The Lower Rhine region, which straddles Germany and the Netherlands, is full of pleasant surprises, writes Nick Elvin.

In this age of Schengen agreements, the single currency and rumours of European Union harmony, much of the romance of international borders has been lost.

These days you can walk, run, jump or somersault between Germany and the Netherlands without having to stop to show your credentials, and so it comes as little surprise that one of the areas straddling the border is now being promoted as a single tourism destination.

And quite rightly too. The Lower Rhine region between Düsseldorf and Arnhem is clean, green and very civilised.

Which has not always been the case. From the moment you land at Weeze Airport – a former RAF Harrier base lined with Cold War bunkers – you start to appreciate that the area has witnessed more than a little military activity.

Once the volatile edge of the Roman empire, it went on to be centre of a medieval castle-building boom. More recently it was the scene of the largest airborne assault in history, and was extensively bombed, before partly being incorporated into the postwar British military zone.

These days people on either side of the frontier seem to get along, although the Lower Rhine is by no means a homogeneous region – scratch the surface and you'll find the differences. After all, the Dutch pop across the border for cheaper petrol, while the Germans go the other way for diesel.

Also, in the Lowe Rhine region the Dutch have the hills. Conversely, in the German lands they say that in the morning you can see who is coming for coffee in the afternoon. Well, there are plenty of beautiful town squares in which you can sit for hours over a cappuccino, or something cooler on a hot summer's day.

The Lower Rhine has something for all ages – amusement parks, indoor and outdoor museums, shopping opportunities and unique events. The area may not be known for its beach resorts, but the river, lakes and countless public pools offer plenty of opportunities for watersports, or to just chill out.

Excellent transport links mean you can take in one or two towns on a short break, or spend your summer holiday travelling round, stopping off to stay on campsites, or even in castles. All this with one of the world's great rivers never far away.

You may not know much about the area yet, but it's somewhere full of pleasant surprises just waiting to be revealed.

DESTINATIONS

ARNHEM:
Arnhem is perhaps best known for the battle which began on September 17, 1944. In an attempt to speed up the end of World War Two in the months after D-Day, the Allies devised Operation Market Garden. They would land airborne troops in Holland, supported by ground forces, to capture the Rhine bridges, and therefore ensure a route into Germany.

However, a series of problems, including fog, faulty radios and stiff German resistance meant the Allies suffered heavy losses and had to retreat. The bridge at Arnhem, the famous “Bridge Too Far”, was renamed the John Frost Bridge in honour of the British lieutenant-colonel who led his battalion in a brave but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to capture the crossing.

During the battle, extensive damage to the city forced a mass evacuation of citizens. Much of Arnhem was rebuilt after the war, and you can get a good view over the city from the top of the restored St Eusebius Church. A glass elevator takes you close to the top of the 93m tower, Arnhem's highest point.

You can also see the green hills (or mountains by Dutch standards) on the outskirts of Arnhem, as well as the River Rhine, which was diverted nearer to the city in the 16th century, to help with the import of essential goods. The domed church of Koepelkerk and the twin-spired St Walburgis Basilica are other notable landmarks, as is the arch of the John Frost Bridge. On a clear day you can see the city of Nijmegen to the south.

A few parts of Arnhem were not destroyed in the war, including historic cellars and some medieval houses. The tourist office can arrange fascinating tours of the city (see www.vvvarnhemnijmegen.nl).

Nightlife centres on the Korenmarkt area, where there are many bars, clubs and cafés.

Accommodation in Arnhem includes the Hotel Haarhuis, located opposite the railway station. Rooms start from €113.50 (£90), and the hotel also has an excellent restaurant.
www.hotelhaarhuis.nl or www.bestwestern.com

DUTCH OPEN AIR MUSEUM:
The Dutch Open Air Museum, on the northern outskirts of Arnhem, offers you the chance to see Holland in one day. Within this large wooded park are historic houses, farms, canals, windmills and more. Volunteers dressed in traditional outfits demonstrate Dutch life throughout the ages – you can for example see how the laundry was done before washing machines, or watch the blacksmith at work.

You can take the tram through the park and stop off at the various exhibitions on Dutch life, including a collection of people's collections (ie airline sick bags, garden gnomes, Delftware and Dutch apples). It's a great place for families, with plenty of hands-on exhibits, and it was voted 2005 European Museum of the Year. It could have taken that award for its restaurant's delicious pancakes alone. Entry prices: €13.60 (£10.70) for adults, €9.50 (£7.50) for children. Open March to October.
www.openluchtmuseum.nl

GROESBEEK:
Groesbeek, near Nijmegen, is home to the National Liberation Museum. Built on an Operation Market Garden landing site, the museum tells the story of Market Garden, and shows what Dutch life was like during the war. You can, for example, learn about how Dutchmen were sent to Germany to work, or you can see a wedding dress and christening robe made from parachute silk.

There's also a roll of honour with the names of the Allied dead from the operation. From the museum you can see the starting point of Operation Veritable, when in February 1945 the Allies began the invasion of western Germany.

You can also take a battlefield tour, on which you'll see many monuments to the landings, and it's hard to believe that this peaceful rural landscape was the scene of such a massive operation. At Mook you can visit one of the Allied war cemeteries. A sobering experience, you won't find many men over 30 buried here.

Museum entry: €9.50 (£7.50) adults, €4.50 (£3.50) children, free admission for WWII veterans. www.bevrijdingsmuseum.nl

CROSSING INTO GERMANY IN STYLE:
Crossing from the Netherlands into Germany is easy, and you may not even notice you've done so. In fact it all sounds a bit dull. Fortunately, you can take the bored out of border with a trip on the Grenzland Draisine.

