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Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf is a city on the River Rhine in western Germany and is the capital city of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is one of the economic centres of the country, and a major city within the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan area, with a population of 620,000 (2018).

While Frankfurt is the German hub for financial services and many other German cities excel in various branches of industry, Düsseldorf has the highest concentration of professional services, creative industries and media, and is regarded as the German capital of fashion. Düsseldorf also hosts a large number of German or European head offices of Japanese companies, and has a considerable Japanese population, forming over 1% of the city's population.

The city is famous for its nightlife, carnival, events, shopping and for fashion and trade fairs like the Boot Messe (trade fair for boats and watersports) and Igedo (fashion fair). Every year, more than 4 million people visit the Kirmes fun fair which runs for 10 days in the summer.

Orientation
Düsseldorf lies on the River Rhine, or more precisely, mostly on its right (eastern) riverbank. The corresponding western riverbank is mostly occupied by the neighbouring cities of Neuss and Meerbusch except for a small bit of land on the left bank belonging to Düsseldorf, which forms the District 4.

Düsseldorf is divided into 10 districts (Stadtbezirke), which are referred to only using numbers. Those are further divided into "city parts" (Stadtteile), or neighbourhoods/quarters, which in turn have meaningful names.

Tourists are most likely to concentrate on District 1, with its quarters of Stadtmitte ("city centre") spreading northwest from the train station, as well as Altstadt ("old town") and Carlstadt on the Rhine. Many will continue further south along the Rhine through Unterbilk in District 3 to the haven (Hafen), which has been largely converted to commercial and leisure use from its original industrial and transportation functions. This whole area is rather compact, compared to the entirety of Düsseldorf, and mostly walkable.

Of the other districts and city parts, of interest to tourists may be the Benrath in District 9, with its grand palace and park and Lohausen in District 5, which contains Düsseldorf's airport.

Spelling
The name Düsseldorf can be split into two words, "Düssel" and "Dorf". The first is the name of a little stream that flows through the city (mostly underground nowadays). And "Dorf" means "village", so "Düsseldorf" actually means "village at the Düssel".

In German, umlauts like ü can be transcribed as ue, so spelling without umlauts leads to Duessel. Origins of this name go back into the old German language, when over time vowels and consonants shifted slightly. 1065 this stream is mentioned named "Tussale", which means roaring or rushing. This gives "rushing/roaring village ".

Be careful not to misspell the name of the city as "Dusseldorf" without an umlaut, because if you do, you are calling it "Village of Fools": "Dussel" is a dated word meaning "fool".

Relationship with Cologne
Foreign guests might not know that there is rivalry between the citizens of Düsseldorf and their neighbours in Cologne. So if you order a “Kölsch” (a local light beer brewed in Cologne) in Düsseldorf, some people might react with sarcasm and seem unfriendly. When they see you are a foreigner they will no doubt forgive you. You would do better to directly order an "Alt", which is the local and of course much better local beer brewed in Düsseldorf.

Tourist information
There are two main tourist information offices in Düsseldorf: They offer a lot of brochures: a monthly calendar of events, a city guide and free maps with walking routes designed around a specific theme (e.g., "Art Route", "Düsseldorf in 1 Hour") and a guide for LGBT people. You can also book their guided tours, and note that there are also tours for disabled and deaf people.
 * Düsseldorf tourism website

By plane
Düsseldorf Airport, the third largest airport in Germany by passenger traffic, is within the city limits. As the distance is rather small and transportation links are good, the Cologne/Bonn Airport can be used as an entry point to Düsseldorf just as well. The low-cost airport in Weeze, in the west of North Rhine-Westphalia, has been branded as Düsseldorf Weeze, even though it is about 75 km away from the city. Flying into Frankfurt Airport and taking a direct high-speed train from there is also an option - Lufthansa offers single-ticket connections like that, to book them enter your destination as  for Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof train station.

Düsseldorf Airport
Düsseldorf is also a hub for Eurowings, Lufthansa's no frills subsidiary that offers a wide selection of flights to DUS. You will find flights from most major European airports operated by other major or minor airlines.

The airport is about 15 km from the main railway station. The airport has two train stations:
 * Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal, underneath the terminal, is only served by the S11 commuter trains
 * , larger and a bit further away, is served by commuter, local and long-distance trains. To get to "Düsseldorf Flughafen", take the SkyTrain monorail from the terminal and ride it to the end, past the stop for parking garages. The SkyTrain ride, with waiting time and stops takes about 10-15 mins.

Fares are the same for both stations, and while more trains call at the larger of the two, it also takes more time to get there. The fastest and easiest way to Düsseldorf tends to be the station underneath the terminal; look for signs with a white S on a green circle. Trains run every 20 minutes, take 12 minutes to reach the Hauptbahnhof (Central Station) and cost €3. The ticket is valid for an onward journey on public transport within Düsseldorf. A taxi to Düsseldorf costs around €28 and takes 20 minutes, the rate to the trade fair (Messe) is fixed at €20.

Cologne/Bonn Airport
Köln Bonn Airport (CGN) is a 60-minute drive or train ride away from Düsseldorf city centre. The RE 6 (RRX) goes directly from Cologne airport to Düsseldorf. Another option is to take the S19 commuter train towards Düren or the RB27 towards Mönchengladbach. Change for both at Köln Messe/Deutz (not the Central Station/Hauptbahnhof) and take the RE 1 towards Hamm or the RE 5 towards Wesel. Both trains are RRX. Tickets cost around €11 and can be bought from the machines in the train station; make sure to select that you want to travel by local transport only. Otherwise the machine will offer somewhat faster express train (IC/ICE) connections for a higher price.

Weeze Airport
Weeze Airport is used almost exclusively by Ryanair. The airport is 80 km from Düsseldorf main railway station, a 90-min drive by car or bus (bus: 6-8 departures per day, €14 fare). The airport is not connected directly to the railway network, something that is rather unusual in Germany.

If you need to travel from Düsseldorf main airport (DUS) to Weeze Airport (NRN), Deutsche Bahn is the easiest and fastest option. Just follow the DB signs at DUS Airport. The train (S11 then RE10) gets you to Weeze or Kevelaer; then, change to a special bus, which takes you directly to Weeze Airport. Local bus fare is included in Deutsche Bahn tickets. The bus from Weeze train station leaves hourly for the airport until 21:20. The train goes every hour.

Sometimes, it is cheaper to buy a SchönerTagTicket/Nice Day Ticket NRW (€28.50 single, €39.50 for up to 5 people), valid all day on all public transport in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. This ticket can be bought online on DB's website, from stations, DB counters (where it costs €2 extra), bus drivers, or ticket machines.

If you want to travel from Düsseldorf city to Weeze Airport, you can also take a bus from the Busbahnhof, close to the Hauptbahnhof. The stop is only a 3 min walk from the Hauptbahnhof, behind the cinema at Worringer Straße. The bus takes you straight to Weeze Airport. Tickets can be purchased from the driver (about €13). The same bus takes you from Weeze to Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof, the main train station in 1 hr.

By train
The  (main station) is a major stop for Deutsche Bahn (German state railway). Long distance express trains (ICE) serve all major German towns and Amsterdam in the Netherlands. The statewide network is covered by S-Bahn, Regionalbahn, and Regionalexpress. Flixtrain serves the city.

All tickets will have to be validated before departure. For the trains like Regionalbahn or Regionalexpress there's an orange machine before you go up the stairs to the platform, where you have to stamp your ticket.

The Rheinbahn tickets for the local Stadtbahn (subway) and Straßenbahn (tram) service need to be validated on the actual trains although you will find stamp boxes at the entrance to the platform as well.

Failure to stamp the ticket in the appropriate machines ("entwerten") will result in either a €60 on-the-spot fine (2019) or being brought to a police station by the security where the police will request your I.D. such as your passport for later prosecution. Not being German, not understanding the language or complicated system, or the fact that you have purchased a ticket will not be accepted as excuses: if it is not stamped, it is not valid, and travelling with a non-stamped ticket is considered an offence.

By bus
Flixbus and other companies operate here. It's near the central train station.

By car
Düsseldorf is connected to the following highways: A3, A44, A46, A52, A57 (via Neuss) and A59.

