Düsseldorf is the state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia and is
located on the Lower Rhine. The city is located in the middle of the
Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region and is known nationally for its
nightlife, carnival, the Rhine fair and as a trade fair location.
Düsseldorf's retail trade attracts international guests, as do the
numerous museums and galleries.
With around 642,000
inhabitants, Düsseldorf is the second largest city in North
Rhine-Westphalia. Historically, Düsseldorf was initially a small
village on the eponymous river "Düssel", which flows into the Rhine
there. After the "Battle of Worringen" on June 5, 1288, which is
very well known in Düsseldorf, the small village was granted city
rights. Düsseldorf grew and became a counterpoint to the city of
Cologne, which is about 40km up the Rhine.
In the centuries
that followed, Düsseldorf developed into a residence of the Duchy of
"Jülich-Berg" thanks to its good location on the Rhine, and
attracted a number of dukes to the city. The city prospered in
particular during the lifetime of Elector Johann-Wilhelm von der
Pfalz (called "Jan Wellem" by the people of Düsseldorf). Together
with his wife Anna Maria Luisa de Medici, he provided during his
reign in the 17th-18th. Century for the fact that Düsseldorf became
a place of culture and economy. Although some of these positive
developments were lost again in the following century, at the latest
with the demolition of the fortifications in the 19th century and
Napoleon's reign, Düsseldorf underwent another change, the
consequences of which can still be seen in the cityscape today: the
Königsallee, the Heinrich-Heine-Allee and large parts of the
Hofgarten laid out or expanded under French rule. Heinrich Heine
also lived in Düsseldorf at this time.
In the 19th century,
Düsseldorf lost its status as the capital during the Prussian rule
and developed into an art and garden city thanks to the founding of
the art academy. Under Prussian rule and various other innovations
such as the first railway connection in West Germany, Düsseldorf was
able to distinguish itself as an industrial and business location.
This includes the close trade relationship with Japan that began in
the second half of the 19th century and can still be seen in the
city today.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Düsseldorf
became a location for world-renowned art, craft and industrial
exhibitions. Due to its proximity to the Ruhr area and the
commercial branches of many large companies in the city, the city
has earned the nickname "the desk of the Ruhr area". Düsseldorf was
hit hard in both world wars. After the terrible and inglorious Nazi
era, around 50% of all buildings were destroyed and 90% damaged
during the war years of World War II.
In the post-war years,
Düsseldorf once again developed into a trade fair and trade location
and – since it was appointed the state capital of North
Rhine-Westphalia during the British occupation of the city – into a
political location. Düsseldorf has also gained a reputation as a
fashion city thanks to the settlement of many fashion companies. In
terms of urban planning, the city changed in the 20th century
through large traffic axes such as the Berliner Allee (L55) and the
federal highway 1 running along the Rhine, but also through new
districts such as Garath in the south, the MedienHafen and the
federal highway 1, which has been running underground since 1993,
creating the Rhine promenade originated. Especially the Rhine
promenade and the redesign of the city center at the beginning of
the 21st century (construction of the Wehrhahn line and the Kö-Bogen
wikipediacommons) have greatly improved the quality of life in
Düsseldorf in recent decades.
Due to the settlement of
numerous foreign companies and the trade fair, the city is strongly
internationally networked, which gives it a cosmopolitan character
in combination with art and culture. In contrast to this is the
Rhenish cosiness in the numerous pubs in the old town, the carnival,
the fair and the marksmen's festivals. This contrast of small-town
atmosphere and modern cosmopolitan city creates an exciting ambience
for visitors. There are also excellent shopping facilities, an
interesting nightlife and numerous cultural institutions and events.
The 10 districts with their associated districts:
District 1: Old
town, Derendorf, Golzheim, Carlstadt, Pempelfort, city center
District 2: Düsseltal, Flingern-Nord, Flingern-Süd
District 3: Bilk,
Flehe, Friedrichstadt, Hafen, Hamm, Oberbilk, Unterbilk, Volmerswerth
District 4: Heerdt, Lörick, Niederkassel, Oberkassel
District 5:
Angermund, Kaiserswerth, Kalkum, Lohausen, Stockum, Wittlaer
District
6: Lichtenbroich, Mörsenbroich, Rath, Unterrath
District 7:
Gerresheim, Grafenberg, Hubbelrath, Ludenberg, Knittkuhl
District 8:
Eller, Lierenfeld, Unterbach, Vennhausen
District 9: Benrath,
Hassels, Himmelgeist, Holthausen, Itter, Reisholz, Urdenbach, Wersten
District 10: Garath, Hellerhof
Due to its central location in the largest metropolitan area in
Germany, Düsseldorf is easy to reach with all means of transport.
By plane
Düsseldorf Airport (IATA: DUS) is located in the north
of the city and is the third largest in Germany with around 21 million
passengers. It offers numerous direct connections to over 170
destinations worldwide. The airport is around 7 km from the city center
and the main train station. From the airport you can reach the city
center directly from the terminal with the S-Bahn line S11 or from
Düsseldorf Airport station with the S-Bahn line S1 or by bus. A single
ticket for price level A costs €2.90 (as of 12/2019). Depending on the
destination, a taxi ride to the city center costs around €20-25, to and
from the exhibition center there is a flat rate of €20.00 (as of
12/2019). Private services such as Uber (approx. €22 to the city center)
or car-sharing providers are also represented around the airport.
