On arriving in Düsseldorf, it is immediately noticeable how clean and ordered all appears to be. This is perhaps unsurprising given its status as one of the only debt-free cities in Germany. Its prosperous air affirms its regular inclusion on lists of destinations with the highest living standards.
As well as being a conference hub, Düsseldorf also knows how to let its hair down. It is home to the “longest bar in the world”, the nickname of the square kilometre in the Altstadt (Old Town) with 260 restaurants and bars. Should you wish to add a few days of pleasure to a business trip, here are some highlights.
MedienHafen
Based around a former industrial harbour adjacent to the Rhine, the MedienHafen district is three kilometer south-west of the centre and a 15-minute drive from the airport. For architecture aficionados, it showcases an abundance of designer builds, ranging from the Colorium, a 16-storey construction with an exterior made from 2,000 panes of coloured glass, to converted warehouses.
The country’s fashion industry HQ, MedienHafen is filled with the offices of numerous global brands, internet and advertising firms. The revitalised area also has several hotels, as well as TV and radio stations.
If all of this makes MedienHafen sound uninviting, think again. While many are in the area solely for work purposes, tourists and locals are just as likely to be found walking around its uncluttered, cobblestoned streets and sampling its many cafés, restaurants and bars. For a backdrop of city views while you relax with a drink or some food, head up to Innside Düsseldorf Hafen’s View Skylounge on the 16th floor of the Colorium (see businesstraveller.com/tried-and-tested for a review of the hotel). medienhafen.de
Rheinturm
By far the most spectacular vistas can be found at the Rheinturm, the city’s tallest building and best-known attraction. The 240-metre-tall telecommunications tower opened in 1982 and sits on the bank of the Rhein adjacent to MedienHafen.
A revolving restaurant is on the top floor, 172 metres up, while an observation deck and café/bar are on the level below. The views make you appreciate just how flat Düsseldorf is – it’s possible to see not only the entire city perimeter, including planes taking off and landing at the airport, but also, on a clear day, the outlying North Rhine-Westphalia region. The windows tilt outwards so you get an excellent view straight down to the tower’s base, provided you have the stomach for it.
The Rheinturm also doubles as the world’s tallest digital clock. A light sculpture called “Lichtzeitpegel”, designed by artist Horst H Baumann, adorns the tower’s shaft and works as a giant timepiece. The time is displayed in coloured lights, some flashing, and is thoroughly confusing unless a local explains it to you. The observation deck is open 10am-12am (1am Fri-Sat); entry e5 (US$7). guennewig.de/drheintu
Rheinuferpromenade
The Rhein embankment promenade links the modern MedienHafen with the traditional Altstadt, and is lined with bars and eateries. It replaced a major arterial road – the Rheinuferstrasse – that once wound its way along the riverbank, thus separating the city from its waterway, before being moved underground in the 1990s.
In summer, the Rheinuferpromenade teems with cyclists and pedestrians. When I visited in late October, it was quieter but no less invigorating, with a strong breeze blowing in off the Rhein and the green flood banks on the other side of the river giving a sense of being far from the middle of a city.
At the Altstadt end of the promenade is the Schlossturm, a castle tower next to which is a wide bank of concrete steps down to the river. On a sunny day, this is an ideal place to sit and soak up the sights of the Rhine, including passing freighter barges.
Konigsallee
A few minutes’ walk from Altstadt is one of Germany’s busiest shopping streets. Konigsallee – or “Ko” to the locals – is a retail haven that stretches for a kilometre and is lined with luxury brands including Prada, Tiffany and Chanel.
The boulevard measures 80 metres across and has a 31-metre-wide canal running down the centre with a road on either side, so is much more pleasant to walk along than some other premier shopping streets.