By local transportation
The bus, tramway (Straßenbahn) and light rail/subway (U-Bahn/Stadtbahn) (Map) networks - impressive for a city its size - are operated by Rheinbahn AG. There is also a suburban railway network (S-Bahn). Most destinations in Düsseldorf can be reached by local transportation. Tickets must be purchased and stamped for validation before using the transportation service. Tickets are bought from vending machines on the tram or subway stops. There are many different ticket types and the vending machines' instructions are given in several languages including German, English, and French. To the average traveler, these three are the most relevant ticket types:
 * Short trip ticket (Kurzstrecke): Valid for 30 min, about 4 stops (on each vending machine there is a list telling where one can travel on a short trip ticket bought from that particular machine).
 * A-class ticket (Preisstufe A): adequate to reach your destinations within Düsseldorf. Valid for 90 min.
 * Day ticket (Preisstufe A / Tagesticket): Valid until 03:00 of the following day.
 * Day group ticket (Preisstufe A / Gruppenticket): With the Group Ticket, families or groups containing up to 5 individuals can travel the whole day long by bus and rail

(01.01.2020) All the main sights and establishments are in the A-area, but if you are visiting other nearby cities in the same time period, for example Neuss, Wuppertal and Dortmund, you may need a ticket at price level B, C or D. If you enter the details of your trip into the VRR website (linked below), then the required ticket area for that journey will be shown.
 * SingleTicket ADULT : €2.90
 * Additional-Ticket : €3.70
 * 4-Ticket ADULT : €11.00
 * 24-Hour-Ticket (1 person) : €7.30
 * 48-Hour-Ticket (1 person) : €13.90
 * 7-Day-Ticket : €29.50
 * 30-Day-Ticket 1000 : €80.50
 * 30-Day-Ticket 2000 : €90.80
 * 30-Day-Ticket 1000 9 o'clock : €59.70
 * 30-Day-Ticket 2000 9 o'clock : €67.50
 * SingleTicket child : €1.70
 * 4-Ticket child : €6.20
 * 4-Additional-Ticket : €13.40
 * 24-Hour-Ticket (2 Persons) : €10.90
 * 24-Hour-Ticket (3 Persons) : €14.50
 * 24-Hour-Ticket (4 Persons) : €17.90
 * 24-Hour-Ticket (5 Persons) : €21.50
 * 48-Hour-Ticket (2 Persons) : €20.70
 * 48-Hour-Ticket (3 Persons) : €27.50
 * 48-Hour-Ticket (4 Persons) : €34.30
 * 48-Hour-Ticket (5 Persons) : €41.20
 * 30-Day- Class 1st class surcharge : €49.00
 * Nice Day Ticket NRW : from €30.60

Timetables:
 * bahn.de (German, English, French and Italian)
 * vrr.de (German, English and French)
 * Net Plan of regional transfer service

By car
The city centre is an "environment zone" similar to that found in many other large German cities. Cars must have a sticker declaring the car's pollution category.

By bike
There are several bike hire vendors in Düsseldorf, which offer daily or longer term bookings, for ~€9/day, or less for longer rental times.

You can hire bikes (Fahrradverleih) from the "Hauptbahnhof" (main station) at the RadStation (in German), which is owned by the City of Düsseldorf and can be booked a day in advance online. You can also park your bikes under cover here for €0.70/day.

A commercial service is run by Nextbike (in German), but requires free registration to receive the combination lock codes to access the bikes. A working mobile phone is also required. You can pick up a SIM card fairly cheaply from a local mobile phone store.

By foot
The city centre is not that large and most attractions are in a walkable distance from one another.

By e-hailing
Uber, Bolt and Free Now cover the city.

By taxi
Taxis are widely available, the two largest taxi companies being Taxi-Düsseldorf and Rhein-Taxi. As in most of the rest of Germany, licensed taxis are always in ivory colour and on the back window you always find a black number on a yellow patch.

When riding a taxi, the starting fee is €4.50. Price per km is €2.20, waiting time €35 per hour, which is calculated in steps increasing by €0.10 each 10.29 seconds. Additional surcharge for a journey with more than 4 passengers is €7, and an obligatory flat rate between the fairgrounds to the airport DUS and, vice versa is €20, each direction. Credit card service fee is €2. According to the Düsseldorf taxi-regulation you find an identity card of the driver and information about the tariff. Taxi drivers are not allowed to refuse a short ride or indeed to anywhere in the city or to the direct neighbour cities.

Neighbouring cities have individual tariffs which may differ from those of Düsseldorf. So it is normal that a journey from, for example, Mönchengladbach to Düsseldorf is less expensive as the exact same way from Düsseldorf to Mönchengladbach

See
The city was largely destroyed in World War II, and there were very few old buildings left. People interested in modern architecture, however, will have much to see in Düsseldorf. Also, there are many modern public artworks, and on Stresemannplatz Square and the Rhine Bank, there are palm trees, not really something you'd expect to see on a cold day in October.

Stadtmitte
Stadtmitte is the first part of Düsseldorf most travellers see, as it extends northwest from the Hauptbahnhof. It is a very no-nonsense district mostly filled with offices and retail, with few historic buildings, but not without its charm. The Königsallee at the western end of Stadtmitte, close to the Altstadt, is an internationally famous boulevard and luxury shopping street running along both banks of the Kögraben canal. On balance, the area around the Hauptbahnhof may seem relatively seedy for a city lauded for its living conditions - the general rule is that the farther from the train station and closer to the Kö, the nicer the neighbourhood. You may also want to stroll along another shopping street, the Schadowstraße - see the section of this guide for more tips.

The quarter between Berliner Allee, Klosterstraße, Charlottenstraße and Graf-Adolf-Straße is known as the Japanese quarter (Japanisches Viertel), as the many Japanese companies tend to place their head offices there. This in turn results in the proliferation of typically Japanese service providers, including many restaurants and specialist stores. Moreover, the Japanese companies often provide company apartments to their employees within the quarter. Beyond the long-standing Japanese places, there are also many Chinese and South Korean establishments.

To the west of the Königsallee, encroaching on the territories of Altstadt and Carlstadt, is the Bankenviertel, where traditionally the big international, national and local banks have had their headquarters or local offices. This afforded the area between the parallel Kasernenstraße, Breite Straße and Königsallee with many impressive office buildings, many dating back to the 19th century, and continues to affect the local rents, highest in the city. Apart from banks, media (especially those concentrating on business and economics) and professional services firms also occupy much of the office space available.

By order of elector Carl Theodor, the architect Nicolas de Pigage planned and implemented the first public park in Germany, named Hofgarten. It became the prototype of the English Garden of Munich. In the oldest part of Hofgarten you find the Jröne Jong (local dialect, meaning green boy). From there the “Riding Alley” leads strait forward to palace Jägerhof, which today houses the Goethe-Museum. People like the self-luminous park benches on Riding Alley. And last not least Hofgarten houses some sculptures of famous artists.

Altstadt
The Old Town of Düsseldorf, almost completely destroyed during World War II, was rebuilt according to historic plans on its foundation walls, which makes it look like a real historic town. Today the Altstadt is a popular shopping mall and at night and weekends turns into the “longest bar in the world”. Within one square kilometre, you will find about 260 bars, coffee shops and snug brewing houses. The old town is the home of “Altbier”, a top-fermented, dark beer. They say it tastes best at the historical brewing houses. There, the Köbesse (local dialect: waiters) may be somewhat harsh but they are warm hearted. If your beer glass is empty the next Alt comes without you even having to order it. Many times the first Alt comes without even having to order it!

The promenade on the bank of the Rhine is one of the most beautiful ones in Germany, and it is situated on the correct side, the right bank, because the sun shines onto this side all day long (the citizens of Cologne used to say the left bank of Rhine is the correct one because the centre of Cologne is situated there), The promenade leads from Parliament via Mannesmannufer, Rathausufer, Burgplatz, and Tonhalle to Rhine-Park. It was created by constructing a tunnel in 1993 and moving motorized traffic underground, so that the riverside became a pedestrian area. Most gangways for boat trips on the Rhine are situated near the Burgplatz. Many coffee shops offer seats outside where you can watch and be watched when the weather is fine. The pavement of the promenade is an artwork too; its sinuous design reflects the waves on the river.

Inside the old town, but everywhere in the city also, you will find lots of marvellous old gas lamps. Besides Berlin Düsseldorf is the city with the most gas lamps in Germany.

Carlstadt
Carlstadt is Düsseldorf's smallest Bezirk by area, whose development started in the late 18th century when the old fortifications of the city became obsolete and the need for more housing pressing. It is named after Prince-Elector Carl Theodor, whose domain encompassed the city at that time. Different in character from the business-oriented Stadtmitte and noisy Altstadt, the Carlstadt charms with its baroque façades, chess-board-like street plan and relative prevalence of greens.

Carlstadt is known for its many antique and art traders, upscale jewellery stores, as well as many museums, galleries and other cultural institutions. Among the artists who have over the years chosen to live in the area were Clara and Robert Schumann. The most commercially active are the Bilker Straße and Hohe Straße. A more historic part of the Bezirk is to be found between the Citadellstraße, Schulstraße and Anna-Maria-Luisa-Medici-Platz.

Unterbilk and Hafen

Other districts

Pillar Saints
Throughout Düsseldorf you may encounter life-size figures of people standing on advertising columns, the so-called pillar saints. There are nine of them. It is a project of artist Christoph Pöggeler (born in 1958 in Münster/Westphalia). Humans, removed from their daily routine and put on a pedestal, become noticeable as individuals again and also refer to groups of society like children, business men, vagabonds and strangers. The position of the sculptures are:
 * Business Man: Joseph-Beuys-Ufer, Düsseldorf 2001
 * Marlis: Stromstraße, WDR, Düsseldorf 2001
 * Couple I: Burgplatz, Düsseldorf 2002
 * Tourist: Kaiserswerther Straße, Düsseldorf 2003
 * Father and Son: Oststraße, Düsseldorf 2003
 * Photographer: Hauptbahnhof, Düsseldorf 2004
 * Couple II: Berger Allee, Düsseldorf 2004
 * Stranger: Schlossufer, Düsseldorf 2005
 * Bride: Schulstraße/Ecke Citadellstraße, Düsseldorf 2006

Do

 * Football:

Events

 * Düsseldorf is a stronghold of Carnival. The 5th season starts on 11 Nov (11.11). at 11:11 with the handover of the keys of the city hall to the women. But the main carnival runs from Carnival Monday to Ash Wednesday. If you have the chance don’t miss the parade on Carnival Monday in February.
 * Every year in April or May there is the Düsseldorf Marathon which is open for everyone. Registration is required for participants, but viewers are welcome any time.
 * Free entrance to the K20 and K21 every first Wednesday in the Month.
 * Every year in April or May there is the Düsseldorf Marathon which is open for everyone. Registration is required for participants, but viewers are welcome any time.
 * Free entrance to the K20 and K21 every first Wednesday in the Month.
 * Free entrance to the K20 and K21 every first Wednesday in the Month.

