Top hotels in Leverkusen

Perhaps most famous today as the headquarters of pharmaceutical giant Bayer AG and the home of the Bayer FC football club, it’s easy to forget that this city has a long and storied past stretching back nearly 1,000 years. Modern Leverkusen has outgrown its rural beginnings, and today it hosts roughly 161,000 residents in the shadow of even larger cities like Cologne and Dusseldorf. Business travelers flock to the metropolis to strike deals and to tour facilities, but there’s plenty to see and do when work is over. Whether taking in sporting events, relaxing in the greenery, or hopping across the city border to explore some of Germany’s biggest attractions, Leverkusen offers something for every traveler.

Location: An Incredible Infrastructure Supports this Small City

Leverkusen rests on the eastern banks of the River Rhine, in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Sharing a border with both Dusseldorf and Cologne (each hosting their own airports), this city is easily accessible by road or rail from anywhere on earth, while the natural waterways allow for river-based traffic.

Business: A World-Class Pharmaceutical Hub

Leverkusen is almost synonymous with one major employer–Bayer AG. Nearly all the businesses in the city are offshoots or support services for this German mega-firm’s chemical unit. The Chempark (directly accessible by both personal vehicle and public transit) provides plenty of research, testing, approval, and production facilities for a wide range of organic and inorganic products.

Culture: The City that Bayer Built

Bayer AG is responsible for much of this city’s economic developments and international renown, and its influence is observable in many of the local offerings. Check out the Bayer Cross, the world’s largest illuminated advertisement, and take in a Bayer Leverkusen FC game at Bayer’s Stadium BayArena. Other cultural attractions include the Museum Morsbroich, an art museum housed in a moated Baroque castle, as well as a spectacular Japanese Garden.

Activities: A Multitude of Quiet Relaxation Options

Outdoors enthusiasts won’t want to skip a visit to Neuland-Park, a recreational area jam-packed with themed gardens, playgrounds, miniature golf, and a water tower with an observation deck–all resting on the banks of the Rhine. A number of museums display the older history of the city, and theaters showcase Leverkusen’s best offerings in stage and music.