Weeze Airport (NRN) is located 83 km northwest of Düsseldorf on the
Dutch border and is mainly served by low-cost airlines. More than 50
destinations in Europe and North Africa are served. There are 6-7 buses
a day to and from Düsseldorf main station, four of which also stop at
the exhibition centre. The fare is € 19.00 (as of 12/2019). The journey
time is approx. 1½ hours. With public transport you need about a quarter
of an hour longer and pay €15.70 (as of 12/2019). Information on this
can be obtained from the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr or the Rheinbahn
(see below).
The airports near Cologne (CGN), Dortmund (DTM) and
Frankfurt (FRA) can be reached in less than 2 hours by public transport.
By train
Düsseldorf main station is an important stopping point
for long-distance traffic. All ICE trains from Amsterdam, Basel and
Berlin stop here. The main station is of particular importance as a
regional transport hub. Around 20 regional and S-Bahn lines from the
Ruhr area (Duisburg, Essen), Bergisches Land (Wuppertal), Lower Rhine
(Mönchengladbach, Krefeld) or the Cologne area (Aachen, Cologne) stop
here.
Some ICE and IC lines as well as all regional lines that
operate there also stop at Düsseldorf Airport station.
There is
also the Düsseldorf-Benrath regional train station and 25 S-Bahn
stations.
In the street
In Düsseldorf, environmental zones
have been set up in accordance with the Fine Dust Ordinance. If you
don't have the appropriate badge, you risk a fine of €100 when entering
an environmental zone. This also applies to foreign road users.
Entry
ban for vehicles of pollutant groups 1+2+3 (Info Federal Environment
Agency)
The environmental traces, which were under discussion
throughout Germany, have been abolished since March 1, 2021. Although
the roads are still different to drive on than before the environmental
lanes were set up, they are no longer so unique that they should be
specifically pointed out here.
Düsseldorf is located on the A3,
A44, A46, A52, A57, A59 motorways.
By bus
The long-distance
bus stop Düsseldorf for Flixbus and other bus lines is the ZOB near the
main station. There are connections throughout Germany and Europe.
By boat
The Cologne-Düsseldorfer (KD) passenger shipping company
offers, among other things, one-hour panoramic trips with drinks and
recorded announcements on the Rhine.
By bicycle
The Rhine
cycle path with the section name "Rheinschiene adventure trail" runs
along both banks. However, you have to make a detour on the left bank of
the Rhine through the port area of Neuss. The Rhine can be crossed on
all road and motorway bridges. The railway Rhine bridge is impassable.
Düsseldorf as a city is easily accessible by car, but the streets are
hopelessly congested, especially at peak times or on certain days (trade
fair, football game, etc.). If you are only visiting for a short time,
you can undoubtedly do without your car and use public transport. If you
have arrived by car, it is best to leave it in one of the P+R car parks.
The city center is dotted with a dense network of bus stops, but even in
the outskirts of the city, you rarely walk more than five minutes to the
nearest bus stop. There are many alternative offers.
City, tram
and buses
The Düsseldorf Rheinbahn (Nahverkehrsgesellschaft Raum
Düsseldorf) maintains a dense network of light rail, trams and buses in
the Rhein-Ruhr transport association. The city railways run underground
in the center, cross the main station and lead to Duisburg, Krefeld and
Neuss. A third underground light rail line, the so-called Wehrhahn Line,
has been in operation since February 2016.
Tickets can be bought
in Düsseldorf in the vehicles, at the bus stops or via the app. Some
kiosks (called "Büdchen" in Düsseldorf) also offer tickets. Two
Rheinbahn customer centers in Düsseldorf (Rheinbahn Customer Center
Heinrich-Heine-Allee, Heinrich-Heine-Allee 23, 40213 Düsseldorf. Tel.:
(0)180 6 504030. Open: Monday to Friday: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday: 9
a.m. to 2 p.m and Rheinbahn Customer Center Hauptbahnhof,
Immermannstraße 65 a-d, 40210 Düsseldorf Tel.: (0)180 6 504030. Open:
Monday to Friday: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.) provide
further information and tickets.
The Rheinbahn offers its own
app, with which you can buy tickets directly in addition to timetable
information via the VRR-Efa. Other apps like DB Navigator also offer
this. If you have the option of being able to select the timetable data
(i.e. VRR-Efa or DB-Efa), the VRR offer offers more precise information
on disruptions, delays or cancellations; however, the DB range is in the
store much faster.
Short-distance tickets cost €1.70 and are
valid for “boarding + 1st stop + 2nd stop + exit” (price category K). A
single ticket with any change in one direction and valid for 90 minutes
costs €2.90 (price category A3) and, like the short-distance ticket,
often has to be validated in the vehicle (it says so explicitly).
Children pay a reduced children's rate and travel for free up to the age
of six. For tourists there are various more or less useful tickets such
as e.g. B. which costs €10.00 for an individual for 24 hours and €21.00
for 72 hours. The tourist information at the main train station or in
the old town (see below) as well as other advance booking offices
provide more information. In the vehicle itself, you can usually buy the
"24/48 hour ticket" or simply a "4erTicket".
In any case, it is
worth buying a ticket, because it is checked irregularly but frequently
and you can really save yourself the 60€ increased transport fee and the
associated hassles.