Buy
Königsallee, called the Kö by the locals, is the city's main boulevard with high-end stores and boutiques, as well as gourmet restaurants and luxury hotels.

The Schadowstraße is another major shopping street, much more affordable, with department stores and apparel shops from local and international chains.

Another famous department store in Düsseldorf is the Carsch-Haus at Heinrich-Heine-Platz. Opened in 1915 by Paul Carsch, it was rebuilt after the Second World War and continued in operation until 1979, when its façade had to be moved 23 m back to make room for the U-Bahn station. After this meticulously performed operation, it remains continually open since 1984 under its historic name, despite changing hands and becoming a part of the Hertie chain and ending up as part of Kaufhof AG. Kaufhof positions the store as slightly more upmarket than its own-brand Galerias.

Other high-end fashion retailers to be found in Düsseldorf include:

Independent fashion
Those who like trendy fashion should visit the quarter of Flingern, especially Ackerstraße. The former residential quarter has is a creative district offering stores like the trendy ones you will find in Berlin. Also the district of Pempelfort (Tußmannstraße) and Unterbilk (Lorettostraße) demonstrate that there is a fashion scene beside international fashion houses.

Local specialties

 * Killepitsch is a local liquor flavored with herbs (so called "Kräuterlikör"). The liquor has a blood red colour and is made from a combination of 90 fruits, berries, herbs, and spices. Available at
 * Bottles of Altbier - One nice souvenir or gift is a bottle of local Altbier. Breweries usually sell these bottles directly in their gastronomies.
 * Bottles of Altbier - One nice souvenir or gift is a bottle of local Altbier. Breweries usually sell these bottles directly in their gastronomies.

Eat
Characteristic Rhenish dishes like Düsseldorfer Senfrostbraten (mustard roast pork), Rheinischer Sauerbraten (marinated beef with raisins), Halve Hahn (not a "half chicken", but a slice of cheese with mustard and a gherkin on rye bread) or Ähzezupp (pea soup) are offered everywhere within the old town.

Drink

Düsseldorf is known for its many bars in the downtown (Altstadt) area. In fact, many people refer to the Altstadt as the "longest bar in the world" ("Längste Theke der Welt"). The most common drink is "Altbier" or simply "Alt." This dark beer, served in small glasses, is available at practically any restaurant in the city. Altbier is only brewed in breweries around Düsseldorf. Some of the traditional breweries are the "Uerige", "Füchschen", "Zum Schlüssel" and "Schumacher".

In the Altstadt you can enjoy Schlüssel, Uerige, Schumacher, and Füchschen beers, at traditional brewery restaurants. The waiters at these traditional restaurants are called "Köbes." These waiters will replace empty glasses with full ones when they see one. Typically new visitors to the city are surprised by a new fresh glass of Altbier in front of them when they did not order one. To signal that you are done and do not want any more Altbier, simply place your coaster ("Bierdeckel") on top of your glass, and the "Köbes" will not automatically refill you. Bolkerstraße (Zum Schlüssel, Schumacher), Flingerstraße (Uerige), Ratinger Straße (Füchschen) and Kurzestraße (Kürzer) are the main places where you find all kinds of pubs and breweries. A variation of the Altbier is called Krefelder. It's an Altbier with Coke.

During summer months the Altstadt will come alive after work. People standing outside the pubs and enjoying their beer and good company. This will be especially the case on Wednesday evenings on Ratingerstraße. The street will be packed full of people with a great chilled atmosphere. Be aware though of broken glass on the cobbled street. But if you have a chance to go, do not miss it.

Besides Altstadt, which some might consider to be slightly artificial, there are many other places around the city to enjoy beer or cocktails as well. Medienhafen (Media Harbour) is a very popular quarter, especially during the summer. Other areas which are rather non-touristic include Pempelfort (Nordstraße), Unterbilk (Lorettostraße, Düsselstraße), Oberkassel (Luegallee), and Düsseltal (Rethelstraße).

Religious services
Holy mass in Catholic churches in downtown Düsseldorf:

 * Franziskanerkirche, Immermannstraße/Oststraße (near the central station). Su 10:00, 12:00; M-F 15:30.
 * St. Maximilian, Schulstraße/Maxplatz (Altstadt). Su 10:00, 11:30, 18:00; M-Sa 18:00.
 * St. Andreas, Hunsrückenstraße (near the Kunsthalle, Altstadt). Mass times: Su 08:30, 11:00, 18:00; M-Sa 12:00, 18:00
 * St. Lambertus Basilika minor, Stiftsplatz (near the Rhine bank, Altstadt). Mass times: Su 10:30, 17:00; M-Sa 17:00.

Jewish:

 * Jüdische Gemeinde Düsseldorf
 * Chabad of Düsseldorf Synagogue and Jewish Centre that holds weekly Sabbath services and other events.

Stay safe
Düsseldorf is generally as safe as other European cities of similar size. However the surroundings of the central railway station might be a bit intimidating, particularly at night, if there are junkies around. In particular, the pedestrianised office district outside the rear entrance to the station, heading away from the town centre, is quite deserted late at night and best avoided.

Respect
Düsseldorf is in a strong rivalry with its neighbor city Cologne, especially concerning comparisons between the local beers. Cologne is almost twice the size of Düsseldorf in terms of population, and the Cologne Cathedral is known nationwide. Düsseldorf is an economic powerhouse and capital city of the state of NRW. If you have been to Cologne, try to avoid any comparisons between the two cities.

Close by

 * Cologne — the largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia maintaining a legendary rivalry with its close neighbour
 * Brühl — almost a suburb of Cologne and contains the Augustusburg Palace which has been placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The palace is one of the key works of Balthasar Neuman, and contains one of the finest Rococo interiors in the world, the highlight being the main staircase. Also in the grounds is the magnificent hunting Lodge of Falkenslust. Brühl is easily reached by train. The Phantasialand theme park is also in Brühl.
 * Bonn — the former capital of (West) Germany is due south and easy to reach by train or S-Bahn
 * Königswinter and Bad Honnef — small towns at the Middle Rhine Valley reachable by train
 * Lower Rhine with the towns of Neuss, Meerbusch and Krefeld
 * Ratingen city to the northeast
 * Ruhr (Ruhrgebiet) — If you are interested in heavy industry and/or industrial culture this might be a worthwhile trip. It is about 50 km north of Düsseldorf. The region, which was the centre of Germany's mining industry (coal and steel) is going through a structural transformation and presents its industrial heritage (not without pride) on the Industrial Heritage Trail.

International
Due to Düsseldorf's proximity to the German/Belgian/Dutch border, weekend trips to foreign destinations are easy to arrange.

 * Amsterdam
 * Paris
 * Brussels
 * Eindhoven
 * Antwerp
 * Arnhem

title: Düsseldorf


text:
Dębno

Dębno is a small mountain village in Malopolskie Province in southern Poland. It's sometimes spelled out as Dębno Podhalańskie - the Dębno that's in Podhale region, to distinguish it from the oil town of Dębno in West Pomerania, the tiny Dębno k Lezajska near Rzeszów, and the almost microscopic Dębno near Kielce.

Get in
You need your own wheels. The nearest place with public transport is Nowy Targ 12 km west.

See
Dębno is world-famous for its spectacular medieval wooden church, one of the protected UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The church, dedicated to Archangel Michael, is first mentioned in chronicles from 1335 AD, but the original wooden church is known to have burned down; its present form was rebuilt in the early baroque. The structure was built entirely from wood, without metal nails or fasteners. The architecture and proportions are a great example of a wooden Gothic church, with some elements unique to the Podhale region. Interior walls are covered in Gothic polychrome decoration from around 1500 AD, and decorated with paintings that date as early as 15th century. The main altarpiece is an elaborate triptych from mid-16th century. The oldest piece in the church is a crucifix dated at around 1380, saved from the fire, and now seen hanging from the ceiling. (An even older piece, a late Romanesque painting from 1280, had since been moved to the Museum of the Archdiocese of Kraków.)

Go next

 * Niedzica
 * Nowy Targ
 * Szczawnica-Zdrój

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Dębno


text:
Děčín

Děčín is a city in North Bohemia. It lies on the River Elbe in a beautiful and diverse landscape, surrounded by the Central Bohemian Uplands, Elbe Sandstone Mountains and Bohemian Switzerland National Park.

Understand
Děčín is a nice city in the valley of the Elbe, close to the main railway connecting Saxony and Prague. Before World War II, most of the inhabitants were ethnic Germans. After the war most of the German population was driven out, fled or was resettled and the new communist government redesigned the city destroying many historic buildings and building panel blocks in the process. Because of that, these days there is more than one city center in Děčín, which might be confusing. The main railway and bus station as well as the town hall are all located on the opposite bank of the Elbe than the castle and historical old town. With a population of 47,000 in 2020, Decin is the 19th largest city in the country. The old German name for the town "Tetschen" most likely has the same root as the Czech name, which becomes obvious when you hear it pronounced in a Saxon accent.

By car
By car it takes around 1 hr 25 min from Prague.

By bus
There is no direct bus connection and it takes 3 hr with several changes of bus.

Get around
Děčín is served by 17 bus lines. It is also possible and reasonable to use train, there is 15 train station within whole Decin.

Go next

 * Central Bohemian Uplands, Elbe Sandstone Mountains and Bohemian Switzerland National Park - these three areas with beautiful landscape begins just where Děčín ends. It is possible to start connect to hiking trail just in the city.
 * Bad Schandau, Dresden and other places in Saxony (D).

title: Děčín


text:
D-Day beaches

The D-Day Beaches are in the Calvados and Manche departments of Normandy, France. They were the landing places for the Allied invasion of western Europe during World War II.

