Düsseldorf
International reputation as a Fashion capital and centre of culture on the Rhine

Düsseldorf's elegant side is typified by the upmarket Königsallee shopping street, while the Gehry buildings in Media Harbor represent modern Düsseldorf. There are more than 260 bars and restaurants in the old quarter - plenty of opportunity for sampling Düsseldorf's top-fermented Altbier and seeing how the people of the Rheinland have a good time. With outstanding museums, theatres, concert halls and galleries, Düsseldorf also has an international reputation as a centre for art and culture.

Places of interest

Düsseldorf's hallmark is the upmarket Königsallee. The old quarter has quaint passageways, old churches, traditional brewpubs, bars and restaurants and is also very much on the "must see" list. Düsseldorf's attractive riverside promenade runs alongside the old quarter to the Media Harbor, which world-class architects such as Frank Gehry have transformed into an architectural showcase.

Historical old quarter
Düsseldorf's old quarter still has wonderful original cobbles over which Elector Jan Wellem is said have ridden in the 17th century. With its quaint passageways, old churches, traditional brewpubs, bars and restaurants, it is an absolute must for any visitor. It is also home of the "longest bar in the world" - around 260 traditional bars and cosy brewpubs.

Benrath Palace
Elector Karl Theodor built the summer residence and hunting lodge to the south of Düsseldorf in the 18th century. The remarkable ensemble of palace and park forms an architectural synthesis of great cultural-historical importance. It is one of the leading examples of its kind.

"Axis of art" with the NRW art gallery
All of Düsseldorf's leading art institutions are lined up on a stretch just 800 meters long: Art Museum, Art Palace, Art Academy, Kunsthalle art gallery and art association and the North-Rhine Westphalia Art Gallery.

Suggested excursions

Its geographical location makes Düsseldorf the ideal base for interesting excursions into the surrounding area. The romantic Rhine Valley and the Rhine Legends Route are right on the doorstep.

The romantic Rhine Valley
Philosopher Friedrich Schlegel, writers such as Clemens von Brentano and Victor Hugo waxed lyrical about the beautiful countryside with its romantic medieval castles. And its was Düsseldorf's most famous son, the author Heinrich Heine, whose "Loreley lied" became a byword for Rhine romanticism. The romantic Rhine Valley can also be explored on one of the many river cruises.

The Rhine Legends Route
The Rhine Legends Route is a scenic route which links 48 places between Düsseldorf and Mainz, presenting Germany's best-known and most wonderful legends and stories along the way.

Cologne
The Rhineland metropolis of Cologne with its unmistakably Rhenish joie de vivre is close by. Cologne's Gothic cathedral, its legacies from the Roman era and the Middle Ages (the Roman-Teutonic Museum) and the numerous Romanesque churches are beautifully preserved. The old quarter is the very heart of Cologne.