Eleven light rail lines (U70 – U83) operate
in Düsseldorf. The subway station Heinrich-Heine-Allee acts as a common
junction and transfer station. The city railways are divided into two
"connecting routes": seven of them (U70, U74–U79) run through the inner
city tunnel, opened in 1988, between the Heinrich-Heine-Allee
underground station and the main train station. Another tunnel route for
four more Stadtbahn lines (U71–U73, U83), the Wehrhahn line, leads from
the Pempelforter Straße U stop to Bilk S. Behind these two main routes,
the Stadtbahn divides up and is distributed throughout the city.
Seven tram lines (701 – 709) that run purely above ground run in a
somewhat more decentralized manner through the city area. Four of them
(704, 707, 708, 709) stop at Düsseldorf Hbf; to switch between the other
three (701, 705, 706), you can change at Schadowstraße U, for example.
In the so-called "Düsseldorf Express Network" the offer is
supplemented by three MetroBusse (M1 - M3). However, these bypass the
inner city area and are therefore rather uninteresting for tourists.
However, if you are a trade fair visitor or come for a football game,
the M1 can be interesting because it stops at Freiligrathplatz close to
the trade fair. If you are staying in one of the surrounding towns, it
may be worth taking one of the nine express buses (SB50 - SB79) that
connect Düsseldorf with the surrounding area via the Autobahn (!).
In addition, more than 60 bus lines (some of them air-conditioned
and equipped with WLAN/USB sockets) run through Düsseldorf. Many of them
stop in the inner city, while others only connect outer parts of the
city with each other. Some of the buses also come from the neighboring
cities. If you want, you can ask the bus driver how to drive. As is
common worldwide, however, many of the bus drivers will only respond
briefly or a little harshly. Especially for the faint-hearted, it's
worth taking a look at maps or online offers (please don't let this
deter you from buying a ticket from the bus driver before you start your
journey! Most people are familiar with the price system and can select
the right tariff when naming the desired destination bus stop If you
have already bought a ticket somewhere else before boarding the bus, it
must be shown to the bus driver when boarding).
Furthermore, all
6 S-Bahn lines run via the main station.
Taxi
There are
various taxi companies in Düsseldorf:
Rhine taxi. Tel.: +49(0)211
212121. (information may be outdated)
Taxi Dusseldorf. Tel.:
+49(0)211 33333. last update: Dec. 2019 (information may be outdated)
Your dream taxi 999 1 000 GmbH. Phone: +49(0)211-999 1 000.
Car
sharing
This website from the city of Düsseldorf provides an overview
of the various car-sharing options.
Private car sharing is also
possible in Düsseldorf.
Electric scooters and scooters
In
Düsseldorf, Eddy (the company trades as Emmy in other cities) and Felyx
offer e-scooters on a sharing basis.
Electric scooters on a
sharing basis are currently (2019) offered by TIER, Voi., Bird and Lime.
Bike sharing
There are currently various bike-sharing offers in
Düsseldorf:
Call a bike
next bike
mobike
bike station
Stroller Rental
In the family-friendly city of Düsseldorf, there
is also the option of renting a stroller, car seat or travel cot online.
The Mami Poppins pram rental company delivers the required baby
equipment throughout the city free of charge. The desired products can
be rented from a rental period of 1 day.
In the following, the sights are listed and described sorted by district. At the end of this chapter there is an overview of the city's museums.
Downtown
It is located between the old town and the main train
station.
Streets
Koenigsallee (underground station
Steinstrasse/ Koenigsallee) . Düsseldorf's "Kö" is known nationwide as
an exclusive shopping mile. It is a magnificent avenue with a moat in
the middle. Historical buildings stand on both sides. On the east side
there are luxury shops, on the west office buildings. This is where the
phrase "Money is earned on one side of the Kö, spent on the other." Tip:
according to a rough rule of thumb, the lower the house number, the
higher the prices on the Kö.
Schadowstrasse (Schadowstrasse U) .
Important shopping street in Dusseldorf, where you can find shoe and
clothing shops, jewelers and department stores. The "Kö-Bogen II" is
currently being built at the end of Schadowstrasse.
Japanese Quarter,
Immermannstrasse 40210 (stops Klosterstrasse and Oststrasse U). The
quarter where the Japanese community in Düsseldorf goes to work and eat.
On Immermann-/Oststraße, Japanese restaurants line up with cafés and
bookstores, making the area a sight for all Japanophiles.
Buildings
Deutsche Oper am Rhein (Rheinoper), Heinrich-Heine-Allee
16A, 40213 Düsseldorf (Heinrich-Heine-Allee U). Tel.: +49 (0)211
8925211, e-mail: ticket@operamrhein.de. The building from the 1950s may
not be particularly striking from the outside, but inside, opera stars
are stepping in and out of doors. A demanding but also accessible
program with the music of the Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra takes place
here. There is also a special program for children (Hansel and Gretel by
Engelbert Humperdinck has been popular in the run-up to Christmas for
almost 60 years). Price: €€–€€€. last change: Jan. 2020 (details may be
out of date) edit info facebook URL used
Kö-Bogen . A modern building
with shops between Hofgarten and Schadowstrasse, with trees planted in
the facade. It is separated from the Hofgarten by the Düssel, where
steps lead to the water.
Düsseldorf Playhouse. The Düsseldorfer
Schauspielhaus is already worth seeing from the outside, as the curved
facade next to the Dreischeibenhaus is very photogenic. But worthwhile
plays can also be found indoors if you are interested.