An excellent time to visit is on the June 6th anniversary when there are numerous memorial ceremonies to mark the occasion. A large number of reenactment groups attend, adding pageantry and atmosphere. The church bells ring in the towns to celebrate the anniversary of their liberation. The French people will be happy to see you - these people remember, and the welcome will be warm.

It has been a long time since 1944 and not many of the old soldiers survive, but those that do often return to these beaches on June 6th. For the 70th anniversary in 2014, 90-year-old Royal Navy veteran Bernard Jordan was denied permission to leave his nursing home because of his health; he snuck out and got on a ferry to France anyway. Two elderly paratroopers, a 93-year-old American and an 89-year-old Briton, jumped into France that day as they had 70 years earlier.

Understand

 * See World War II in Europe for context.

On 6 June 1944 (D-Day), the long-awaited invasion of Northwest Europe (Operation Overlord) began with Allied landings on the coast of Normandy (Operation Neptune).

The task was formidable, for the Germans had turned the coastline into an interlinked series of strongpoints with artillery, machine guns, pillboxes, barbed wire, land mines, and beach obstacles. Germany had 50 divisions in northern France and the Low Countries, including at least a dozen in position to immediately be used against this invasion.

Following an extensive air and sea bombardment of the assault areas, the Allies launched a simultaneous landing of U.S., British and Canadian forces. About 160,000 ground troops landed that day, roughly half American and half Commonwealth. About 4,000 ships, 11,000 planes, and many thousands of sailors and airmen also took part in the operation.

Overall commander of Allied forces in Europe was the American General Dwight D. Eisenhower, who would later become the country's president, while the British General Bernard Montgomery was in charge of the ground forces in Normandy once they landed. On the German side, General Erwin Rommel was in charge of coastal defenses while Field Marshall Gerd von Rundstedt had overall command in the region.

This was the largest seaborne invasion in history and an important Allied victory, though the costs in both lives and material were enormous.

The landings
"The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. – General Dwight D. Eisenhower"

Just after midnight 24,000 men came in by parachute and glider on the flanks, to secure key points. Then the main seaborne landings on five separate beaches began at dawn. East-to-west, the attacks were:
 * The British 6th Airborne, with one Canadian battalion, on the left flank near Caen

 * The US 82nd and 101st Airborne, on the right flank around Sainte-Mère-Église

Every beach has monuments and museums; see the Beaches section below for details. When the seaborne units began to land, the allied soldiers stormed the beaches against strong opposition, despite mines and obstacles. They raced across open beaches swept with machine gun fire and stormed the German gun positions. In fierce hand-to-hand fighting, they fought their way into the towns and hills and then advanced inland. Casualties were heavy in all areas and on both sides, though initially the Germans in their fortified positions had lighter losses than the Allies.

''“As we near the edge of the water we spread out. Other craft have grounded further along the beach. We are now abreast of them. They are disembarking with all types of material about their person, just as helpless as myself to shoot back the beach defenders. Some of the boys go down at the water's edge for a breather, but they come under direct machine-gun fire which criss-crosses the whole beach. Thank Heaven! "'' – John Robson, Hull Daily Mail

By the end of the day the 3rd British Division was within three miles of Caen, the 3rd Canadian Division was well established on its intermediate objectives and the 50th British Division was only two miles from Bayeux. In the American zone, the 4th Division had established a 4-mile deep penetration inland and was within reach of Ste-Mere-Eglise, where the 82nd had fought throughout the night. At Omaha Beach the Germans had an advantage of terrain from the bluffs above the landing sites, but there too beachheads had been established.

It was a magnificent accomplishment; the formidable Atlantic Wall had been successfully breached. By the end of D-Day, the Allies had landed more than 150,000 troops in France by sea and air, 6,000 vehicles including 900 tanks, 600 guns, and about 4,000 tons of supplies and, astonishingly, they had achieved complete surprise in doing it. More soldiers and supplies were pouring ashore to continue the advance; by early July the Allies had over a million men in France, and in August the total reached two million.

Other allies
The main invading force was American, British and Canadian, but several other allies had observers present or were involved in other ways.

The captive nations of Europe contributed significantly to their own liberation; they all (even Germany) had resistance movements, and several also had more formal forces involved; on D-Day there were Free French on the beaches, and Norwegian, Dutch and Polish Navy ships offshore. A Polish armoured division fought as part of the Canadian army in Normandy. From D-Day through all the fighting in France, Belgium and Holland, the resistance disrupted both German communications and their efforts to move urgently-needed reinforcements and supplies. On D-Day, Free French paratroopers were dropped in Brittany (the region west of Normandy) to help with that; their success was a factor in the American victories on the Cotentin Peninsula shortly after D-Day and in Brittany later.

By the time of this war the British Empire was far past its peak, but it was still a force to be reckoned with. On D-Day about half the landing force were British or Canadian, and the Empire made contributions beyond that. Ships of the New Zealand merchant marine delivered troops and British-based squadrons of Commonwealth air forces were in action along with the RAF and USAF. Also, every branch of the British services included personnel from other countries of the Empire.

Towns
The usual bases for visits to the beaches are either Caen or Bayeux; all the beaches are easily reached from either, though both are a bit inland not right on the beaches.

Caen is the main city of the department of Calvados, and the second most important city in Normandy after Rouen; it has various attractions and excellent shopping. It is about 15 km (10 miles) from the coast. Bayeux is a smaller town, closer to the coast and to the center of the invasion landing area. It is easy to get in and out of, and convenient for visiting the Omaha, Gold and Juno beach sectors. It has excellent restaurants and shops with an interesting pedestrian section.

There are other choices. The area has many other villages; most are quite picturesque and are able to accommodate tourists.
 * Ouistreham is on the coast at the eastern end of the landing area, on Sword Beach, and may be convenient because it has a ferry from Portsmouth.
 * Arromanches-les-Bains is on the coast near the center, on Gold Beach, and was one site where a "mulberry harbour" (artificial port) was built shortly after D-Day.
 * Sainte-Mère-Église is to the west, inland of Utah Beach; American paratroopers were dropped in the area a few hours before the seaborne invasion and fought a fierce battle in and around the town.

One could also stay in one of the towns outside the actual landing area where an important battle was fought in the weeks after D Day. See the Normandy campaign section below for details.

Almost every town in this area was damaged during the war; some — such as Caen, Saint-Lô, Vire and Falaise — were mostly destroyed. However, they have all long since been rebuilt. Bayeux was fortunately undamaged and so still retains the Medieval character.

Climate
Normandy has a temperate-zone maritime climate. The summers are warm and winters are mild. Rain however is a part of the climate all year round, winter seeing more rain than summer. The ongoing rain isn't enough to spoil a vacation most of the time and it does have a benefit, the nature is incredibly lush and green. Winter does see the occasional snow and frost as well, but in general the climate is pretty moderate in winter.

Summers are a little warmer than in southern Britain with up to 8 hours of sunshine per day. Cyclists love the region because it is not nearly as hot as most other parts of France and can be more compared to southern England than inland France. Either way, sunscreen and a hat are necessary; even if it doesn't feel as hot as the rest of France, the sun is still beating down with force!

Get in
Normandy is easily reachable from Paris, either by car (2 to 3 hours drive) or by train (2 hours from Paris St Lazare station to Caen central station).

Alternatively, a ferry across the channel will take you in just over three hours from Portsmouth to Ouistreham, the easternmost D-Day target, an ideal starting point. Portsmouth was one of the ports from which the invasion was launched and has a D-Day Museum.

Other ferries go to Cherbourg and Le Havre, nearby though not in the actual landing area. Cherbourg is a major city and was liberated by the Americans in late June; see Contentin Peninsula below. Le Havre is a smaller town and further from the beaches; it was a German naval base, mainly for torpedo boats. It was liberated by a British and Canadian force in early September after some of the heaviest bombing of the war and a fierce fight on the ground.

Caen also has an airport, near the village of Carpiquet west of the city. Control of the airfield was fiercely contested in the weeks after D-Day.

Get around
Tour the beaches and battlefields, see the various museums and cemeteries throughout the area, and visit the seaside villages and towns. Independent travel either by car or using public transport is possible.

Local tourist information offices provide a leaflet (in English) that lists key visitor attractions, and has details of seven route itineraries which are also signposted on the road network.

By car
Car rental in Normandy can be arranged through several international chains including Avis, Budget, Eurocar, and Hertz. Cars can be picked up in Caen. Driving in France is on the right-hand side of the road and all distance and speed measurements are in km.

Bus
Bus routes in Normandy with services between Caen and Bayeux, Bayeux and Ouistreham, and Bayeux to Grandcamp. These cover most of the main landing beaches. All the routes are operated by Bus Verts du Calvados, and free timetables can be acquired from the main tourist offices.

From Bayeux train station, you can catch a bus to some of the D-Day beaches. On the bus website there is a map of the bus route to the D-Day beaches. Bus 70 takes you to Omaha beach, the American cemetery, and to Pointe Du Hoc. Bus 74 takes you to Arromanches Beach, the location of the Mulberry harbors. According to Wikipedia: "Omaha beach is 5 miles (8 km) long, from east of Sainte-Honorine-des-Pertes to west of Vierville-sur-Mer" and these villages are accessible via Bus 70. Buses are few and far between, so take the few number of buses into account. Also, buses do not run when there is heavy snow, so check the bus website beforehand during snow season.

