Category: Travels in Germany
Special thanks to Yaryna Myronyuk
Dusseldorf is one of the biggest cities in the West Germany. I visited this pearl of the Rhine during my trip across West Germany on the 1st May. Once a fishing village, now a big metropolis, Düsseldorf with its 800 year history is a main hub in the region nowadays. The city has the third largest airport in Germany, its Trade Fair Centre – Messe Dusseldorf hosts over 40 international events every year and the city itself is a combination of a business hub and entertainment spot. In this article we would point out our top 5 staff pick things to do in Dusseldorf.
- Take a boat tour down the river to see the city
The city derives its name from a small river Düssel, which flows into the Rhine. As citizens say – Düssel gave the city its name, Rhine – its importance. One can take a boat and sail down the river, covering the area down the bank and a newly reshaped Media Hafen district, which serves as a harbor for major international media companies. It is a great chance to see the city under another angle. There are a few companies that offer such services, as for me I chose KD (Köln-Düsseldorfer Deutsche Rheinschiffahrt AG) which cost me about 10 EUR. As I do recall their voyage started the earliest compared to other companies.
- Explore the old town.
Head to the nearest tourist information office in the old town, ask for a map and highlight out some points of interest you might be willing to visit. St. Andreas church, one of the most beautiful baroque churches, St. Lambertus church in the middle of the city cannot leave you uninterested in not visiting them. The lonely Schlossturm tower at the Burgplatz serves as a marine museum, but currently at reconstruction. The old Rathaus, or a city council at the Markplatz with a statue of Elector Jan Wellem on the horse is considered as a best place for meeting friends. Another great attraction one can do is to visit a dozen of microbreweries which produce the famous Altbier – a special Dusseldorf’s dark beer. The banks of the river locate city’s legendary “bar mile” – around 260 establishments that are presented here – bars, pubs, restaurants and a breweries.
- Visit the ruins of the mighty Kaiserwerth castle
The castle is located across the river from the old city center and one will need presumably more time to get there and use of a public transport. Once a medieval palace of the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire Barbarossa, now an impressive ruins more than 50 meters in length with walls up to 4 meters thick, the remains of the castle attract many tourists. The palace had its biggest importance in 1174, when Emperor Barbarossa had the palace enlarged after he transferred the custom point from Netherlands to Kaiserswerth to possess a fortress in order to dominate the Rhine.
- Visit Volksgarten and escape the city
The one of the biggest parks in Dusseldorf occupies around 27 hectares. A perfect place to go for a picnic, feed the ducks, take kids with or just escape the noisy city (which Dusseldorf is not to my opinion)
- Visit Medienhafen and Rheinturm
One of the most popular districts in Dusseldorf, Medienhafen used to be the industrial part of the city. After a company that was engaged in tube production stopped their manufacturing, the city did not need another harbor. Hence the place was being redeveloped and now it hosts the offices of media companies, designer’s studios and TV and radio companies. This part of the city is also famous because of its modern architecture, presented by buildings projected by Frank O. Gehry with his “dancing towers”, David Chipperfield and Claude Vasconi. Architects will love it.
The Rheinturm is the highest construsction in Dusseldorf, reaching 175 meters. It is also the largest digital clock, as the lights along its façade indicate time. The tower has a viewing platform with a bar that attracts a dozens of visitors and offers a great view on the Medienhafen, Altstadt and generally the whole city. The entrance is somewhat 8 EUR.
Bonus tips:
Visit Schloss Benrath or Benrath Castle. It is located not in the center and when we arrived it was closed. Nonetheless it is a great place to visit with a vast park.
Stroll down the Konigsallee – the main shopping street of the Dusseldorf which has boutiques of Gucci, Burberry, Channel and Tiffany.
Visit the newly completed edifice of Ko Boegen. The masterpiece of architecture, designed by Daniel Libedskind is a landmark for architectures.
#Travels in germany