Rees

Hanseatic city directly on the Rhine

When you enter the tranquil Rhine promenade in Rees, the impression could not be more Hanseatic. Medieval walls and towers accompany the path and continue - supplemented by roundels and casemates - on other sides of the town. Today, the fortified Rhine front is a unique feature of Rees on the Lower Rhine and a treasure with a high experience value. The elongated market square in the immediate vicinity of the Rhine dates back to the most important merchant settlement on the northern Lower Rhine in the 11th century.  

The elevation of the town on July 14, 1228 by the Archbishop of Cologne makes Rees the oldest town on the Lower Rhine above Duisburg. Hanseatic trade and the designation as a Hanseatic town in alliance with eastern Dutch towns are documented for the 15th century. From the 16th century onwards, Rees was one of the most important towns in the Cleves Hanseatic League. The breath of this history can still be felt in the alleyways and streets of Rees today, thanks in part to the restrained reconstruction after 1945. A place of historical experience and idyll at the same time!