Bicycle
Bike tours are very popular in France and biking is an excellent way of visiting the battlefields. You can rent bicycles at most major towns and railway stations in France.

On D-Day, some of the invading troops used bicycles; see the photos below of British troops at Lion-sur-Mer and Canadians at Juno Beach.

Guided tours
Guided tours including transport are available; most travel agents in the area and many of the hotels can arrange these if required. In Caen or Bayeux, some companies offer half-day or full-day guided tours to the battlefields with English-speaking guides. The Memorial de Caen museum also conducts daily tours of the beaches.
 * Normandy Sightseeing Tours offers tours from Bayeux to all five landing beaches and beyond. They use 8-seat vans, for smaller groups and a better experience. The guides are French and mostly locals from Normandy, all English-speaking.
 * La Rouge Tours is one example of tours led by professional Battlefield Guides, mostly conducted by former servicemen.

Beaches
Now more than 80 years after D-Day, the Normandy coastline is peaceful with lovely seaside towns and picturesque beaches. Many of the towns have names of the form something-sur-mer; sur-mer is French for "on the sea". Behind the coast is an old-fashioned farming landscape of grain fields, cattle and pastures, hedges and farmhouses.

 * "Take time to stroll on the beaches and through the villages and to drive country lanes that are once again regulated by rural rhythms, just as if they’d never been devastated at all. It's pretty and poignant, and here’s a strange thing, it brings out the best in people. There’s respect in the air and a common bond between visitors. Folk behave well, smile and chat more easily than usual." Anthony Peregrine, The Sunday Times.

However, the memories of war and D-Day are engrained in the landscape. Along the 80-km (50-mile) D-Day invasion coast there are the remains of German gun emplacements and bunkers, while war memorials and monuments mark where the allied forces landed. Inland, there are monuments in almost every village and at every bend in the road, for there is barely a square yard that wasn’t fought over. Along the coast and inland there are numerous D-Day related museums. Only by visiting do you get a proper idea of the vastness of the enterprise.

The following description of the beaches is organized in an east-to-west order, so that it can be used to plan a driving or biking tour along the coast. The length of a tour depends on how many sites and museums a person decides to visit. Enthusiasts could spend several weeks, but two or three days are enough to cover the major sites. A good starting point is to get an orientation to the area and the history of D-Day at either the Mémorial de Caen or Musée du Débarquement (The Landing Museum) in Arromanches, and from there set out to explore.

The beaches are still known today by their D-Day code names.

Sword Beach
Sword beach, the most easterly of the five beaches, stretches from Ouistreham to Luc-sur-Mer. The British 3rd Infantry Division landed on the 4 km (2½-miles) of beach between Ouistreham and Lion-sur-mer. The 41st Royal Marine Commando landed at Lion-sur-Mer, while the N°4 British Commando landed at Ouistreham. Integrated with the N°4 British Commando were 177 Frenchmen of the 1st Battalion of Fusiliers Marins Commandos who were granted the honor to set foot on Normandy soil in the first wave. On the eastern flank of Sword beach, the Sixth British Airborne had parachuted in the early morning hours of June 6th to seize bridges over the River Orne and Caen canal, silence gun batteries and secure the eastern flank of the D-Day beaches. A coup de main attack captured Pegasus and Horsa bridges to ensure access to the high ground overlooking Sword was secured.

The Germans fought hard on all beaches, but Sword was the only one where they were able to mount a counter-attack with an armoured division on D-Day itself. This caused heavy casualties and stopped the British advance for a time.

There are two Commonwealth cemeteries near this beach; see the cemeteries section for details.

Juno Beach
Juno beach is five miles wide and includes the towns of St. Aubin-sur-Mer, Bernières-sur-Mer and Courseulles-sur-Mer. The Canadian 3rd Infantry Division and 2nd Armoured Brigade landed here and fought their way across the beaches and into the towns. The No. 48 Royal Marine Commando secured the left flank at Langrune-sur-Mer.

The coastline bristled with guns, concrete emplacements, pillboxes, fields of barbed wire and mines. The opposition the Canadians faced as they landed was stronger than at any other beach except Omaha.

There is a Canadian cemetery near this beach; see the cemeteries section.

Star Trek enthusiasts may be interested to know that James Doonan — the actor who played Scotty in the original series — was a Canadian officer who was wounded on this beach.

Gold Beach
Gold beach is more than 5 miles wide and includes the towns of La Rivière, Le Hamel and Arromanches-les-Bains. The British 50th Infantry Division and 8th Armoured Brigade landed here. The 47th Royal Marine Commando landed on the western flank with the objective to take Port-en-Bessin.

The Bayeux War Cemetery is not far inland of this beach, and the Bayeaux Memorial near it commemorates soldiers with no known grave. See the cemeteries section for details.

Omaha Beach
Omaha beach is overlooked by bluffs which rise to 150 feet (46 m) and command the beaches. These naturally strong defensive positions had been skillfully fortified with concrete gun emplacements, anti-tank guns and machine guns. In particular the guns at Pointe du Hoc were in position to be deadly, although they weren't actually firing on D-Day and it was Maisy battery that continued to fire onto both American beaches for three days. Allied bombing left these largely undamaged, and since there was no cover on the beach, this tranquil strand of beach became a killing field. Within a mile to the rear of the beach lay the fortified villages of Colleville-sur-Mer, Saint-Laurent-sur-Mer and Vierville-sur-Mer.

The US 1st Infantry Division had the most difficult landing of the whole Allied assault on D-Day and took around 2,000 casualties. One reason was the terrain, another that they faced the only German division on the coast which had a full complement of German troops. There were four divisions on the Cotentin Peninsula and several defending the British and Canadian beaches to the east, but those divisions were either below strength or composed partly of Russian, Polish and other forced conscripts.

The Omaha Beach landing is shown in the Oscar-winning film Saving Private Ryan and, unlike much from Hollywood, the battle scenes are quite realistic. However, the landing sequences were filmed on beaches in County Wexford, Ireland which bear little physical resemblance to the beaches in Normandy.

There is an American cemetery near this beach; see the cemeteries section.

Utah Beach
Utah beach, the most westerly of the five beaches and the only one in Manche, was attacked by the US 4th Infantry Division. Due to navigational errors, the landings all took place on the south part of the beach which happened to be less well defended. Airborne troops landed through the night to secure the invasion’s western flank and to open the roads for their colleagues landing by sea at dawn. The objective was to cut the Cotentin Peninsula off from the rest of France and take the port of Cherbourg.

The technical side
The war effort, including this invasion, got fine support from a range of scientists, engineers, technicians and workers in all the Allied countries. Some of the most important developments were: The British "Ultra" group at Bletchley Park broke nearly all the German codes used in this war and provided crucial intelligence to Allied field commanders.

Normandy campaign
The successful landing was a turning point in World War II, a major step toward the defeat of Nazi Germany; after D-Day, the Allies went on to liberate all of Europe. On the Western Front, the three main participants were the US, Britain and Canada. On the Eastern Front, Soviet forces continued to drive forward relentlessly as they had been doing since long before D-Day. To the south, Allied forces had driven the Axis out of North Africa in 1943, then invaded Italy; they took Rome a few days before D-Day.

D-Day (June 6) was the start of a campaign in Normandy that lasted until late August. Those interested in wartime history may wish to visit the sites of the other main battles of that campaign, described below.

Meanwhile an attempt to assassinate Hitler on July 20, 1944 led to at least 7,000 arrests and almost 5,000 executions. Some of the plotters were senior officers and the repercussions greatly disrupted the German military. Among others, Rommel was forced into suicide.

Around Caen
Caen is symbolically important as the capital of the Calvados department and the largest city in Lower Normandy, and was strategically important as the transport hub of the region. The allies attacked it forcefully, and the Germans reinforced it heavily; at one point they had nine armored divisions plus infantry and artillery in and around the town.

The British and Canadians fought house-to-house in Caen itself and pressed hard in nearby areas, but did not gain full control of the town and environs until mid-July. By the end of the battle, much of the city was reduced to rubble and nearby villages were also heavily damaged.

The airfield at Carpiquet, just west of Caen, was one of the first Canadian objectives after D-Day, but it was defended by an entire SS panzer division plus other troops and the Canucks were beaten back. Both sides sent reinforcements and there was heavy fighting around the town until the Allies finally took it in early July.

Cotentin Peninsula
There was heavy fighting on the Cotentin Peninsula, west of the beaches, shortly after D-Day. The Allies urgently needed the port of Cherbourg at the tip of the peninsula, and sent an American force to take it.

The Americans faced quite a difficult fight; four German divisions were on the peninsula, and the bocage terrain there is largely unsuitable for tanks so a lot of hard foot slogging was required. Hitler, against his generals' advice, insisted that German forces defend the whole peninsula rather than withdrawing to strong positions around the city. They did that and made the Americans fight for every bit of ground, with heavy casualties on both sides.

Later Hitler commanded the defenders to fight to the last man, sacrificing themselves for the Fatherland. However when the situation became hopeless, General von Schlieben fought a delaying action while his troops demolished the port, then surrendered rather than let his remaining men die pointless deaths.

Cherbourg fell at the end of June; it was the first major French city liberated, and Caen the second.

After Cherbourg, the Americans turned south to take Saint-Lô at the base of the peninsula against stiff opposition; the town was thoroughly destroyed. Other units swept down the West side of the peninsula taking Coutances, Granville and Avranches.

