is actually a relatively modern designation that first appeared on maps only 80 years ago. But its various constituent towns had been there long before that, and in 1929 Elberfeld, Barmen, Ronsdorf, Cronenberg and Vohwinkel were merged to form Barmen-Elberfeld. In 1930, the name was changed to Wuppertal after a referendum – a fitting choice that describes the city's location in the Wupper valley. Aside from the suspended monorail, Wuppertal is best known for its acclaimed dance company Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, its scenic zoo, historic civic hall and the Von der Heydt Museum. The sculpture park by Tony Cragg has world-class contemporary sculptures and both the Museum of Early Industrialisation and the Friedrich Engels Museum (in the house where Engels lived as a child) document the start of the industrial revolution.

The highs and lows of Wuppertal in 8,723 steps

Despite the destruction endured in the Second World War, Wuppertal still has some 4,500 buildings of historical importance – the second highest count in North Rhine-Westphalia. Architecture of the 19th century is particularly well represented, with a whole host of remarkable buildings. The Briller Viertel, for example, is one of the largest and most architecturally consistent of Germany's exclusive mansion suburbs. Also of interest are the trade exhibition buildings from Germany's industrial heyday, found near the centre of the Elberfeld district. But there are lovely surprises everywhere: visitors must climb up and down 8,723 steps to experience all the highs and lows of Wuppertal, as the city ranges from 100 to 350 metres above sea level. It's worth all that effort for the interesting insights and amazing views.

Wuppertal is not short on entertainment either. With exhibitions, museums, concerts, plays, operas, dance productions and films to choose from, there's no danger of getting bored. The city also offers extensive shopping areas, whose malls, arcades and boutiques will have something to suit all tastes. Visitors can discover the delights of the local cuisine either in sophisticated restaurants, or just as easily in the quaint, welcoming pubs on almost every street corner. Those in search of a good night out won't be disappointed by Wuppertal's many clubs and bars. Fortunately, there are large, ready-made chill-out zones for the morning after: approximately 50 per cent of the city's 16,800 hectares are used for agriculture, gardens, parks and woodland, and the 490km of walking trails are perfect for planning the next night out.