Rheinberg: just a small town?

Never heard of Rheinberg? Hardly surprising. On the face of it, there is really nothing very special about it. A rather pretty small town on the Lower Rhine (the 'Niederrhein') close to the Dutch Border, it is not too far from Düsseldorf and Cologne. So why mention it? For a small town it can, surprisingly, count among its stars a super model, an Olympic gold medallist, a nationally-famous drink and a world-class mini-zoo.

It is more than likely you will have heard the name 'Claudia Schiffer' before. She may not any longer be in the top ten in the world, but she was for an amazingly long time during the eighties and nineties. And with admirable discipline and a dose of brilliant promotion she has also helped herself to the status of female icon. Well, she is from Rheinberg. And she lived there until she was 'discovered' in a disco in Düsseldorf, where the more adventurous youth of Rheinberg used to 'hang out'.

The name of Isabell Werth may be less familiar to an international audience (except the horsey kind) but she was four times Olympic dressage champion and world champion twice. The whole of the Niederrhein area is well-known for the breeding and training of top-class show-jumping horses, and Rheinberg is quietly at the centre of the business.

And the drink? You may just have heard of 'Underberg' before – depending on your drinking habits, and age necessarily – as this drink contains 48% alcohol. It comes only in tiny, brown-paper-wrapped 20 ml bottles. When I recently offered it to some friends, they thought I was about to poison them. But as a matter of fact it is supposed to be good for the digestion after a rich meal. To many kids growing up in Rheinberg the name Underberg is associated with a great outdoor swimming pool, built with the support of the Underberg family. More controversial, perhaps, is the landmark 'Underberg-tower' in Rheinberg, to some a true eyesore, while others think it should be made an historical monument.

Small as it may be, Rheinberg even has its neat but short pedestrian area, where children can run happily around. Even better, they can eat the most delicious Italian ice-cream all summer long. As many as three large ice-cream parlours vie for custom, though only in summer as their owners all move back to Italy for the winter. On the other hand, Rheinberg has neither cinema nor disco; one has got to get the priorities right. Which brings me to the zoo: as elephants and giraffes would really seem a bit big in a small town, the 'Terrazoo' houses only snakes and reptiles in splendid cases which recreate a wide range of natural habitats . And I must say they do it really 'hands-on', as you can see in the picture.

Something I should not forget to mention is Rheinberg's marksmen's association. Every August, during the week-long Schützenfest, the town centre is given over to a funfair, while the marksmen in traditional costumes try to shoot an elaborate wooden bird, piece by piece, off a high pole. The whole event is conducted according to strictly observed rituals, and epic mounts of beer and 'schnaps' are consumed. Watch this space for a more detailed account of such events, which occur throughout Germany, and perhaps sum up a lot of so called typical German characteristics.

Rheinberg is very proud of its history, too. In May this year, the inhabitants celebrated the 1000th anniversary of the town. A royal court in Rheinberg was mentioned in an official document in the year 1003! The town hall, built in 1449, is one of the Niederrhein's oldest. So now decide for yourself: 'small town blues' or 'worth a go'?