Düsseldorf – A Guide to Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital of the county Nord-Rhein Westfalen but is by far not the biggest city in the county with only 585 000 inhabitants. That’s why rivalry between other larger cities is high (So don’t mention Cologne in Düsseldorf). Düsseldorf is a very posh and wealthy city with modern architecture. Düsseldorf is not only the state’s capital, it is also the fashion capital of Germany. The bar-hopping scene in Düsseldorf is huge. The city centre (Altstadt) is the longest bar strip in Germany while the bar scene at the redeveloped harbor Medienhafen is growing rapidly too. The biggest event taking place in Düsseldorf is Carnival. Thousands of people celebrate this event in the city centre of Düsseldorf.
Sights:
Medienhafen: The Media Harbour (picture left) is in the south of Düsseldorf and used to be an industrial area which was not even considered a part of Düsseldorf. But in 1990 a lot of effort was put in this area to make it nicer and bring people back to the harbour. It’s now an entertainment area with fancy buildings in which cinemas, restaurants, clubs, bars and stores are located. You can imagine how busy it can get on a Saturday night 🙂
Schloss Benrath: This castle was built in the 18th century for Elector Carl Theodor and was designed by Frenchman Nicholas de Pigage. The castle is open in summer from 10am – 6pm and in winter from 11am – 5pm. Entrance is €7 and there are guided tours in German.
Rheinturm: The Rhine Tower is 240 meters high with a revolving restaurant at the top. To go up the tower you have to take the lift which costs €3.50.
Rheinuferpromenade: At the bottom of the Rhine tower is the river walk (picture left) which is full of people sitting in coffee stores and on benches when the weather is good.
Tours:
The best tour is a 90 minute combined walking and boat tour. The tour’s starting point is the tourist office in the Altstadt. The tour costs €10 per person and starts at 2:30pm.
Sleeping:
The Backpackers Düsseldorf (Fürstenwall 180) is the place to go if you are on a budget. A dorm room will cost about €22 per night.
A good mid range hotel is the Hotel Sir & Lady Astor (Kurfürstenstr. 18) which is situated close to the central station. The hotel is in two different buildings. Sir Astor has a Scottish-African flair while Lady Astor has a touch of French. A double room costs €95 per night. Book well in advance as this place is quite popular.
Situated in the harbor is the hotel Hyatt Regency Düsseldorf. A real luxury hotel with stunning rooms. A double room costs €300 a night.
Eating:
For a light snack or late breakfast go to Bistro Zicke (Baeckerstr. 5a) – a bohemian restaurant serving typical German meals such as Stammer Max, bread with ham, fried egg and potatoes. Light meals cost between €5-10.
Zum Schiffchen (Hafenstr. 5) – a cosy historical restaurant, first opened in 1628. They offer filling German and Rhenish meals, ranging from €8-19.
For a more luxurious dinner, go to Benkay (Immermannstr. 41) – a fancy 5* Japanese restaurant. Chose from grill, sushi-bar and Tatami rooms. Prices range from €9-130.
Drinking:
Schlösser Quartier Boheme (Ratinger Str. 25) offer meals between €9-17, a mixture of traditional German and French food. There is a club that opens at 10pm, entry €4-6. This is an old beer hall converted into a modern and stylish club in the middle of Düsseldorf’s Altstadt.
You can enjoy a bit of an arty atmosphere at the Salon des Amateurs (Grabbeplatz 4). It’s part of the Kunsthalle where you can enjoy snacks during the day and move on to some cocktails and music in the evening.
Ellington – one of the best cocktail bars in Düsseldorf, hidden in the dark area round the train station. Opening times: 8pm-3am, ask for a drink recommendation from the owner Robert, you won’t regret it. Nice atmosphere, good music and the best cocktails in town.
Shopping:
Germany’s most expensive shopping mile and the German answer to the French Champs-Élysées is the Kö (Königsallee) in Düsseldorf. There are mainly banks and designer stores on that street. So if you are on a budget we recommend you to go to Shadowstraße or to Altstadt to get some bargains 🙂
Tips:
You can avoid expensive shopping if you head to the QVC Outlet Store (Oststraße 10). Here you can find brand clothes for men and women, jewellry, books, home accessoires and electronical equipment at reduced prices. Don’t miss out on a bargain 🙂