Travel: What to see and do in Düsseldorf

Start with some history

Düsseldorf is where the Düssel river flows into the Rhein.  As the city grew, it was ruled by the Counts of Berg, who struggled for power over the city with the Archbishop of Cologne. The supporters and forces of The Archbishop of Cologne were wiped out by the army of the Count of Berg and the citizens of Cologne and Düsseldorf. Due to this confrontation, Düsseldorf was officially elevated to city status and you can see not only a monument to this on Burgplatz but throughout Düsseldorf. 5,432 children were said to be so happy that they cartwheeled throughout the city. How they could count 5,432 cartwheeling children?, we don’t know.

Over the years, the city became highly industrial and during the second world experienced bombing. Afterwards, Düsseldorf grew to become the city we now know, the fashion centre of Germany, a media hub and home to the third largest population of Japanese citizens in Europe (after London and Paris).

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Where to Shop

Königsallee, or the Kö, is the place to shop. You’ll find all the big names here.  Visit the Northern end of the Kö to be amazed at the Daniel Libeskind’s striking Kö-Bogen, this shopping mall was completed in 2013 and is where you’ll find the Apple Store and other top brands. When you have shopped out, take time out to relax at the peaceful Hofgarten.

For a more quirky shopping experience visit Lorettostrasse for independent boutiques or Ackerstrasse in the Flingern district. A must-see is also Immermanstrasse for its Japanese-inspired shopping. If you want a local and unusual speciality then you must visit Düsseldorfer Senfladen on Berger Str. which stocks an array of flavoured mustards, including wasabi and fig flavours, or Et Kabuffke Killepitsch Stube on Flinger Str. for the local red-coloured herbal liqueur. 

What and where to Drink

The city is most famous for one particular style of beer – Altbier.  This is a top-fermented dark beer, a bit like an English bitter and quite distinct from the clear straw-coloured Kölsch beers from nearby Cologne. The Altstadt or ‘Old Town’ is where to go for this traditional beer and there is a wealth of breweries in which to sample this, and other locally-brewed beers, we visited Zum Schlüssel, Kürzer, Füchschen,  Brewery Schumacher and Uerige.  The old town is called the “longest bar in the world” due to having 300 venues beside each other.  Click here for our Dusseldorf Brewery Trail

Another venue we visited was the cosy Eiskeller (Ice Cellar) which stocks an impressive array of German wine, here you can get an education on the different types of Riesling and plenty of other wines.

Schmittmann, across the river and a few miles outside of the centre, has been producing German spirits since 1818, many of them award-winning, including gin, korn (a colourless spirit similar to vodka), cherry liqueur, chocolate-chilli liqueur etc. The tours are all in German and so is their website but don’t let that put you off as this is one off the regular tourist trail. You can buy bottles from their shop, all of them are excellent, and you probably won’t find any of these outside of Germany!

If coffee is more your thing then an excellent roastery is further down the same street looking out onto Marktplatz, Rösterei Vier (Roastery Four, so called because of the four processes of harvesting; processing; brewing; and roasting), source their beans responsibly and have a sister cafe in Malawi!

Where to eat

While the brewery restaurants may serve what you might expect, such as bread and lots of meat, there are a few unusual things to look out for, for snacking, why not try a pickled egg at Uerige. Ask for one and see if you can work out how to eat it. There is a particular order to how you should eat it!

For something more substantial visit Zum Schlüssel and have some Mettbrotchen – ground meat, with or without onions on top of half a roll, and after that how about an ice cream made from Altbier at Füchschen?

For steak, we could not fault MASH, where we got to try four different cuts of meat from four different countries – our favourite being the Uruguayan rib-eye! Having Europe’s third-largest Japanese community means that you will also be able to find some of the most authentic Japanese food outside of Tokyo. One place to visit is Hotel Nippon Restaurant Benkay.

If you plan to stay in an apartment then make sure to visit the Carlsplatz Market (Open Monday to Saturday) in the Altstadt. The former farmers’ market is a gourmet paradise where you can sample all sorts of local, seasonal produce and indulge your sweet tooth at Pure Pastry, with delights from Tim Tegtmeier, former chef of a restaurant with 3 Michelin stars and Pâtissier of the Year.

Where to sleep

Probably the coolest place to sleep in all of Düsseldorf is the 25 Hours Hotel. This French-themed, 17-floor hotel with 198 rooms even has outdoor working bathtubs on some of the balconies! The restaurant and cocktail bar at the top of the building has excellent views across the city that you don’t need to pay extra for.

Culture

One of the most instagrammable sites is the K20 Gallery part of the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen. You can’t miss that wall.  The Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen presents a demanding and variegated exhibition program at three locations: at the K20 Grabbeplatz, at the K21 Ständehaus and at the Schmela Haus.

Tonhalle Düsseldorf  originally designed as a planetarium today the building is home to the Tonhalle. Outside admirehe architecture outside and inside enjoy classical music, cabaret and light music.

Also look out for the Säulenheilige, known as pillar saints. The 10 sculptures look down on their audience are from the artist Christoph Pöggeler. He wanted to direct attention to the individual with his works.

Map

Getting from Düsseldorf Airport to the City

You have arrived in Düsseldorf, how to get from Düsseldorf Airport to the city by public transport?   The easy bit here is that the transport is operated by Rheinbahn, making it easy to switch between different transportation methods using the same ticket.