Johanneskirche. Next to the Ministry of Justice and opposite the
Bundesbank offices is this large evangelical church from 1875. It's also
worth a visit outside of mass times, as the church also has a very nice
(albeit a little quieter) café without many tourists. Doctor Who fans
can look out for statues on the outside of the building that bear a
striking resemblance to the Weeping Angels. The reason why the church is
so strangely offset to the other buildings is because of the
“artificially” created Berliner Allee, with which most of the original
buildings were destroyed after the war in the course of the car-friendly
city and a multi-lane road was made way.
Jaegerhof Castle. Jägerhof
Palace has been used as a museum since 1955 (Goethe Museum, see
Museums).
Parks
Courtyard garden . The first Volksgarten that
existed in Germany. It has existed for centuries now and so all sorts of
elements of large gardens can be found in it.
Reiterallee,
Jägerhofallee 40211. The long avenue leads from "jröne Jong" to Jägerhof
Palace. The benches are illuminated at night, which makes a detour
particularly worthwhile.
Jrone Jong. Joseph Hammerschmidt's "Jröne
Jong" fountain from 1900 is so overgrown with moss that it has actually
always been green.
Court Garden Pavilion. Open-air concerts are held
at this pavilion in summer.
Old town
The old town borders on
the right bank of the Rhine with a long promenade, which is traffic-free
between the Tonhalle and Medienhafen, and on the east side on
Heinrich-Heine-Allee. The castle square with the castle tower and the
Radschläger fountain, the water gauge and the "longest beer garden on
the Rhine" are located on it. It is a popular shopping district during
the day and becomes the “longest bar in the world” in the evenings and
at weekends: a Lower Rhine specialty, the Altbier, is also served in the
many pubs. (underground station Heinrich-Heine-Allee)
Streets
Marketplace. In the middle of the square is the equestrian statue of
Elector Jan Wellem. The development around this square consists largely
of the (visitable) Düsseldorf town hall, the old finance department and
residential/commercial buildings. The central market used to take place
here, today it is a popular place for all kinds of celebrations and
festivals all year round, the carnival and the Christmas market take
place here.
castle square . Located directly on the banks of the
Rhine in the old town, with the Radschläger fountain and the striking
castle tower. During the street carnival, this is the place where most
of the students come to celebrate the street carnival. On the Burgplatz
itself, large marquees are set up several times a year for various
events. You can also find e-scooters here.
Rhine embankment
promenade. Today it is a popular destination for Düsseldorf residents
and visitors. The old town and Carlstadt were fed back to the Rhine
through the tunneling of federal highway 1 in 1993. On the two levels
you can wonderfully enjoy the Rhine panorama in almost any weather.
Modern design dominates at the top and you can't miss the tide gauge;
below are the casemates, now home to large open-air restaurants and
bars. Especially in the evening it can be very nice to end the day here.
Alter Hafen, Alter Hafen 40213. Even if it's not old and it's also not a
harbour, this artificial water basin with the 15-meter-long Aalschokker
"Dü1" is worth a detour. There used to be a parking lot here, today the
multi-storey car park is underneath.
Buildings
Historical town
hall. With a typical Lower Rhine façade (1573). The town hall itself
actually consists of five building parts. If you need a little rest from
the hustle and bustle of the old town, you may find peace in the small
inner courtyard.
Art Academy, Eiskellerstrasse 1. Tel.: +49 211 13960
. The building of the art academy can be worthwhile for one or the other
to look at from the outside (very high windows, beautiful facade). But
it is even more worthwhile to take part in the academy tour once a year,
where you can look at the students' work for a week free of charge.
Admission is free, guided tours are not.
Castle Tower, Castle Square.
The tower is the only remnant of Düsseldorf Castle that was destroyed by
fire in 1872. Inside is the Maritime Museum with an exciting exhibition
for the whole family. At the top of the lantern is a café that can be
accessed without visiting the museum, which, in addition to the slightly
higher prices, offers a fantastic view. Incidentally, this building is
said to be haunted: the white woman from Henkel goes back to the legend
that the murdered Jakobe von Baden was once found here.
Former
Hofkirche Sankt Andreas, Andreasstraße 4. This church, which appears
unusual from the outside, is worth a look inside! The mainly white
interior looks incredible.
Former collegiate church of St. Lambertus,
Old Town 7. St. Lambertus (called "St. Lambäätes" in Düsseldorfer Platt)
is considered the oldest building in the old town. Although something
has changed from time to time. The slightly twisted (crooked) church
tower is particularly noteworthy. According to legend, the tower burned
down in 1815 and the uninformed Düsseldorf church builders rebuilt it
with wet wood. When drying, the wood warped and became crooked.
According to legend, the tower rises again when a true Düsseldorf maiden
gets married under it. You've been waiting for it in Düsseldorf for a
long time.
Wilhelm-Marx-Haus, Heinrich-Heine-Allee 53 40213. Named
after a former mayor of Düsseldorf, this twelve-storey building was the
first high-rise office building to exist in Germany; . It stands for
Düsseldorf's name "The Desk of the Ruhr Area". In the evening, a neon
sign from Persil is pulled up above, which is why many Düsseldorfers
only know the building under the name Persil-Haus.
