Nightlife

The place to go for nightlife in Düsseldorf is the Altstadt. This .8 sq. km (1/3 sq. mile) of narrow streets and alleyways, between Königsallee and the Rhine River, is jam-packed with restaurants, dance clubs, art galleries, boutiques, nightclubs, and some 200 song-filled beer taverns. Düsseldorfers refer to a night cruising the Altstadt as an Altstadttbummel.

The Performing Arts

Classical music has long had an illustrious association with this city, once home to Brahms, Mendelssohn, and Schumann (though there are no specific tourist sites relating to them in Düsseldorf). Therefore, it's not surprising that both the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker and its home, Tonhalle, Ehrenhof 1 (box office tel. 0211/8996123; U-Bahn: Tonhalle), are world famous. The Tonhalle is perhaps Germany's most successful modern concert hall after Berlin's Philharmonie. The highly regarded orchestra gives about a dozen concerts a year, with tickets running 24€ to 75€ ($38-$120). Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Heinrich-Heine-Allee 16A (tel. 0211/8908211; U-Bahn: Heinrich-Heine-Allee), is one of the city's renowned opera and ballet companies. Tickets are 11€ to 120€ ($18-$192).

Schauspielhaus, Gustav-Gründgens-Platz 1 (tel. 0211/85230; U-Bahn: Heinrich-Heine-Allee), is known all over Germany for its outstanding productions and acting. Performances (in German) take place September to June, and tickets cost 14€ to 44€ ($22-$70).

Bars & Beer Halls

The oldest brewery-bar in the city is Bräuerei Schumacher, Oststrasse 123 (tel. 0211/8289020; U-Bahn: Oststrasse), a popular establishment that serves only beer brewed by its parent company. It's open daily 10am to midnight. Two other breweries, each serving beer brewed on the premises, are Brauerei im Füchschen, Ratingerstrasse 28 (tel. 0211/137470; U-Bahn: Heinrich-Heine-Allee), and Bräuerei zum Schlüssel, Bolkerstrasse 43 (tel. 0211/828955; U-Bahn: Heinrich-Heine-Allee), both of which also offer platters of German food.

Angel images fill every nook and cranny of Engelchen (German for "little angel"), Kurzestrasse 15 (tel. 0211/327356; U-Bahn: Heinrich-Heine-Allee), where an alternative arts crowd gathers for conversation and coffee, beer, or mixed drinks. It's open Monday to Friday 11am to 2am and weekends 3pm to 5am.

Dance Clubs

Two hot dance spots, Tor 3, Ronsdorferstrasse 143 (tel. 0211/7336497), and Stahlwerk, Ronsdorferstrasse 134 (tel. 0211/730350), face each other across the street (U-Bahn: Langenbergerstrasse). Both intersperse recorded dance music with live acts from throughout Europe. Both draw a mixed, fashion-conscious crowd, are open Friday and Saturday from 10pm to about 6am, and charge a cover of 6€ to 14€ ($9.60-$22).

Live-Music Clubs

A popular piano bar, Bei Tino, Königsallee 21 (tel. 0211/326463; U-Bahn: Königsallee), has music noon to 3am nightly; guests are often allowed to play the piano. McLaughlin's Irish Pub, Kurzestrasse 11 (tel. 0211/324611; U-Bahn: Heinrich-Heine-Allee), serves Guinness and Murphy's with stew and pies, and presents touring Irish bands on the weekend. It's open Sunday to Thursday 5pm to 1am and Friday and Saturday 11am to 3am.

Gay Clubs

Most of the gays in Düsseldorf head to the richer and more diverse (and more exciting) gay fleshpots of Köln, but if you want to remain in the city, Café Rosa Mond, Lierenfelderstrasse 39 (tel. 0211/167575; www.rosamond.de), has a bar and Düsseldorf's widest variety of activities, ranging from an occasional theater piece to a Saturday-night dance hall and even weekly flea market-style auctions. Once you're here, the staff can guide you to other gay venues in the region.