Things To Do in Dusseldorf

As in most German cities, there's an Altstadt (Old Town), with a Marktplatz (Marketplace), a Gothic Rathaus (Town Hall), and a few old buildings and churches. Near the Rathaus on Burgplatz are two of the city's most famous landmarks, the twisted spire of St-Lambertus Basilika (St. Lambertus Church) and the Schlossturm (Castle Tower), both of 13th-century origin. A short walk to the east takes you to St-Andreas Basilika (St. Andreas Church).

The Altstadt has been called "the longest bar in the world" because of the 200-plus bars and restaurants found here. The favorite drink is a top-fermented Altbier (old beer); it's a dark, mellow brew that must be consumed soon after it's made.

A walk up Königsallee, called the "Kö" by Düsseldorfers, will give visitors a quick overview of the city and its residents. This street flanks an ornamental canal, shaded by trees and crossed by bridges. One bank is lined with office buildings, the other with elegant shops, cafes, and restaurants. Here you'll see women dressed in the very latest styles. Düsseldorf is the fashion center of Germany. It's known for its Fashion Weeks, which attract designers and buyers from all over Europe.

If you walk up the Kö toward the Trident Fountain at the northern end of the canal, you'll reach the Hofgarten, a huge, rambling park. Here you can wander along paths or sit and relax amid shade trees, gardens, fountains, and statues, almost forgetting you're in the very center of the city. Among the monuments is one to the poet Heinrich Heine. The Hofgarten is a good central point for seeing the city's major attractions -- nearly all museums and cultural attractions are on its perimeter. Towering over the Hofgarten is Düsseldorf's most impressive skyscraper, the Thyssen-Haus. Residents call it the Dreischeibenhaus ("three-slice house"), because it actually looks like three huge monoliths sandwiched together. Northeast of the Hofgarten is Basilika St. Rochus, one of the city's finest modern churches.

Düsseldorf continues its bold march into the 21st century, especially in its once dilapidated but now trendy MedienHafen district. Originally this was a flourishing warehouse sector in the 19th century. Today it is often a showcase for modern architecture, especially in the office buildings and other works of Frank O. Gehry, winner of the Pritzker prize, the Nobel Prize of architecture. Of course, Gehry's far better known work is his celebrated titanium masterpiece, the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain.

Düsseldorf's most striking example of his work is the ensemble of "organic-looking" high-rises at Neuer Zollhof. This trio of buildings with their wavy lines can easily be spotted along the waterfront. Yachts and luxury cruisers stud the harbor at the foot of the Rhine Tower of MedienHafen. For the best view of these avant-garde buildings, including Gehry's controversial architecture, walk down the water-bordering promenade, Am Handelshafen, beginning at the Rheim Turm (Rhine Tower), heading toward Franziusstrasse.

Düsseldorf is a city of high fashion and high prices. Many chic Europeans visit the city just to shop for what's new and hot. The best and trendiest fashions are sold on the opulent east side of the Königsallee. The two largest concentrations of designer shops are found at the Kö Galerie, Königsallee 60, and the Kö Center, Königsallee 30. Each gallery has some 100 shops. Those not interested in dishing out lots of euros for designer duds should head for the more recently opened Schadow Arcade, off Schadowplatz, at the end of the Kö. Fashion here isn't so haute, but neither are the prices. Shoppers spend some 500 million euros in the shops on Schadowstrasse annually -- more than is spent on any other street in the country.

Antiques

Düsseldorf's historic core contains a fine selection of antiques stores. Lothar Heubel, Bastionstrasse 27 (tel. 0211/134103; U-Bahn: Heinrich-Heine-Allee), specializes in Asian and African antiques, including jewelry, ceramics, and Chinese items from the Han, Ming, and Tang dynasties, mixed in with a handful of antiques from Provence and the south of France.

Department Stores

Carsch Haus, Heinrich-Heine-Platz (tel. 0211/83970; www.galeria-kaufhof.de; U-Bahn: Heinrich-Heine-Allee), carries a good selection of fashions, as well as quality home furnishings, jewelry, and other items.

Designer Clothing & Accessories

Bogner Haus, Königsallee 6-8 (tel. 0211/134222), carries functional sportswear that's meant for action on the golf course, tennis court, and ski slopes. The designers have their workshop on the second floor.

Chanel, Kö Center (tel. 0211/325935; www.chanel.com), offers the company's complete line of products, from clothing to cosmetics and fragrances.

Shoes and more shoes fill the racks at Walter Steiger Schuhe, Grunstrasse 4 (tel. 0211/134104), the German designer of high-quality, high-fashion footwear. In the boutique of Louis Vuitton, Kö Center (tel. 0211/323230; www.louisvuitton.com), leather accessories, luggage, and handbags are sold.

Jewelry & Watches

Located in the heart of the designer shopping district, Wempe Juwelier, Königsallee 14 (tel. 0211/324077; www.wempe.de), is one of a chain of 23 shops scattered throughout Düsseldorf that carries Swiss watches and jewelry designs in gold, silver, and precious stones.

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 jampacked 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 (tel. 0211/8996123 box office; www.tonhalle-duesseldorf.de; 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 25€ to 89€. Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Heinrich-Heine-Allee 16A (tel. 0211/8908211; www.rheinoper.de; U-Bahn: Heinrich-Heine-Allee), is one of the city's renowned opera and ballet companies. Tickets are 11€ to 120€.

Schauspielhaus, Gustav-Gründgens-Platz 1 (tel. 0211/85230; www.duesseldorfer-schauspielhaus.de; 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€.

Bars & Beer Halls

The oldest brewery-bar in the city is Bräuerei Schumacher, Oststrasse 123 (tel. 0211/8289020; www.schumacher-alt.de; 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; www.fuechschen.de; U-Bahn: Heinrich-Heine-Allee), and Bräuerei zum Schlüssel, Bolkerstrasse 43 (tel. 0211/828955; www.hausbrauerei-zum-schluessel.de; U-Bahn: Heinrich-Heine-Allee), both of which also offer platters of German food.

Dance Clubs

A hot dance spot, Stahwerk, Ronsdorferstrasse 134 (tel. 0211/730350; www.stahlwerk.de; U-Bahn: Langenbergerstrasse), intersperses recorded dance music with live acts from throughout Europe. The club draws a mixed, fashion-conscious crowd. Charging a cover of 6€ to 18€, it is open Friday and Saturday 10pm to about 6am.

Live Music Clubs

A popular piano bar, Bei Tino, Königsallee 21 (tel. 0211/326463; www.beitino.com; 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; www.mclaughlins.de; U-Bahn: Heinrich-Heine-Allee), serves Guinness and Murphy's as well as traditional Irish food, 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

You'll find Düsseldorf's gay nightlife integrated into straight clubs (a trend happening all over western Europe these days).