Carsch-Haus,
Heinrich-Heine-Platz 1 40213. Originally, the Carsch-Haus was not where
it is today, but a few meters further. It was supposed to be demolished
when the subway was to be built in the 1970s, but was then removed stone
by stone, restored and rebuilt in its current location. Inside, the
offer has changed frequently in recent years; today, Galeria Kaufhof is
located below with a delicatessen department and an outlet above.
Art in public space
Radschläger Fountain, Burgplatz. The fountain
was created in 1954 by Alfred Zschorsch and donated by the Düsseldorf
local history club Düsseldorfer Jonges.
Schneider-Wibbel,
Schneider-Wibbel-Gasse. Music box that plays at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, 3:00
pm, 6:00 pm and 9:00 pm for about five minutes. Below is a plaque
telling the story of Schneider Wibbel (a play by Hans Müller-Schlösser).
City elevation monument, Burgplatz. Designed by artist Bert Gerresheim,
the moment reflects the history of the city of Düsseldorf since the
Battle of Worringen. the z. T. historical, partly modern approach is
reflected in the use of different techniques; among other things, a real
pistol is incorporated into the work of art.
The black hole
wikipediacommons. Work of art by Joseph Beuys on the outer facade of the
Kunsthalle in Düsseldorf (looks like a chimney).
Carlstadt
It
is located south of the old town. Most of the houses in Carlstadt are
built in the Baroque style of the 18th century, which gives the district
a special flair. Many artists have their studios here and wealthy people
have their apartments.
Streets
Rhine embankment promenade.
While the part belonging to the old town houses the casemates, this
section has boules courts on the upper section and the large lawn by the
Apollo Theater.
Carlsplatz. Even if it actually belongs to the old
town due to its location, it must be listed here, as it gives the entire
district its name. A permanent (and covered) weekly market has settled
on the very large square, where you can get pretty much everything in
terms of food and a lot more. A few food stalls also supply the buyers
and market people. All around you will find a wide potpourri of cafés
and small boutiques.
High Street . The Hohe Straße Festival takes
place here every year, but you should still stroll across the street,
because otherwise you would simply overlook the many small shops with
some unbeatable quality.
Building
Palais Wittgenstein
wikipedia. House built in the 18th century, which today houses a
cultural center with an attached Institut Français.
City Museum .
Although the museums are covered in a different section, it is worth
noting here because of the attached chamber music hall and rose garden,
which can be accessed from Bäckerstrasse.
Spee's ditch. Rather quiet
park with manageable size. Very nice if you need a little distance or
quiet.
Max Church . Again a very impressive church with a great
organ, a must see if you're into churches. The attached Maxhaus has a
very good (and reasonably priced) bistrot, which is a must-see for its
covered courtyard and dig-site-like toilets.
Apollo Theater,
Apollo-Platz 1, 40213 . Large variety theater directly on the Rhine,
which belongs to the Cologne Roncalli Circus. Year-round variety
program, including matinees.
Mannesmann Building . Building complex
built by the architects Behrens, Väth, Schneider-Eßleben and Eiermann
for the former Mannesmann Rohrenwerke, later Vodafone. Even if Vodafone
has now moved to its own campus in Heerdt, it is definitely worth taking
a look at the building for architecture fans.
estate house . Former
state parliament building, now houses the art collection of the state of
North Rhine-Westphalia and is accessible as a museum (see below). In
front of it are the Schwanenspiegel and the Kaiserteich.
Pempelfort
This district is often confused with Derendorf or
Golzheim. But that doesn't do him justice, because this is where the
inner-city Düsseldorfers live.
Streets
north street.
Nordstrasse is one of the beautiful shopping streets in Düsseldorf. Many
small and slightly larger shops next to all sorts of restaurants and
cafes make this longer street worth seeing. It's nothing special, but if
you'd like to watch the people of Düsseldorf go about their daily lives,
you're in good hands here.
Buildings
Court of Honor. A group
of buildings on the Rhine at the Oberkasseler Bridge. Components are the
Tonhalle, the NRW-Forum and the Museum Kunstpalast. The ensemble was
built in the 1920s and has been used in a variety of ways since then.
It's worth taking a look inside the buildings here!
concert hall. The
Tonhalle is a concert hall. Its foyer, the Green Vault, is one of the
finest examples of Expressionist architecture today. It is part of the
ensemble of buildings called the Ehrenhof. It used to be an observatory,
then later a concert hall with bizarre acoustics. Since the extensive
conversion in 2006, it has been one of the houses with the best
acoustics in the world. The Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra, guest
ensembles and stars of serious music, as well as comedians and cabaret
artists from time to time, play. On the outdoor terrace on the roof you
can take a sun lounger for free in summer and look out over the Rhine.
Fortunabüdchen, Joseph-Beuys-Ufer 27, 40479. For many Düsseldorfers one
of the most beautiful places on the Rhine. The small kiosk mainly sells
beer (also the Alt der Düsseldorfer Hausbrauereien) and offers a nice
(free) view of the Rhine with the Wall. The place is especially
worthwhile at sunset. A lot of fans come here before Fortuna games and
then run the 4,
Fortunabüdchen, Joseph-Beuys-Ufer 27, 40479. For many Düsseldorfers
one of the most beautiful places on the Rhine. The small kiosk mainly
sells beer (also the Alt der Düsseldorfer Hausbrauereien) and offers a
nice (free) view of the Rhine with the Wall. The place is especially
worthwhile at sunset. Many fans come here before Fortuna games and then
walk the 4.6 km to the Merkur-Spiel-Arena along the Rhine.
