What to See in Düsseldorf

is situated at the old town limits next to Rhine. Here was the erstwhile castle of the Earls of Berg, the later duke of Jülich-Kleve-Berg. Later the castle was reconstructed to a baroque palace, which burned down in 1872. In 1888 the ruins were removed completely, and only a tower was left. Today the tower houses an inland navigation museum.…

is an artwork of Bert Gerresheim, donated by the society “Düsseldorfer Jongens” on occasion of the 700th anniversary of town foundation. It is a kaleidoscope of local history, starting on left side with the cruel battle of Worringen, the signing of foundation documents by the earl of Berg in the middle and several scenes on right side including 4 popes. Among them we see Nikolaus IV raising St.…

A small lane inside the old town, connecting Bolkerstraße and Flingerstraße. It is packed with restaurants and bars, most of them offering Spanish-American and Latin American food (particularly Argentinian). Tailor Wibbel is the main character of a popular theatre play, written by Hans Müller-Schlösser in 1913. Tailor Wibbel had opposed Napoleon and, therefore, was sent to prison.…

has its own history too. The population of the Rhinelands is mainly Catholic, and Protestants and members of the Reformed Church had to suffer many restrictions. Finally, the Contract of Rheinberg 1682 granted everybody the free practice of religion. This led to the construction of the Reformed church-house at Bolkerstrasse in 1683 in a style of the early baroque with a simplified façade.…

built with bricks in the style of Lower Rhine Gothic, is a landmark of Düsseldorf. The church-hall was the last residence of St. Apollinaris, the city’s patron.A particular characteristic is the winding tower. Although there are legends saying they used wet arbors for reconstructing after a fire in 1815, locals know better.…

In front of the city hall is the monument of elector Johann Wilhelms II (1658-1716) on horseback. The citizens affectionately call him Jan Wellem. His monument is among the most important baroque equestrian sculptures north of the Alps. Because of his connections to European dynasties and by the powers invested in him he was a very important man.…

The Corps de Logis is the central building of the three-wing maison de plaisance, which was erected for the Palatine Elector Carl Theodor by his garden and building director Nicolas de Pigage. Construction was completed in 1770: it is a complete work of art that unites architecture and nature in one overlapping concept, and is rated as one of the most beautiful palaces of the rococo epoch.…

At the southern end of the Rhine promenade you will find the newest landmark of Düsseldorf, the so called Media Harbour. The former harbour was transformed into a quarter with restaurants, bars, coffee shops, discotheques and hotels. Its flair is based on the mixture of old and new.…

At the side of market square, in the shadow of Jan Wellem, stands the statue of the cast boy. They say that just before the cast of the Jan Wellem monument master Grupello realised that the amount oft metal was not sufficient. This prompted the cast boy ask the citizens for a donation of noble metal like silver forks or coins. He got so much that the cast could be finished very well.…

The Wilhelm-Marx-Haus was the first Hochhaus, or highrise building, in Germany and, apparently, in Europe. Finished in 1924, it is 57 meters high and has 13 floors above ground level. The architect was Wilhelm Kreis. It was previously home of the Düsseldorf Stock Exchange and currently includes a theatre.…

The historic and striking city hall of Düsseldorf dates from the 16th century. Since then it has housed the city parliament. The building consists of three parts, and there are guided tours for free every Wednesday at 15:00 o’clock.…

The residences at Bilker Straße 7 and 9 have both rich history (including ownership by Prince von Sayn-Wittgenstein, which gave them the name), and are owned by the municipality. They were reconstructed in the 1970s with their historic façades preserved, but the interior was redeveloped to house cultural institutions.…

The house of Japanese culture in the quarter of Niederkassel on the left bank of the Rhein. It was Europe’s first Buddhist temple, and it is surrounded by several buildings like a kindergarten and a library. The garden is styled like a Japanese garden.…

The municipal museum features collections of artifacts, art and photographs related to the history of the city. It is located in the reconstructed baroque Palais Spee (as well as a postmodern west wing added in the 1970s), which features and extensive garden park with a pond formed from the Südliche Düssel.…

Neither a haven nor actually old, the Alter Hafen occupies the area that was once the haven of the fortress of Düsseldorf. Today it is not connected to the Rhine, nor is it actually deep enough (there is a parking garage and tunnel underneath) to serve as a haven, and is surrounded by buildings constructed after the Se…

Between the 2nd and 3rd weekend of July there is fun fair on the banks of Rhine. You will find there roller coasters, a Ferris wheel, a flying jinny and at least a beer garden too. Also, watermelons are sold everywhere. It is the biggest fair on the Rhine and very enjoyable. Monday, called pink Monday, is the day of lesbians and gays.…

on the right bank of Rhine in the northern city, is one of the major Parks in Düsseldorf. Its most interesting part is the Japanese garden inside, a gift of the Japanese community to the citizens. Within about 5,000 square meters, you will find an example of Japanese horticulture with traditional elements like stones, trees, bushes, ponds and bridges.…

The square breathes a contemplative tranquility, only 100 meters beside the loud old town. Follow Lambertus-Street forwards. Near the intersection with “Liefergasse”, you see a marvellous house front on your left. There are many fine fronts in Düsseldorf, but this one is among the prettiest.

The late baroque church was built in mid-17th century for the Franciscan convent and, after its dissolution in 1804, was renamed St. Maximillian as a nod towards the then-Elector to protect it from destruction. The church is renowned for its organ music and choir.

On the right hand of the monument is a little river, named the northern Düssel. It gave the city its name (Düsseldorf means village at Düssel). The balustrade is an artwork of Bert Gerreshein too. It is also full of symbols.

The 240 m high Rhine Tower is right on the Rhine river, near the Media Harbor. It offers a 360-degree view from the restaurant, at 172 m. The restaurant is overpriced, but it is worth a trip for the amazing view.

Kunstsammlung NRW has two building, K20 at Altstadt and K21 in Carlstadt. K20 has a great collection of 20th century art, including Picasso, Klee, Richter, Kandinsky, and Warhol.

The Carlsplatz is the centre of Carlstadt and houses the city's only permanent weekday market, featuring savory food, sweets, flowers as well as popular artworks

Kunstsammlung NRW has two buildings, K20 at Altstadt and K21 in Carlstadt. K21 houses modern art collection after 1960s, mainly from local artists.

The annual Christmas market, which centres around the Altstadt. Try a Glühwein (mulled wine) and Bratwurst (grilled sausage in bread roll).

Once a year, like in many other German cities, a Night of Museums is organized by the City of Düsseldorf.

Heine (1797-1856) was a poet and author and perhaps the most famed Düsseldorfer in German history

Situated at the Rhine bank this clock also shows the current water level in the river.

The shipping museum in the old castle tower.