An enterprising group have put life back into a disused stretch of railway line, replacing the rolling stock with draisines. For the uninitiated, these contraptions consist of a trolley powered by either two or four sets of bicycle pedals. At the front there are benches for lazy passengers. That said, cycling the 6km from Groesbeek is not hard work, although the level crossings require a bit of care.
Prices: adults from €8 (£6.30). Children up to 12 half price. Longer trips to Kleve are available. www.grenzland-draisine.de (in German / Dutch).

You arrive at Kranenburg's old station, where you can sit in the café (Cafehaus Niederrhein) on the platform, and enjoy a well deserved cold drink or a meal. The café uses produce local to the railway line - in fact if you opt for the lasagne, you probably saw next week's ingredients chewing the cud as you were pedalling by. Lunch costs €8.80 (£7).
www.cafehaus-niederrhein.de (in German).

XANTEN:
South west of Kleve and close to the Rhine, the town of Xanten has plenty to see, including a lovely town square where you can sip a beer or coffee, overlooked by the large, twin-spired cathedral.

For a guided tour with a difference, take the Nibelungen Express (actually a land train) through the historic cobbled streets, passing the cathedral, city walls and also the hand pumps which were used as recently as the 1950s to supply the city with water. The tour heads to Xanten Archaeological Park, a stunning reconstruction of the Roman city of Colonia Ulpia Traiana. The Rhine served as a natural frontier between the Roman Empire and the tribes of Magna Germania.

Spectacular reconstructions of the amphitheatre (which hosts numerous events), bathhouse, inn and toilet block, as well as some original ruins, hint at what Roman life was like. It's interesting to note that once the Romans left, and the water supply and sanitation standards went with them, life expectancy here decreased significantly.

Nibelungen Express Xanten to archaeological park: return ticket €4.50 (£3.50) for adults, €2.50 (£2) for children. www.nibelungen-express-xanten.de (in German).
Entrance to the archaeological park: €6.50 (£5) for adults, €2.50 for children. You can also book a guided tour of the town. Further information from: www.xanten.de

In nearby Wesel, you can stay at Hotel Haus Duden, an historic house (the linguist Konrad Duden was born here in 1829) in a rural setting with an excellent restaurant. Rooms start at €75 (£60). www.hotel-haus-duden.de (in German).

KEMPEN:
Kempen, south of Xanten, is a charming, green town where wind turbines pop out above the trees. There's a stunning castle, whose tower you can ascend, and you can also take a guided tour of the town, where signs and markings on old houses tell tales of witches, cartwrights and other traditional professions.

The town was the birthplace in 1380 of Thomas à Kempis (Thomas van Kempen), a medieval monk and writer whose work included copying the Bible four times and writing the book "The Imitation of Christ". He died aged about 90 – a particularly long innings for those times. However, it is said that he was accidentally buried alive, as was shown by splinters found under his nails when he was exhumed. By apparently trying to fight death, he was denied canonisation.

The main square is another of those places you can sit with a drink. A local tipple is Thomas Bitter, which is not a beer but a spirit which packs a real punch. Make up your own mind whether it tastes like dandelion & burdock or cough medicine.
www.kempen.de.

Hotel Papillon, on Thomasstraße, is a gem of a hotel, with a friendly, family-run feel, and some rooms with themes – for example Africa Room, Lower Rhine Room, Italian Room. Rooms start at €59 (£45).
www.hotel-papillon.com (in German).

KREFELD:
Situated close to Kempen, Düsseldorf and Duisburg, historic Krefeld is said to be one of the most eco friendly cities in Germany. It is also known as “The City of Silk and Velvet”, because of the textile industry which developed in the 17th century - you can learn more at the German Textile Museum (Deutsche Textilmuseum). Interestingly, the first Germans to emigrate to America were a group of families from Krefeld, in 1683.
www.krefeld.de (in German).

The city is home to Germany's largest handicraft market, the Flax Market (Flachsmarkt). It takes place every year over a weekend in May, when about 100,000 people visit. It's a lot of fun, and as well as offering all manner of goods from artisans, there's traditional entertainment within and without the walls of the 12th century Castle Linn.
Flax Market entrance prices: adults €6 (£4.70), children €2 (£1.50). www.flachsmarkt.de (in German).

Winkmannshof, close to the castle, is an excellent restaurant and a nice place to sit outside in summer.
www.winkmannshof.de (in German).

OTHER ATTRACTIONS OF THE LOWER RHINE:
National Park De Hoge Veluwe: The largest national park in the Netherlands, located just outside Arnhem, offers woodland, heathland, lakes and dunes.
www.hogeveluwe.nl

Duisburg: Duisburg, where the Rhine meets the Ruhr, is an industrial city of half a million people. It is also home to Europe's largest inland port. There are many museums, a marina and a zoo among its attractions.

's-Hertogenbosch: This city, also known as Den Bosch, was the birthplace of Hieronymus Bosch, and there's a museum dedicated to the artist.
www.vvvdenbosch.nl

Christmas markets: These take place in Kempen, Krefeld, Duisburg, Xanten, Castle Moyland and other locations across the region.

GETTING THERE:
Ryanair flies to Weeze from London Stansted. Return fares start at £35 including taxes, fees & charges (excluding baggage charges).
www.ryanair.com

Getting around by car is easy thanks to an excellent road network. Car rental agencies include Avis (www.avis.co.uk), located at Weeze Airport. If you're taking your own car, Arnhem is about 360km (220 miles) from Calais, 140km (86 miles) from Hook of Holland.

TOURIST INFORMATION:
There's a Lower Rhine Tourism Board office at Weeze Airport. The website www.lower-rhine.com has details of accommodation, attractions, public transport and more.

See also: www.holland.com/uk
www.germany-tourism.co.uk