Rheinterasse, Joseph-Beuys-Ufer 33 40479. "On the streets/To the
Rheinterasse." sing the Toten Hosen in the song On days like these. This
venue is a popular spot for awards shows and proms. In winter, many
carnival sessions are held here. In the summer there is a small beer
garden next to it with a nice view of the Rhine.
Rochus Church,
Rochusmarkt 5 40479 . Formerly a large church in the Pempelfort
district, but which was partially destroyed during the war. The old
neo-Romanesque church tower remained standing, and the new nave was
completed in 1954 according to plans by Dohr and Schneider-Eßleben. The
egg-shaped nave looks unusual and is worth a peek inside for fans of
churches. The adjacent Rochusmarkt and the streets around it are more
populated by locals.
Münster-Therme, Münsterstrasse 13 40477 . The
Gründerzeit swimming pool is not easily recognizable unless you know
exactly where it is. But it's the most beautiful thing. So if you're
thinking about going swimming during your stay, this is the place to be.
Not that there's great water slides or a 50-meter pool, but the
experience (including the sauna) is worth it.
Golzheim
Streets
Kaiserswerther Strasse. The street, which is not particularly exciting,
is home to an unbelievably high density of fashion agencies and
representatives of large labels. This is the right place for bulk
shopping for fashion or looking at the new collections.
Building
Robert Schumann University, Fischerstrasse 110 40476 . Conservatory
(music college) in Düsseldorf. The Partika hall serves as an event hall
for the university. Below the hall is the "crypt", a room designed by
Emil Schult, which was originally intended to serve as a spiritual
retreat for the students. Today you can visit place on request. However,
it is worth asking the university administration for details.
New
Synagogue. After Düsseldorf had had several synagogues in the city over
the course of time, the seat of the Jewish community is a bit more
inconspicuous today. You can only visit the "Paul Spiegel" synagogue
after registering with the rabbinate, or if you are lucky and know
someone from the community who will take you inside.
Parks
Golzheim Cemetery, Fischerstrasse . Former municipal cemetery, now used
as a park. Rather quiet. edit info
Rheinpark Golzheim. The lawns
cover around 24 hectares and serve as a sunbathing area for sunbathing,
picnicking and barbecue fans on warm days. In summer, the city of
Düsseldorf hosts the free "Sport im Park" offer, where you can do sports
for free under the guidance of fitness trainers.
Miscellaneous
Golzheim, Uerdinger Str. 45 40474. Techno and electro club under the
Theodor-Heuss bridge. It's best to come here very late.
Derendorf
Many Düsseldorfers often confuse the area of the Derendorf district with
those of Unterrath and Pempelfort. For tourists expecting a lot of
sights, this part of the city doesn't offer too much. Because it is
mainly characterized by residential and office areas. L'Oreal and
Rheinmetall, among others, have their headquarters here, the wholesale
market is here, Mercedes-Benz builds its Sprinter here and the
Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences is now located on the site of
the former slaughterhouse and the castle brewery. Here you can also eat
well and down-to-earth. If you have time, stroll along Roßstrasse and
Ulmenstrasse and see the chic office buildings.
FOM University,
Toulouser Allee 53 40476. Private university for business and management
in Düsseldorf. However, a detour to the futuristic building with a small
park is particularly worthwhile for fans of architecture.
HSD
Hochschule Düsseldorf, Münsterstraße 156 40476. The campus, which is
also very modern, is just as worthwhile for friends of architecture as
it is for those interested in studying. A look at the university
library, which is housed in the former cattle hall, is particularly
worthwhile.
North Cemetery, Am North Cemetery 1 40468 . The largest
cemetery in the state capital with many graves of well-known people. The
article in the sister project Wikipedia offers a list of the most
important graves.
Dusseltal
The triangular outline of Düsseltal stretches eastwards
on the Düsseldorf–Duisburg railway line and offers a number of sights,
such as the Zooviertel, around the former Düsseldorf Zoo. It is also
Düsseldorf's most central district.
Streets and parks
zoo park
. Monkeys and zebras used to run through the park here, but today the
park, with its varied design, is a popular local recreation destination
for everyone who lives on the right bank of the Rhine.
Rethelstrasse.
Busy shopping street with three rows of parking at times. The street
bends at the bridge and becomes a quieter residential street where Bert
Wollersheim's establishment used to be.
Haniel Park. Small park with
a playground, which was sometimes used to transship various drugs.
Nevertheless, it is frequented by many families.
Building
ARAG
high-rise, Arag Square. The office tower built by the architects Foster
and RKW for ARAG-Versicherung is the tallest office tower in Düsseldorf.
It is also not particularly exciting because of its location, but it
should be mentioned here because of the special construction (does not
need air conditioning, has four garden floors, is particularly
energy-efficient).
Eissporthalle Brehmstraße, Brehmstraße 27 40239 .
Former home of the DEG (Düsseldorfer Eishockeyverein) and now a public
ice skating rink. In summer you can play field hockey here. Very cheap
entry, only the opening times are special.
33 Buscher Mühle,
Mulvanystrasse 15 40239 . Former watermill that was built in the 14th
century. Destroyed after World War II, the reconstructed house is now an
event venue with a nice public park.
6 DITIB central mosque,
Münsterstraße 199 40470. The DITIB central mosque in Düsseldorf is now
located in a former railway building.
