Duisburg is a German city in the western part of the Ruhr Area in
North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located in the Lowland Rhine area at the
confluence of the Rhine and Ruhr rivers and near the outskirts of the
Bergisches Land. The city spreads along both sides of these rivers. With
the world's biggest inland harbour and its proximity to Düsseldorf
International Airport, Duisburg has become an important venue for
commerce and steel production. It is officially regarded as a "seaport"
because sea-going river vessels go to ports in Europe, Africa and the
Middle East. Numerous docks are mostly located at the mouth of Ruhr
river where it joins the Rhine.
Duisburg hosts a comprehensive range of cultural facilities and events.
A highlight is the annual "Duisburger Akzente", a festival focusing on
modern social, political and cultural topics. The city also offers a variety
of architectural places of interest, ranging from old churches such as
"St Johann Baptist", built in 900, to
modern age buildings like Micro-Electronic-Centrum,
built in 1995. Another subject of interest is the Landschaftspark
Duisburg-Nord, an abandoned industrial complex open to the public and an
Anchor Point of The European Route of Industrial Heritage. The city also
contains two botanical gardens, the Botanischer Garten Duisburg-Hamborn
and the Botanischer Garten Kaiserberg.