American breakout
The American victories on the peninsula got them out into open territory more suited for tanks, and they then moved quickly in several directions. By this time nearly all German reserves had been committed in unsuccessful attempts to hold Caen and Saint-Lô, and many German formations had been badly chewed up. Some German units were tied down fighting the British and Canadians, four whole divisions had been wiped out by the Americans on the peninsula, and both the French Resistance and Allied bombing raids disrupted German efforts to bring in reinforcements. Also, the Germans were in quite deep trouble on the Eastern front, and they did not have anywhere near enough resources for both fronts.

The Americans had both more tanks and far better air support than the enemy; they used these advantages to full effect in a textbook example of fast-moving armoured tactics, similar to the blitzkrieg (lightning war) with which the Germans had devastated several countries a few years earlier. Part of the American force swung west to take Brittany with little resistance. Other units — most of the American force plus three British armoured divisions — moved south to Nantes and Angers on the Loire and east to Le Mans and Alençon, despite much more serious opposition.

In early August they took part in the battle around Falaise, and by the end of August they had liberated Paris.

Falaise
The decisive battle of the Normandy campaign was fought around Falaise, some distance inland of Caen, starting in early August. Over 100,000 German troops were almost surrounded in the "Falaise Pocket". Commonwealth forces by now held everything around Caen on the north side and the British had taken the area around Vire on the west, while the rapid American advance had put them on the south side. Among other German forces, the pocket had those retreating after defeats in the intense battles for Caen, Saint-Lô and Vire. The Allies hammered them from the air and with artillery, pressed in with armour and infantry, and hoped to completely surround them by closing off the only exit, the "Falaise Gap" on the east.

To close the gap the Canadians, and the Polish armoured division deployed with them, thrust south near Falaise and Americans moved north in the Argentan area. However the by-now-desperate Germans fought hard to keep the gap open and escape through it; there was about two weeks of extremely heavy fighting before it was finally closed.

Falaise is a distinctly controversial battle; two decisions by the senior generals kept the Allies from closing the gap sooner and having an even larger victory: These decisions were heatedly debated at the time; Patton and the Canadian generals were furious. Even with the benefit of hindsight, experts still disagree over whether they were sensible and prudent or foolish and costly.
 * Patton's Americans were ordered to stop their advance and dig in near Argentan, rather than risk over-extending their lines by continuing north to join up with the Canadians. One reason for this was that the Allies knew from the code breakers at Bletchley Park that the Germans were planning an attack near Argentan.
 * The British reserves were not sent to reinforce the Canadians who appealed urgently for them.

The Canadians and Poles — unassisted on the ground, though they did get plenty of air support — could neither close the gap completely nor hold against German efforts to batter their way out. They did try and got quite badly mauled; they lost more men around Falaise than they had in the landings and the fierce fight for Caen. There were many panzer divisions in the pocket; by now all were badly damaged but they could still mount devastating thrusts against chosen targets. The Canadians linked up with US forces on August 17th, closing the gap, but then the panzers smashed through and it was not until August 21st that the gap was closed for good.

On the German side, Hitler overruled the generals who wanted to conduct an orderly retreat early in the battle, ordering them instead to hold their ground and even mount counterattacks (the red arrows on the map). Most historians believe the generals were right, a German defeat was inevitable, and Hitler's interference only made it worse. In particular, ordering tanks withdrawn from the defense of Falaise for use in his counter-attacks allowed a Canadian advance. The battle was utterly devastating to the countryside.

"I was conducted through it on foot, to encounter scenes that could be described only by Dante. It was literally possible to walk for hundreds of yards at a time, stepping on nothing but dead and decaying flesh."

- Eisenhower

Falaise was a major Allied victory; about 10,000 Germans were killed and 50,000 surrounded and forced to surrender; some did escape to fight on, but they lost nearly all their equipment and many were wounded. After Falaise, the Germans had no effective force west of the Seine and what troops they did have in the area were in full retreat; Paris was liberated only days later.

Overall result
The campaign in Normandy that began with D-Day and ended with Falaise was a major success for the Allies. Their losses were heavy — about 200,000 killed, missing, wounded or captured — but German losses were more than twice that. Both sides lost many tanks, guns, vehicles and other supplies, but at this stage of the war the Allies could better afford those losses.

After Normandy
After Normandy, Allied forces drove toward Paris from Normandy and the Pays de la Loire which the Americans had taken after breaking out of the peninsula. After Falaise, the German forces in the area were in severe disarray and the Allies still had air superiority so the advance was rapid. The German garrison in Paris surrendered on August 25. Meanwhile American and Free French forces, plus some British paratroopers, invaded southern France (east of Marseilles) in mid-August. Between that and the victories in the north, they soon liberated much of France. After that, the British and Americans drove through eastern France and then into central Germany, aiming for Berlin.

The Canadians took the left flank, liberating coastal parts of France, then Belgium, Holland and the North Sea coast of Germany. In the last few days of the war a Canadian parachute battalion who had been among the first to land on D-Day were sent on a mad dash to take Wismar on Germany's Baltic coast, getting there just in time to prevent the Soviets from taking that region and possibly Denmark.

After Falaise and the liberation of Paris, the Germans regrouped and were able to put up a stiff resistance and even mount some counterattacks; the Allied advance slowed down, but it was unstoppable. Caught between the Russians on the east and the Western Allies on the west, losing on both fronts and being heavily bombed as well, Germany surrendered less than a year after D-Day, in early May 1945.

Cemeteries
Beautiful cemeteries overlook the sea and countryside and are essential stops along the way to understand and reflect on the human cost of the war. This was enormous; around 100,000 soldiers (about 60,000 German and 40,000 Allied) died in Normandy during the summer of 1944. There were also air, naval and civilian deaths, plus large numbers wounded or captured.

We list the cemeteries in two groups; the first four near the coast and the rest further inland. Order within each group is east-to-west.

Nearly all the dead in these cemeteries fell sometime between the invasion on June 6 and the end of the Falaise battle in mid-August.

Go next
From this area, one might go anywhere in France or across the channel to the UK. Normandy is a major tourist area with a range of attractions, as are nearby Brittany, the Pays de la Loire, and the Channel Islands.

Other places of possible interest to war buffs are the scenes of two Allied raids on the German-held French coast in 1942. A predominantly Canadian force attacked Dieppe, further north on the Normandy coast, and British commandos raided Saint-Nazaire, near Nantes to the south. Losses were extremely heavy in both places and arguably both raids were disasters, though the Saint-Nazaire attack did knock out an important drydock for the rest of the war. On the other hand, it is often claimed that these raids were essential preparation for D-Day, tests of German defenses that gave intelligence required for planning the invasion.

People interested in earlier history can see sites associated with Duke William IV of Normandy, who invaded England in 1066 and is known there as William the Conqueror. He was born in Falaise and is buried in Caen which was his capital; his castle is now a tourist attraction. His invasion fleet sailed from Bayeux and a museum there has a famous tapestry depicting his conquest of England.

title: D-Day beaches


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Dead Cities

The Dead Cities are a dispersed collection of world heritage-listed in Northwestern Syria. These Roman and Early Christian towns towns once formed part of Antioch. They have long since been abandoned but make an interesting stop for tourists.

Understand
Northwestern Syria has numerous ruins spanning recorded history:

 * Al Bara boasts pyramidal tombs and formerly grand archways set on modern farm land.
 * Serjilla is another famous dead city
 * The Simeon Stylites site is often included on tours of the region.

Get in
Both Serjilla and Al Bara are reachable from Aleppo (or Hama) by a combination of taking regular public microbuses and hitchhiking the last stretch. Take a microbus to the city of Ma'aret an Nu'man, and switch to another microbus headed for Kafranbel from there.

Once there, its probably best to ask for walking directions, and start walking the road to Serjillah. Try waving down any vehicle that goes in the same direction, chances are very good they will offer you a ride free of charge.

The same approach works for the way back, and anyone taking you for a ride is likely to drop you off somewhere on the microbus route. Make sure to head back in time though, these microbusses cease operation as early as 16:00.

The Simeon Monastery can be reached in similar fashion from Aleppo. Take a microbus for Daret'Azze and walk/hitch a ride from there.

Aleppo has several bus stations closely laid out in a cluster, and it can be a daunting task to find the correct point of departure for your destination. The best source of information are people that work at the stations (food and drink vendors, drivers). Some will try to sell you an expensive chartered vehicle ride, but many are helpful and will point you in the right direction.

See

 * Ebla (Arabic إيبلا) is a city from circa 2500 BCE excavated by Italians.
 * Sarjila (Arabic:سيرجيلة) is a Christian community from the 5th century CE.
 * Sarjila (Arabic:سيرجيلة) is a Christian community from the 5th century CE.

Stay safe
Travel to Syria is very dangerous. See the main Syria page for details.

title: Dead Cities


text:
Deadhorse

Deadhorse (pop. 25) is a town 10 miles (16 km) from Prudhoe Bay and the Arctic Ocean in Arctic Alaska at the end of the Dalton Highway.

Understand
Like the Dalton Highway, Deadhorse exists to support oil operations in Prudhoe Bay. While the official population is 25, the town boasts a non-permanent population of 2,000-3,000 employees of the various oil operations. Like Coldfoot and the camp at Mile 60, the facilities for visitors are the same as those built to house construction workers for the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. All facilities are simple, prefabricated buildings which were brought to Deadhorse on barge or via the Dalton. Commodities, having to be shipped great distances, are expensive.

The settlement dates to the 1967 discovery of the Prudhoe Bay oil field. While the origin of the town's name is unclear, the most common theory is that it refers to the original airfield runway, which was built with gravel hauled by trucking company Dead Horse Hauling.