34 Hanielgarage, Grafenberger
Allee 258 40237. Garage built by architect Schneider-Esleben for
Düsseldorf industrialist Haniel. High-rise garage with adjoining motel.
Now a BMW car dealership, a McDonalds branch and a Chinese restaurant.
Flingern North
What even many Düsseldorfers don't know is that
the "Flingern" district actually consists of "Flingern-Nord" and
"Flingern-Süd". It is worth making this separation, because
Flingern-Nord is the district that is much more interesting for
tourists.
Streets and parks
Grafental. The quite new
residential district "Grafental" is of particular interest to those who
want to settle in Düsseldorf. Between the metro, business parks, old
industrial plants and existing residential areas, the relatively new
district offers interesting streets.
Stadt-Natur-Park Flingern,
Schlueterstraße 16 40235. Also relatively new park next to the old
Thyssen buildings, the metro and residential areas.
Ackerstrasse.
Flingern is generally considered a gentrified district. A good part of
this is probably due to Ackerstrasse. Here chic cafés and restaurants
line up with designer shops, small boutiques and traditional shops. If
you are looking for alternative hotspots in Düsseldorf, you will find
them here.
Birkenstrasse. Main shopping street in Flingern where you
can find butchers, supermarkets, pubs, restaurants, galleries, specialty
shops and much more. If you liked the Nordstraße in Pempelfort, you will
also like this street.
Herrmannplatz. Green square in hipster
district. Families visit the playground or the weekly market, which is
open on Saturdays.
Flurstrasse. Street with many restaurants and
cafes. In addition, there are many companies, the Flingern public
library and the savings bank.
Sports facilities
Paul-Janes-Stadion, Flinger Broich 87 40235 wikipedia. Old home of the
Düsseldorf football club Fortuna. The administration is still here
today, there are plenty of smaller games here and there is a youth
academy.
All-weather pool Flingern, Flinger Broich 91. Currently
closed all-weather pool with 50 meter pool. Very popular with young
people and families in summer. Home of the "Freien Schimmer Düsseldorf".
Last change: Dec. 2019 (information may be out of date)
Düsselstrand,
Kettwiger Str. 50 40233. Leisure pool with 25 meter pool and several fun
pools, outdoor area and slide. It's worth it here, especially for
children, and since it's a municipal bath, the prices are moderate.
Especially people who are looking for aqua gymnastics or similar will
find what they are looking for here.
Flingern South
As a district, Flingern Süd is rather uninteresting
for tourists, as there are mainly industrial and commercial areas here.
But if you are still interested in this rather small district, it is
worth stopping by here:
zakk, Fichtenstrasse 40, 40233 . The
"Center for Action, Culture and Communication" on Fichtenstrasse is a
socio-cultural center with a daily changing program. From
singer-songwriter evenings to NGO meetings, performances by cabaret
artists, bands or parties, you can find quite a lot here. It's worth
taking a look at the program and visiting in the evening because of the
mostly moderate prices.
pine road . What Rigaer Strasse is to Berlin
and the district around the “Rote Flora” is to Hamburg, Kiefernstrasse
is to Düsseldorf: a street occupied by squatters in the 1980s, which
today is characterized by its extremely colorful façade design. But be
careful: if you're only out to find the boldest image for your
followers, you have to be careful here: the residents of the street are
still rather hostile to people who have committed themselves to
superficiality and commerce.
Schwanenhöfe, Erkrather Str. 230 40233.
A former soap factory, which today has a building complex of old and new
buildings, with a few green spaces in between. There are, among other
things, two universities, a gym, a good portuguese and a large
restaurant that is also used for event purposes. If you happen to be
staying nearby and don't want to go downtown in the evening, it's worth
going here.
Higher way car mile. Car dealerships are lined up along
this street, which means that there are also authorized workshops for
most car owners. If you ever have a minor or major breakdown, there is a
good chance that you will find help or a new car here. The ADAC and the
road traffic office are also right here.
Bilk
The Bilk district is one of the largest and most populous in
Düsseldorf. Since the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf is also
located here, many students and young people live here. The district
offers some shopping facilities, interesting tourist buildings and
important infrastructure.
streets
Aachen street. Some sections
of the relatively long Aachener Straße will not be particularly exciting
for tourists. However, at the intersection of Suitbertusstraße in
particular, there is a district-typical business center with a few
cafés, bakeries and restaurants in the adjacent streets. The part
between Südring and Aachener Platz is also home to a few restaurants and
shops, but is much more residential.
Brunnenstrasse, 40233.
Brunnenstrasse is a rather atypical shopping street for Düsseldorf, as
there is a high concentration of small cafés, second-hand shops,
galleries and specialist shops here. There is also a cinema here. In the
middle it crosses the Karolingerstraße, while surrounded by trees an
idyllic arm of the Düssel flows in the middle of the street.
buildings
There are certainly individual buildings of architectural
value in Bilk, but the selection here is based on places worth seeing,
even if they are not architecturally outstanding.
Heinrich-Heine-University Dusseldorf . The Heinrich Heine University
Düsseldorf is located in the southern part of Bilk. With almost 40,000
students, it is one of Germany's largest universities and is designed as
a campus. It houses a legal, mathematical-scientific, medical,
philosophical and economic faculty. For prospective students, a visit to
the "Student Service Center", the university and state library and the
canteen makes sense. Some of the institutions that are also housed here
make the university and the university building in the city center worth
visiting.
