Solingen: Germany
Solingen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the northern edge of the region called Bergisches Land, south of the Ruhr area. Population: 163,600 (2001).
Solingen is called the “town of blades”, since it is known for the manufacturing of knives and scissors. In medieval times the swordsmiths of Solingen coined the town’s image, which is preserved to date. 90% of German knives are produced in Solingen.
“Mngstener Brcke”, a railroad bridge between Solingen and Remscheid
Solingen was first mentioned in 965. It was a tiny village for centuries, but became a fortified town in the 15th century. In World War II the Old Town was completely destroyed, so there are few sights. Those remaining include:
Castle of the counts of Berg, 12th century
Klosterkirche, church (1690)
German Blade Museum, presenting swords and cutting tools of all epochs
Mngstener Brcke, a railroad bridge connecting Solingen with the neighbour town of Remscheid; 107 m above the ground, hence the highest railroad bridge of Germany.
Related Travel Information
Remscheid: Germany
Remscheid is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located on the northern edge of the region called Bergisches Land, south of the Ruhr area. Population: 120,600 (1999).
Remscheid is twinned with Quimper in France.
Remscheid was founded in the 12th century, but it was a tiny village until the 19th century. The economic growth of the entire Rhine-Ruhr region led to an increase of the population of Remscheid. Mechanical engineering and toolmaking were the main industrial branches of the town.
Wilhelm Röntgen, the discoverer of the x-rays, was born 1845 in Lennep, which is today a borough of Remscheid. There
Siegen: Germany
Siegen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the district Siegen-Wittgenstein. As of December 31, 2003 it has a population of 106,143.
Twinned cities:
Berlin-Spandau, Germany, since 1952
Rijnsburg, the Netherlands, since 1963
Leeds, since 1966
Ypres, Belgium, since 1967
Zakopane, Poland, since 1989
Plauen, Saxony, Germany, since 1990
Recklinghausen: Germany
Recklinghausen is a city in the Ruhr Area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. With 123.562 inhabitants as of June 30, 2003 it is the capital of the district Recklinghausen.
Heilbronn: Germany
Heilbronn is a city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, near Stuttgart. This district-free city is completely surrounded by the district Heilbronn. It is located on the river Neckar . As of 2004, it has ~120,900 inhabitants.
Heilbronn was first mentioned as Helibrunna in 741. In 1281, it was declared city by Rudolph I.
Mülheim an der Ruhr: Germany
Mülheim an der Ruhr is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area between Duisburg and Essen, 20 km to the north-east of Düsseldorf. Geographical location 51°26? N 6°53? E.
Its population is 170.745 (status 12/31/2003). The city covers about 91.26 km² and is between 26.0 and 152.7 m above sea level.