Deadhorse has no direct access to the Arctic Ocean, which is 10 miles (16 km) away. Special advanced access/tours (via oil field personnel permission, requiring photo ID and right of refusal) may visit Prudhoe Bay... but, even then, not all tours reach the bay. The mere idea that someone would travel so far, with so little to see at the end of the road, may earn a few blank stares from the oil folk.

Get in
The town is at the northern terminus, Mile 414, of the Dalton Highway which provides a land link year-round to Fairbanks.

Get around
The town is rather small and during the summer months walking is very feasible although there are no sidewalks and large oil field equipment and trucks demand constant vigilance. During the winter, extreme temperatures make walking, even short distances, very uncomfortable and exposure to such temperatures can be lethal. While the town is not very large, driving is the best option most of the year.

See and do
The Dalton Highway ends just a few miles inland of the Arctic Ocean and only private, restricted roads extend to the ocean. Fortunately, tours can be booked through the hotels in the town which not only take you to the ocean and its gravel beach (where you can take a frigid dip, joining the "Polar Bear Club") but also include a tour of the oilfield and operations. The ocean is ice-free from late July to October.

Buy
The town contains a small, and pricey, general store as well as two fuel stations. The post office is in the store.

Eat
There are a couple of restaurants in town as part of the hotels such as the Caribou Inn.

Drink
Alcohol is not available. In a harsh environment like this, exposure to the elements is a grave danger which can easily occur while intoxicated.

The North Slope Borough is considered dry. Oil field operations areas also forbid alcohol.

Sleep
There are a few hotels in town.

Stay safe
This area has a polar climate. The coldest recorded wind chill here was -102°F (-74°C)! During the winter, exposure to the elements can prove lethal.

Like nearly all wild areas in Alaska, grizzly bears are a concern. Don't leave any food lying around including waste food containers, and keep an eye out for bears when walking around. Polar bears are present in the coastal areas predominantly during August and September but can be found at any time during the year. Polar bears are both extremely dangerous and protected, so do not approach or harass the bears and get to a building or vehicle. Whenever exiting a building, immediately scan your surroundings for polar bears.

Go next
Remember when leaving that there are no services for 240 miles (386 km) until you reach Coldfoot! Aside from that, Alaska Airlines provides service to Utqiaġvik (Barrow) and several charter air services can provide access to numerous small towns along the Arctic coast and North Slope. Head to the general store at the airport for more information.

title: Deadhorse


text:
Dead Horse Point State Park

Dead Horse Point State Park is in Utah, near the city of Moab. It offers a panoramic view of the Colorado River far below as it makes its way toward the Grand Canyon.

History
Dead Horse point is a narrow peninsula that stretches out a little while. The legend of Dead horse point is that cowboys used to drive wild horses to the edge of the peninsula and fence them off to keep them, and one time they forgot and the horses died of thirst in full sight of the Colorado River.

Landscape
You will see majestic views and cliffs and the Colorado river snaking around. You will see a couple of blue pools that are potash fields.

Flora and fauna
Typical for the desert.

Climate
Hot in summer. Come during Spring or fall to best enjoy it.

Get in
There is a ranch along the road. Another driving note- there are cows! They will cross the road and just stay right next to it. Beware! This place uses the same entrance to Bryce Canyon.

Fees and permits
It costs around $10 to get into the park. This is an inexpensive fee for what you get to experience; the views are beyond belief!

Get around
You must know that when you park there will be a little slope with a path at the end and a little barrier and a cliff on the edge. And if you can, rent an auto with Utah plates. Law enforcement loves to give tickets to out-of-state visitors.

See
There is a visitor center where the panoramic view is accessible to the casual visitor.

Do
There is a little place on the peninsula with a great view and fun play area.

Drink
Unlike Arches, Dead Horse has flushing toilets and water fountains in the visitor center.

Lodging
Nearby Moab has a wide range of lodging options.

Camping
The park includes a campground with 21 sites.

Stay safe

 * The biggest danger in Dead Horse Point State Park, as well as in other parks in the area, is the weather. High temperatures can easily exceed before noon. Visitors should pack at least 1 gallon (3.5 L) of water for every person in their party because it is very easy to become dehydrated.
 * It is easy to get lost if trying to get into the canyons, so if you are hiking, pack more food and water than you think you will need. Tell someone where you are going and have a buddy.
 * Some of the cliffs in the state park exceed, so do not go near the edge if there is no barrier to keep you from falling off the top of the cliff, and if there is a barrier, you still need to use extreme caution while looking into the canyons.
 * Finally, if a thunderstorm is near or over you, try to get to a shelter; if none is around, get close to the ground, and if you are in a canyon, get to higher land immediately because flash floods start easily.

Go next

 * 'Arches National Park is about 30 miles (1 hour by car) from Dead Horse Point State Park
 * The "Island in the Sky" section of Canyonlands National Park is ten miles (30 minutes by car) away.

title: Dead Horse Point State Park


text:
Dead Sea

The Dead Sea, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world, is on the border between Israel and Jordan. See:

 * Dead Sea (Israel and the West Bank) — the western side of the lake, in Israel and the West Bank
 * Dead Sea (Jordan) — the eastern side of the lake, on the King's Highway

title: Dead Sea


text:
Dead Sea (Israel and the West Bank)

 * For the other part of the sea, see Dead Sea (Jordan).

The Dead Sea (Hebrew: ים המלח, Hebrew transliteration:Yam HaMelach; Arabic: البحر الميت, Arabic transliteration: al-Bahir al-Mayyit) has its western coast in Israel and the West Bank. It is the lowest point in the world at 394.6 m (1269 ft) below sea level. 25 km of Dead Sea coastline lie within Palestinian Authority territory, including Qumran and Ein Feshka.

Cities and villages
From North to South:
 * Kalya – an Israeli settlement that manages the nearby Kalya Beach, next to the town is Qumran National Park
 * Ovnat; Einot Tzukim Nature Reserve is halfway distance to/from Kalya
 * Mitzpe Shalem; Visitors Center and glamping opportunities
 * – a Kibbutz and Nature Reserve, great for hiking and exploring the green oasis
 * Ein Bokek – a "city" of hotels located on the shores of the artificial, southern Dead Sea
 * Neve Zohar – a town next to Ein Bokek with some hotels
 * Ein Tamar / Neot Hakikar – a village at the very south of the Dead Sea with camping options

Understand
The water in the Dead Sea is extremely salty, and has been estimated to be the second saltiest major body of water in the world. Its name is derived from the fact that it is far too saline for marine life to exist in its waters.

The Dead Sea is naturally endorheic (no outlet streams) with the Jordan River being its only major source. The northern part of the Dead Sea receives scarcely 100 mm (4 inches) of rain a year; the southern section receives barely 50 mm (2 inches). Due to the man-made reduction of the Jordan River (the river waters are 70-90% used for human purposes) and the high evaporation rate of the Dead Sea, the sea is shrinking.

Although the Dead Sea will never entirely disappear (because evaporation slows down as surface area decreases and saltiness increases), measures are being proposed to siphon water from the Red Sea through a series of tunnels or canals in order to replenish the rapidly shrinking waters and provide water and electrical solutions to the surrounding countries.

North and South Sea
All the shallow waters of the southern end of the sea have been drained and are now salt flats. Which means that the southern part is actually just artificial and not the real Dead Sea. A couple of years ago there was a real lake here. Thus, Ein Bokek and Neve Zohar are not really places where you want to go for a swim in the real Dead Sea.

By the way, water from the northern part is drained through a channel south. This channel allows for a swim and the same experience, if you have waterproof sandals and water to wash the salt off. For example, from the highway right next to Masada it is just 100-200 m to this channel. The water in the channel is not moving, but it might if they decide to open the block at the south end.

Facts

 * Due to the hypersalination of the water, you can float with ease in the Dead Sea; in fact, it's nearly impossible to sink! It is popular for visitors to have their picture taken while reading a newspaper and floating on the surface of the water.
 * The mud along the shore of the Dead Sea contains many minerals and is believe to have medicinal and therapeutic benefits. It is not uncommon for visitors to cover their bodies with the dark mud.
 * There are many salt deposits and crystals scattered along the shoreline. Many visitors walk the beach in search of large pieces as souvenirs.
 * The water of the Dead Sea has a greasy feel to it.
 * Tip if in a resort: wash the salt off in the beach showers before you use your towel. Otherwise the towel will get salty and leave salt on your skin when you use it after your shower (the salt can cause an itch).

Climate
The climate at the Dead Sea varies depending on the season. Temperatures during the tourist season can become extremely warm, ranging from 30°C (86°F) in the spring to upwards of 40°C (104°F) in the summer. The area receives an average of 330 days of sunshine per year, with rainy days occurring only during winter (if at all).

Although the Dead Sea is very sunny the low altitude and extra atmosphere makes the sunlight weaker. It is therefore said that sunbathing here carries a lower risk of sunburn, but it is still advisable to take normal precautions using sunblock and adapt gradually. This quality of the Dead Sea sunlight is the real secret behind its mythological curing ability for several diseases, especially skin diseases. This is, in fact, natural photo therapy.

Talk
On the Israeli part of the sea, Hebrew and English are the most widely spoken languages. All resort and tourism staff will be able to speak both. In Ein Bokek, there are many Russian speakers in the plaza/mini mall by the sea. Arabic might also be spoken by some staff, whilst French will be spoken by a sizeable minority. In the West Bank, Arabic and Hebrew are widely spoken.