There are two stations at the airport. Düsseldorf Flughafen (Airport) train station which is located on the east side of the airport. The SkyTrain will take you straight into the terminal from the station building.

The SkyTrain takes seven Minutes from the train station to the terminal building.  The stops are train station Düsseldorf Flughafen – Car Park P4/P5 – Terminal A/B – Terminal C.  The SkyTrain operates every 5 to 7 minutes from 3:45 a.m. to 0:45 a.m., every 5  to 7 minutes. From Düsseldorf Flughafen station you can get a regional train to Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof (Main station).  These trains are usually faster.

The following tickets are accepted for the SkyTrain:

valid VRR- und VRS-tickets

special DB-Tickets (City plus, NRW-Ticket etc.)

DeutschlandTicket 

Flughafen Düsseldorf GmbH car park tickets (valid for up to 9 persons)

Online booking for parking garages of Flughafen Düsseldorf GmbH

DüsseldorfCard and DüsseldorfCard Plus 

Rail&Fly tickets

The other station is Düsseldorf Airport Terminal station in the basement of the terminal building. The S11 S-bahn train  runs from Bergisch Gladbach via Düsseldorf central station to the airport.

Orientate yourself with the public transportation network in Dusseldorf with this interactive map.

Keep up to date with current ticket prices and any disruptions via  www.vrr.de

Buying public transport tickets in Düsseldorf

You can purchase tickets online via VRR app or go traditional with a printed ticket from a machine – look out for these in the airport. Don’t forget to validate your ticket in a  yellow or red validator machine (entwerter) on the platform before boarding.  Digital tickets can be activated in-app.  If you don’t you will be fined.

Düsseldorf Exploration Itinerary Ideas

One Day Dusseldorf Itinerary

8:30 AM – Breakfast at Bazzar Caffè (Altstadt)

9:30 AM – Stroll Along the Rhine Embankment Promenade

10:30 AM – Visit Kunstpalast Museum

• A diverse collection of fine arts from classic to modern.

• Optional: If you prefer modern art, visit K21 instead (contemporary art in a stunning glass dome building).

Midday

12:00 PM – Explore the Altstadt (“Old Town”)

• Visit St. Lambertus Church and the Burgplatz.

• Grab a local Altbier from Uerige Brewery — even just a small one to sample.

1:00 PM – Lunch at Zum Uerige or Brauerei Füchschen

• Traditional German fare.

Afternoon

2:30 PM – Königsallee (“Kö”)

• Düsseldorf’s luxury shopping street — window shop or browse designer brands.

• Take in the beautiful canal lined with trees and bridges.

3:30 PM – Rheinturm (Rhine Tower)

• Head up to the observation deck (170m) for panoramic city views.

• Enjoy a coffee and cake in the revolving restaurant if you’re in the mood.

Evening

5:30 PM – MedienHafen (Media Harbor)

• Modern architecture (like Frank Gehry’s Neuer Zollhof buildings).

• Chill by the water and explore trendy shops or art installations.

7:00 PM – Dinner at Gehry’s or DOX Restaurant

9:00 PM – Drinks at Bar Ellington or LiQ Bar

 

2-day itinerary for Düsseldorf,

Day 1: 

Morning

Königsallee (Kö)

• Stroll along Düsseldorf’s luxury shopping boulevard.

• Grab a coffee at Rösterei VIER.

Kunstpalast Museum

• Short walk from Kö; features classical and modern art collections.

• Allow ~1.5 hours to explore.

Afternoon

Lunch: Try Zum Uerige for traditional German food and Altbier (Düsseldorf’s signature dark beer).

Altstadt (Old Town)

• Explore the “longest bar in the world” – over 300 bars and pubs.

• Visit:

  • St. Lambertus Church

  • Schlossturm (Castle Tower) and Rheinuferpromenade for riverside views.

  • Burgplatz for photos and local culture.

Optional: Take a Rhine River cruise for panoramic views of the city.

Evening

Dinner:

• Berens am Kai (Michelin-star fine dining in the MedienHafen)

• or MASH for steaks.

Nightlife:

• Drinks at Kürzer or Bar Alexander

• If you prefer something more scenic, visit the Rheinturm (Rhine Tower) for a nightcap with a view.

Day 2

Morning

MedienHafen (Media Harbor)

• Explore cutting-edge architecture (Frank Gehry buildings).

• Breakfast or brunch at Café Hüftgold or Röstzeit.

Midday

Kunstsammlung NRW (K20 or K21)

• K20 for 20th-century masters (Picasso, Matisse, etc.)

• K21 for contemporary art in a gorgeous glass-domed building.

Lunch nearby:

• PÉGA – Das Restaurant

• Nooij

Afternoon

Japanese Quarter (Immermannstraße)

• Düsseldorf has the largest Japanese community in Germany.

• Browse Japanese bookstores, snack at Takumi (ramen) or NaNiWa, and shop for unique finds.

Hofgarten

• Relax in this beautiful park.

Evening

Dinner:

• Nagaya (Michelin-star Japanese cuisine)

• Or go casual with street food at Carlsplatz Market if you’re in the mood for something informal.

Optional Final Activity:

• Sunset at Rheinpark Golzheim or drinks at Pebble’s Bar (with a Rhine view).

Tourist Information

See here: https://www.duesseldorf-tourismus.de/en/home/

Do you have any tips for Düsseldorf? Let us know in the comments below.