Dusseldorf

"The city of Düsseldorf is very beautiful, and when you think of it from afar, and you happen to have been born there, you feel strange. I was born there, and I feel as if I should go home right away." (Heinrich Heine)

Düsseldorf Old Town

The Old Town is the heart of the city for Düsseldorf residents and visitors alike. It is an entertainment center where hustle and bustle, history and modernity blend harmoniously. In the narrow streets lined with narrow-gabled town houses, old churches, and Art Nouveau facades, over 260 pubs, international restaurants, discos, and nightclubs cater to a truly diverse clientele. You can hear jazz and other live music, drink the house-brewed, top-fermented Altbier, and everyone strikes up a conversation. Shopping in the alleys of the Old Town is popular with those who prefer smaller shops or specialty boutiques. The Market Square in the Old Town also houses the historic Town Hall, the oldest part of which dates back to 1570 and 1573. The Jan Wellem Monument, which forms the center of the Market Square, was erected in 1711 and is one of Düsseldorf's landmarks and among Germany's most important Baroque monuments. Also worth seeing is the St. Lambertus Basilica, whose most characteristic feature is the slightly twisted spire, which gives the 72-meter-high church tower a crooked appearance.

Medienhafen Düsseldorf

Renowned architects such as Frank O. Gehry, David Chipperfield, Joe Coenen, Steven Holl, and Claude Vasconi have made the Media Harbour a top destination for architecture connoisseurs from all over the world. Where just a few years ago the drabness of unused warehouses reigned, internationally renowned companies from the fields of advertising and art, communications, and TV production have now moved into their new offices.

Modern architecture

The Rhine Harbor Art and Media Center by Frank O. Gehry (USA) is divided into three contrasting building sections, creating the appearance of a giant sculpture. The selection of different materials gives each building complex its own identity. As a link between the three buildings, the material of the facade of the central building was chosen so that the buildings on the north and south sides can be reflected in it.

The Düsseldorf Castle Tower

The castle tower, which stands free near the banks of the Rhine a few meters south of the church, is a remnant of Düsseldorf Castle, which was destroyed by fire in 1872. The core of the castle tower dates back to the 13th century. The old water level clock south of the castle tower is the starting point for romantic boat trips on the Rhine. Several outlying districts are older than the city center and are worth a visit. These include Gerresheim with the Quadenhof and the former collegiate church of St. Margaret. In the northern part of the city, Kaiserswerth has a rich history that can be traced back to the 8th century. This small, still idyllic town was a powerful base for German kings and emperors for centuries. Today, the imperial palace built by Emperor Barbarossa is a lovingly maintained ruin. The Stiftsplatz (Stift Square) surrounding the 11th-century collegiate church is one of the most beautiful and atmospheric squares on the Lower Rhine.

Königsallee

www.koenigsallee-duesseldorf.de Düsseldorf's Königsallee underscores Düsseldorf's reputation as Germany's most elegant shopping destination. The "Kö," with its wide moat lined with plane and chestnut trees, resembles a catwalk. Numerous exclusive women's and men's fashion stores are on offer, as are jewelers, antique shops, and bookstores. The arcades are home to the finest items from all over the world. Many visitors come to the "Kö" not just to shop, however; they also enjoy strolling or relaxing on one of the café terraces.

Culture

Great Germans had their addresses in Düsseldorf. Numerous names are still remembered, for example, the Goethe Museum (in Jägerhof Palace), the Heinrich Heine Institute, and the Robert Schumann University. 18 museums, the North Rhine-Westphalia Art Collection, the Kunsthalle, the late-baroque Benrath Palace, over twenty theaters, the opera, numerous concert halls, over one hundred galleries, and regular art exhibitions of international renown make Düsseldorf a city of art and culture. The central location of Düsseldorf's art axis parallel to the Rhine offers visitors a rich selection of parks and gardens. Spacious parks form a "green axis" across Düsseldorf, "from Rhine to Rhine." The offerings range from traditional gardening in the Hofgarten to a touch of exoticism in the Japanese Garden in the Nordpark to the natural biotopes in the Südpark.

  • Kunsthalle Düsseldorf
  • Düsseldorf Schauspielhaus
  • Düsseldorf Art Collection
  • zakk - Center for Action, Culture and Communication
  • Düsseldorf Art Association
  • Düsseldorf Art Palace
  • Düsseldorf Art Collection
  • Düsseldorf Art Association
  • Tonhalle Düsseldorf
  • University of Düsseldorf - Department of History
  • Museum Insel Hombroich
  • German Opera on the Rhine

customs

In the stronghold of Rhenish carnival, over 300 meetings, balls and costume parties are held between November 11th and Ash Wednesday.

Düsseldorf Carnival Committee Tel. (0211) 33 01 01/02 Fax. (0211) 31 80 418 www.karneval-in-Duesseldorf.de

carnival

Düsseldorf is a modern city. Yet centuries-old customs are still maintained here. Numerous festivals are inextricably linked to these traditions. After all, Düsseldorf residents wouldn't be true Rhinelanders if every occasion didn't provide a good reason to celebrate. Along with Cologne and Mainz, Düsseldorf is one of the three strongholds of the Rhenish carnival. Between November 11 and Ash Wednesday, over 300 carnival sessions and costume balls take place in Düsseldorf.