By car
The Israeli side of the Dead Sea is a possible day trip from Jerusalem (39 km from Northern Dead Sea via the West Bank), Eilat (220 km from Southern Dead Sea), or Tel Aviv (98km from Northern Dead Sea). There are four main road entry routes into the Dead Sea area. The first is via Highway 1 and Highway 90, through the West Bank, from the Jerusalem area. Or, you could access the area from Eilat via Highway 90 from the south, or from Be'er Sheva, either on route 31 via Arad to Zohar junction, or on route 25 via Dimona to the Arava junction.

By bus
By bus, the easiest way to get into the area is from Jerusalem, from where buses are the most frequent. However, even from Jerusalem there aren't plenty of buses, so always check schedules in advance.

All bus lines to the Dead Sea get to the Ein Bokek hotel complex, and most of them also have a stop at Ein Gedi. Below are all bus lines that get to the Dead Sea (all are from main cities in Israel):
 * From Jerusalem: Lines 486, 487, 444
 * From Beer Sheva via Arad: Lines 384.
 * From Arad: Lines 384 and 400.
 * From Tel Aviv: Line 421, departing from near the Savidor Central Train Station, and going through highway 6 and Arad. This line has 2 trips per day each direction.
 * From the Arava Junction: Line 444 from Eilat, 321 from Dimona.

Taxi services can also serve the Dead Sea.

By bicycle
The descent on Route 1 from Jerusalem (Hebrew University area) to the Dead Sea is almost all downhill, descending ~1,200 m over a distance of 25 km. Only a few km in two spots need pedaling, so the ride is almost like a motorcycle cruise, taking two to three hours. There are some scenic overlooks and monuments on the way. The highway is modern and has a good paved breakdown lane unless there is construction (mostly in summer). A turn south/right at the Dead Sea leads to most of the hotels and tourist areas. An inexpensive ride back up by bus no longer requires a second ticket for your bicycle, which must be placed in the under-bus baggage area. Bring several liters of water - if you can bring a few frozen bottles all the better, it can be a very hot ride in summer. Find refuge from the sun at gas stations or bus stops.

By plane
(Hebrew מנחת בר־יהודה, minḥat bar-yehuda; sometimes known as Masada Airfield) There is a small airstrip called Bar Yehuda Airfield or Masada airport. If you are a foreign licensed pilot or student you can hire local aircraft with a certified instructor to ride along and count towards hours in your log book, though apparently you can fly in with your own airplane entering Israel and passing customs through Ben Gurion Airport. Airplanes can be chartered or an air-taxi can be hired at airports and heliports around Israel to fly passengers to the air strip. Taxi service can be called for ground transportation or many of the Dead Sea resorts are within a half hour bicycle ride. There is an airport manager operating out of a tent and shipping container FBO with radio communications, food, some services, and a VOR beacon but no fuel on site without special ordering a fuel truck. This is the lowest runway in the world and you will have the unique experience of seeing your altimeter read -1200ft.

Get around
Mostly accessed by car, there are also many buses going south to Eilat, Neve Zohar and Arad or north to Jerusalem, at least hourly, all along the many roads besides the lake.

Also hitchhiking is possible, but not many other tourists will be willing to pick someone up, due to the fragile security situation.

See
The hypersalinated water of the Dead Sea is its own attraction. Nevertheless, there are several nearby attractions that are worth the attention (north to south):

 * (Eshet Lot), turned into a pillar of salt.
 * The is only accessible with ropes (for a 70-m climb/rappel down) from the top and a knowledgeable guide. Be careful when walking around the opening, so you don't slip into it. There is actually a  at the bottom of the mount near the road. If you are keen and cave-experienced, you can enter crawling in here (without any bag). After 10 m you will be able to stand up and walk further another 100-200 m – inside never climb up, only ever down due to the potential unstable layers. Due to rock slides, it is unclear whether the salt cave still exists, but if, then it is this one.
 * The is far more easy accessible, but not just more than a cave that gets lower and lower at the end – bring a flashlight.
 * For the as part of Wadi Perazim with its impressive canyon, either walk or by 4WD in  from route 90 along a  into the . From the  it takes 15 min to climb down the wadi into the cave. The drive from the north is only possible with a 4WD. Round-trip hike 3 hr; drive 1 hr.
 * (Eshet Lot), turned into a pillar of salt.
 * The is only accessible with ropes (for a 70-m climb/rappel down) from the top and a knowledgeable guide. Be careful when walking around the opening, so you don't slip into it. There is actually a  at the bottom of the mount near the road. If you are keen and cave-experienced, you can enter crawling in here (without any bag). After 10 m you will be able to stand up and walk further another 100-200 m – inside never climb up, only ever down due to the potential unstable layers. Due to rock slides, it is unclear whether the salt cave still exists, but if, then it is this one.
 * The is far more easy accessible, but not just more than a cave that gets lower and lower at the end – bring a flashlight.
 * For the as part of Wadi Perazim with its impressive canyon, either walk or by 4WD in  from route 90 along a  into the . From the  it takes 15 min to climb down the wadi into the cave. The drive from the north is only possible with a 4WD. Round-trip hike 3 hr; drive 1 hr.
 * The is far more easy accessible, but not just more than a cave that gets lower and lower at the end – bring a flashlight.
 * For the as part of Wadi Perazim with its impressive canyon, either walk or by 4WD in  from route 90 along a  into the . From the  it takes 15 min to climb down the wadi into the cave. The drive from the north is only possible with a 4WD. Round-trip hike 3 hr; drive 1 hr.

Do
The following beaches are available:

Eat & drink
The restaurant options near the Dead Sea are sparse.

The town of Ein Bokek has two small shopping malls with a McDonald's, falafel bars, a liquor store, and a few other stores selling everyday items and souvenirs. The shopping center has a large McDonald's sign on the roof. From the outside, it looks very out of place (and funny in a way) against the majestic background of desert mountains. Many people working there and in nearby hotels can speak Russian. There are also restaurants in each of the resort hotels on the Israeli side.

Camping
Camping is allowed for free on the Ein Gedi coast (approx. 500 m south of the kibbutz), toilets and showers are on site for a small fee. The ground is a bit stony so any kind of mattress is useful.

Budget
Also Arad, about 25 km to the west, has a few budget options worth the short trip there, e.g. Arad Tandem (₪95).

Stay safe
The Dead Sea area is unique and magnificent, but it can also be dangerous. Follow these rules when visiting:

In the Dead Sea

 * Wear waterproof sandals. The salt is very jagged and can easily cut your feet.
 * Beware, the salty water can be extremely painful in open wounds or scratches. Women using tampons should be careful as the water absorbed by them can cause irritation and severe discomfort.
 * Beware! Several people drown every year in the Dead Sea because they do not obey the rule: only float on your back. Accidents happen when someone tries to swim normally (stomach first) in the water - the legs will float better than usual and the head will be submerged. Note that this applies to weaker swimmers, and specifically to attempts to swim breaststroke. Breaststroke is also made difficult by the fact that the legs are raised too high in the water to provide normal forward motion when kicking. Moreover, the salt in the water stings cuts and causes great pain if it comes in contact with the eyes, adding to the panic if one's head is under water. A strong swimmer can easily swim freestyle; if you plan to try this, goggles are essential and should be tightly fitted. Although safe for a strong swimmer, and an unusual sensation because of the buoyancy of the water, it is not an undertaking most people are likely to sustain for long. Even with the eyes protected by goggles, water will get into the nose and sting, and onto the lips and inevitably into the mouth. It tastes disgusting.
 * Short of actual drowning, inhalation of the water can cause specific, sometimes life-threatening medical problems not seen with other bodies of water, because of the water's very high electrolyte content, so be sure of your swimming abilities and confidence in the water before deciding to swim on your front.

Heat
Due to the Dead Sea's desert location and sub-zero elevation, temperatures are high here. In summer it is extremely hot, and even in winter, you will be surprised how hot it can get in direct sun at midday. Always bring an appropriate amount of water when hiking (one liter per hour hiking is recommended), and on very hot days, avoid hiking altogether.

Flash floods
During winter and spring there is a danger of floods on rainy days. The Dead Sea basin receives rainwater from relatively far-off, wetter areas like the Jerusalem Mountains. This means that sometimes during a sunny day a flood will suddenly and unexpectedly occur. Therefore, be careful when hiking to distant narrow places during these seasons and stay tuned to the weather news. The weather forecast always gives warnings if there is a possibility of flooding. Always do as national reserves staff order - they know the terrain very well. In 2007, several Israelis who had been "snappling" (rappelling) were killed by a flood because they did not obey national reserve staff orders.

Terrain
The Dead Sea is bordered by a massive (400m-high) cliff, with the Judaean Desert atop the cliff. There are numerous hiking trails winding up the cliff or through the canyons that penetrate it. These trails provide magnificent views, but give the terrain the respect it deserves. Never hike off-trail if you are anywhere near cliffs. It is unfortunately common for people to fall to their deaths in this area, sometimes even if they were on a marked trail.

Go next

 * Negev & Judaean – Deserts close to the Dead Sea, featuring amazing sites and desert landscapes, including the Ramon Crater near Mitzpe Ramon, and two other craters.
 * Hiking in the Judaean Desert – Go out to other nearby hiking trails; particularly the Mishmar and Ze'elim streams are very close by.
 * West Bank – most parts of the Judaean Desert lie within the West Bank, most of which, in turn, is part of the Palestinian territories including destinations like Bethlehem, Nablus, and:
 * Jericho – Close to the northern edge of the Dead Sea and the oldest town in the middle east.
 * Jerusalem – Besides the Dead Sea, a central focus for most people coming to Israel.

 * Eilat – Holiday town in the far south with border crossings to Jordan and Egypt.

title: Dead Sea (Israel and the West Bank)