Those valuing high quality of life and good connections to Europe’s metropolises find the ideal location in the district of Düren. Here are ten reasons why not only young families and couples like living in our region.
1. Attractive living space for young and old
There are still affordable flats and building plots in the Düren district, and the location offers attractive real estate with good transport links. Düren and Jülich as district centres offer urban flair and lots of opportunities to shop, experience and enjoy. The other towns and municipalities also offer everything you need for good local supplies.
2. Good transport connections
Cologne, Düsseldorf and Aachen can be reached from Düren by car and train in less than an hour – made possible thanks to two motorways and a regional express connection. Berlin, Hamburg, Brussels and Paris can be reached via the long-distance railway stations in Aachen and Cologne in around four hours. Flights also depart from Cologne/Bonn, Düsseldorf and Maastricht Aachen airports to many European destinations.
3. Educational opportunities for everyone
The district of Düren is family-friendly. The children’s day care centres in the district are free for all families with a gross income of up to 120,000 euros per annum. There are 77 schools in the district, of which 41 are primary schools, 36 are secondary schools and four are vocational colleges. The university landscape in the region is outstanding. RWTH Aachen and FH Aachen are present in the district of Düren with own campuses, and the universities in Düsseldorf, Cologne and Bonn offer a wide range of degree programmes.
4. Rich in art and culture
Man does not live on bread alone. There are over two dozen museums and many castles, abbeys and former seats of nobility that are well worth seeing in the Düren district for immersing yourself deeply in the history of your new home region. Highlights include the Leopold Hoesch Museum of Fine Arts and the Paper Museum in Düren, the Jülich Citadel Museum, the German Stained Glass Museum in Linnich and the Castle Museum in Nideggen. Merode Castle near Langerwehe attracts thousands each and every year to what is perhaps the most romantic Christmas market in the Rhineland.
5. Living close to nature
Picturesque forests, expansive meadows, the idyllic Rurtal region and many lively natural areas – the landscapes of the district of Düren could hardly be more varied. Here you’re never far away from genuine nature experiences. In the south you practically live in the middle of the Eifel Nature Park, and in the north in the centre of the fertile plain. The changing landscape around the old open-cast mines is particularly interesting, and in the recultivated areas on the Sophienhöhe, an old spoil tip, a nature discovery trail passes on valuable knowledge to children about the protection of biodiversity.
6. Nature conservation and biodiversity
Nature conservation and biodiversity also contribute to a good climate. In the district of Düren, citizens are planting 300,000 trees together for the ‘district of Düren climate forest’. The district also supports the conversion of gravelled gardens and the planting of trees and hedges. For motivated people with gardens there are also free native wild flower seed mixtures for creating new habitats for insects.
7. Stay active and fit
Fresh air and unspoilt nature – the district of Düren offers a variety of options for outdoor sports and nearby recreation. In the south the wooded hills and valleys of the Eifel National Park invite you to go on extended hiking tours, and the lake landscape of the Rursee offers perfect conditions for ideal leisure experiences for anyone who enjoys travelling in or on the water. In the north of the district, the extensive Börde fertile plain offers ideal conditions for relaxed cycling tours with the whole family.
8. Outstanding healthcare
To make sure you not only stay fit but also healthy, there are more than 200 general practitioners, almost 300 medical specialists, five hospitals and many other healthcare providers close to you in the Düren district. Healthcare in the district of Düren is better than in many places in North Rhine-Westphalia. Anyone in need of support will find helping hands in Düren district’s many care and nursing facilities.
9. Climate-neutral by 2035
The district of Düren is targeting climate neutrality up to 2035 and the district administration itself wants to be climate-neutral by 2025. For this purpose, the district has put together a climate package with well over 100 measures. Funding is provided for initiatives and projects in areas such as photovoltaics, battery storage, solar thermal energy, refurbishment of oil heating systems, refurbishing windows and exterior doors and electric cargo pedelecs.
10. Gorgeous views
Two large lakes for swimming and sailing will be created in the northern part of the Düren district in the future – the Inden and Hambach opencast lignite mines will be put out of operation by 2030 and then flooded. It will of course take a few decades before ‘living by the lake’ becomes a reality, but during the period when the water rises, many habitats for animals and plants will be created. And there will also be new leisure options in the changing landscape.