Even if you don’t fancy perusing the stores, you can enjoy a casual stroll along either bank of the canal. Konigsallee’s eastern side houses the majority of its shops, boutiques and several large malls, while the opposite side over the canal is occupied mainly by banks, hotels and cafés, and is less glitzy. koenigsallee-duesseldorf.de
Schloss Benrath
Schloss Benrath lies further afield in the quiet south-eastern suburb of Benrath and is a 20-minute drive from the city centre. The palace was built in the 18th century and consists of three pink buildings, each of which now houses a museum. Surrounded by a 60-hectare park with two ponds, it’s an idyllic location for a relaxing walk or a picnic.
The palace itself is an attraction that is not to be missed. Its corps de logis (main building) is accessible only via a guided tour and contains furniture and paintings that provide an insight into court life in the late 1700s. The two diagonally symmetrical wings are home to the city’s Museum Of Natural Sciences and the Museum Of European Garden Art. Entry to all three is e12 (US$16.50), while access to the park is unrestricted. schloss-benrath.de
For free/reduced entry to attractions and use of public transport, a Düsseldorf Card costs from e9 (US$12). duesseldorf-tourismus.de/en
Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen
The Kunstsammlung museums house Düsseldorf’s foremost collection of modern art. K20 Grabbeplatz is located in Altstadt and specialises in Western European and American works. Here you will find paintings by Picasso, Richter, Matisse and Pollock, as well as intriguing installations by Joseph Beuys and Nam June Paik.
Sister museum K21 Standehaus is a 20-minute walk or free shuttle bus ride away. Housed in a converted 19th century government building, it focuses on international contemporary art from 1980 onwards, including works by sculptors Katharina Fritsch, Robert Gober and Paul McCarthy. Entry is e12 (US$16.50) for one museum, e21 (US$29) for two. Open Tues-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat-Sun 11am-6pm. kunstsammlung.de/en
The country’s fashion industry HQ, MedienHafen is filled with the offices of numerous global brands, internet and advertising firms. The revitalised area also has several hotels, as well as TV and radio stations.
If all of this makes MedienHafen sound uninviting, think again. While many are in the area solely for work purposes, tourists and locals are just as likely to be found walking around its uncluttered, cobblestoned streets and sampling its many cafés, restaurants and bars. For a backdrop of city views while you relax with a drink or some food, head up to Innside Düsseldorf Hafen’s View Skylounge on the 16th floor of the Colorium (see businesstraveller.com/tried-and-tested for a review of the hotel). medienhafen.de
Rheinturm
By far the most spectacular vistas can be found at the Rheinturm, the city’s tallest building and best-known attraction. The 240-metre-tall telecommunications tower opened in 1982 and sits on the bank of the Rhein adjacent to MedienHafen.
A revolving restaurant is on the top floor, 172 metres up, while an observation deck and café/bar are on the level below. The views make you appreciate just how flat Düsseldorf is – it’s possible to see not only the entire city perimeter, including planes taking off and landing at the airport, but also, on a clear day, the outlying North Rhine-Westphalia region. The windows tilt outwards so you get an excellent view straight down to the tower’s base, provided you have the stomach for it.
The Rheinturm also doubles as the world’s tallest digital clock. A light sculpture called “Lichtzeitpegel”, designed by artist Horst H Baumann, adorns the tower’s shaft and works as a giant timepiece. The time is displayed in coloured lights, some flashing, and is thoroughly confusing unless a local explains it to you. The observation deck is open 10am-12am (1am Fri-Sat); entry e5 (US$7). guennewig.de/drheintu
Rheinuferpromenade
The Rhein embankment promenade links the modern MedienHafen with the traditional Altstadt, and is lined with bars and eateries. It replaced a major arterial road – the Rheinuferstrasse – that once wound its way along the riverbank, thus separating the city from its waterway, before being moved underground in the 1990s.
In summer, the Rheinuferpromenade teems with cyclists and pedestrians. When I visited in late October, it was quieter but no less invigorating, with a strong breeze blowing in off the Rhein and the green flood banks on the other side of the river giving a sense of being far from the middle of a city.
At the Altstadt end of the promenade is the Schlossturm, a castle tower next to which is a wide bank of concrete steps down to the river. On a sunny day, this is an ideal place to sit and soak up the sights of the Rhine, including passing freighter barges.
Konigsallee
A few minutes’ walk from Altstadt is one of Germany’s busiest shopping streets. Konigsallee – or “Ko” to the locals – is a retail haven that stretches for a kilometre and is lined with luxury brands including Prada, Tiffany and Chanel.
The boulevard measures 80 metres across and has a 31-metre-wide canal running down the centre with a road on either side, so is much more pleasant to walk along than some other premier shopping streets.
Even if you don’t fancy perusing the stores, you can enjoy a casual stroll along either bank of the canal. Konigsallee’s eastern side houses the majority of its shops, boutiques and several large malls, while the opposite side over the canal is occupied mainly by banks, hotels and cafés, and is less glitzy. koenigsallee-duesseldorf.de
Schloss Benrath
Schloss Benrath lies further afield in the quiet south-eastern suburb of Benrath and is a 20-minute drive from the city centre. The palace was built in the 18th century and consists of three pink buildings, each of which now houses a museum. Surrounded by a 60-hectare park with two ponds, it’s an idyllic location for a relaxing walk or a picnic.
The palace itself is an attraction that is not to be missed. Its corps de logis (main building) is accessible only via a guided tour and contains furniture and paintings that provide an insight into court life in the late 1700s. The two diagonally symmetrical wings are home to the city’s Museum Of Natural Sciences and the Museum Of European Garden Art. Entry to all three is e12 (US$16.50), while access to the park is unrestricted. schloss-benrath.de
For free/reduced entry to attractions and use of public transport, a Düsseldorf Card costs from e9 (US$12). duesseldorf-tourismus.de/en
Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen
The Kunstsammlung museums house Düsseldorf’s foremost collection of modern art. K20 Grabbeplatz is located in Altstadt and specialises in Western European and American works. Here you will find paintings by Picasso, Richter, Matisse and Pollock, as well as intriguing installations by Joseph Beuys and Nam June Paik.
Sister museum K21 Standehaus is a 20-minute walk or free shuttle bus ride away. Housed in a converted 19th century government building, it focuses on international contemporary art from 1980 onwards, including works by sculptors Katharina Fritsch, Robert Gober and Paul McCarthy. Entry is e12 (US$16.50) for one museum, e21 (US$29) for two. Open Tues-Fri 10am-6pm, Sat-Sun 11am-6pm. kunstsammlung.de/en
WHERE TO EAT
Zum Schiffchen
Originally constructed in 1628, and rebuilt in 1794 after burning down, Zum Schiffchen is one of the city’s oldest restaurants. Located in Altstadt, this large, traditional eatery can seat 420 with room for 140 people in its beer garden. Meat dishes from Düsseldorf and the Rhineland are prominent on the menu, such as grilled knuckle of pork and sausages with sauerkraut and mash. Service is friendly and attentive. Although it might be an obvious choice for those who have visited the city before, it is certainly more than a tourist trap and offers up decent, reasonably priced food in a comfortable environment.
Hafenstrasse 5; tel +49 211 132 421;
brauerei-zum-schiffchen.de
Patrick’s Seafood No 1
Tucked away in MedienHafen is Patrick’s Seafood No 1, a compact restaurant that delivers excellent – if slightly pricey – French cuisine, and is popular with locals. Owned by Patrick Le Guern, a veteran Breton chef with 50 years’ experience, it at first appears rather low-key, but once the food arrives it is easy to see why the restaurant enjoys such positive word-of-mouth. The fresh oysters and fish are delicious, while meats such as Parisian steak and lamb are also exquisite. The open-plan kitchen adds to the informal, bistro-like atmosphere and there is a small terrace open in the summer months.
Kaistrasse 17; tel +49 211 617 9988;
seafood1.de