Botanical Garden . Over 6,000 botanical species can be
admired here for free. Plants from the Mediterranean region and from
Australia, New Zealand, Asia, South Africa, Chile and California grow in
the accompanying domed greenhouse. From time to time it can happen that
the Friends of the Botanical Garden give young plants that are no longer
needed to interested parties in exchange for a small donation. If you
want to beautify your garden, balcony or windowsill with an exotic or
rare plant, you may be lucky enough to find a nice specimen here.
Student Service Center, Universitätsstr. 1, building 21.02, 40225. Tel.:
+49 211 81-12345, email: studierendenservice@hhu.de. The SSC is the
point of contact for all study-related questions at HHU. It is also
worth taking a look at the website for prospective students because it
offers a whole range of offers for prospective students as well. Open:
9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
University and State Library,
Universitätsstraße 1. The University and State Library has a stock of
2.5 million media units which, if they cannot be viewed in one of the
three reading rooms, can be ordered from one of the archives within one
day. Borrowing is possible with the HHU card or a rental card. As an
academic library, all other options such as e.g. B. Interlibrary loan
possible. The Thomas Mann collection and an extensive inventory of
manuscripts, manuscripts, incunabula and estates are also worth seeing.
Harbor
The Hafen district is difficult to distinguish from the
neighboring Unterbilk district. In some representations, the relatively
new district "Medienhafen" is in the district of Hafen, in others in the
district of Unterbilk. Due to the similarity in name and the intuitive
assignment of many Düsseldorfers, the Medienhafen is assigned to the
port here. Modern buildings can be found in Düsseldorf's Medienhafen
next to old port facilities. There are also restaurants, bars, clubs and
discos. (Tram stops Stadttor (northern area) or Franziusstr. (southern
area)) The actual port, on the other hand, is characterized by industry
and offers only a few tourist attractions, especially since it is
difficult to reach the areas due to the lack of public transport
connections.
Rhine Tower . When the port started to change in the
late 70's/early 80's, this 240.5m high communications tower was built,
planned from the start with a visitor platform and revolving restaurant.
Today, as a guest, you can visit three floors for €9 and enjoy great
views of Düsseldorf and the surrounding area (on a good day as far as
Cologne). The restaurant has recently become a Japanese fusion
restaurant with an upscale menu. The visitor floor below is worthwhile
for tourists without exception and daring people can lean against the
windows from the inside, which then ensure that you are flying with
their slanted frame. On the facade towards the city center is the
digital clock, which is switched on after dark and shows the time with
points of light.
State Parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia. The
North Rhine-Westphalian state parliament has had its seat here since the
late 1980s. If you look at the building from above, you can see that the
circular structures "intermesh" like gears. Over 300 visitor places are
available for visitors during the days of the meeting. But the state
parliament is also open on weekends with an interactive (and very
interesting) visitor and information center. Unfortunately, visitors
cannot access the car park, so it is worth parking either in one of the
surrounding car parks or in the parking lots, or you can travel by other
means.
New customs yard (Gehry buildings) . Three adjacent office
buildings designed by Canadian star architect Frank Gehry. While people
in Düsseldorf still made fun of the facades as "tin cans" after they
were built, these landmarks are now an integral part of any tourist
photo album. The three buildings do not have a single straight wall, and
the windows are custom-made. The thought is that the white and the
clinker building are reflected in the silver one. Visits are
unfortunately not possible, but there are two bar-restaurants downstairs
that are freely accessible as long as you can/want to stay there.
city gate. The building, symbolically called the "City Gate", gets its
name from the Bundesstrasse 1 running under the foundation. The State
Chancellery of North Rhine-Westphalia had its headquarters here for
several years. Since 2017, however, it has been housed in the Landeshaus
again. There are several freely accessible restaurants and shops on the
lobby level.
Rudas Studios, Zollhof 11, 40221. If the Medienhafen was
once considered the party destination for all those who wanted to
celebrate in a more upscale way than was usual in the old town, this was
primarily due to the many possibilities. These days there are hardly any
left and only the Rudas Studios remain and thus radiate the splendor of
old times. The audience is mostly not quite as young as in the old town,
willing to spend more money, and the music reflects this in its
selection. Price: €€€.
It would be unfair to the individual
restaurants and other establishments to make a selection here and to
portray them individually here. Rather, it should be pointed out that
there is a fairly wide range of gastronomic offerings in the port, from
convenience and burger shops to inexpensive Italians and Asians to
upscale concepts and trendy restaurants to star cuisine. The streets of
Hammerstraße, Zollhof, Kaistraße and Speditionsstraße are good starting
points for strolling when you get hungry. But these streets also have a
lot to offer in terms of architecture. It's best to see for yourself.
paradise beach. Not very many Düsseldorfers know this beach on the
Rhine, which is actually "covered" with sand and, what's more, is free.
That's because it's at the very tip of the harbor - an area that's
difficult to reach, especially for pedestrians. If you want to come by
car, drive to Bremer Strasse and on foot, coming from the Parlamentufer,
take the bridge at Medienhafen, which is only accessible to pedestrians
and cyclists. The beach is definitely worth it and in summer it can be
really difficult to get a free spot.
Lower frame
As already
explained in the entry on the port, the MedienHafen district is not
counted as part of the Unterbilk district, but as part of the port. This
means that Unterbilk is understood here as the district framed by
Hammerstraße/Stromstraße, Rheinkniebrücke/Herzogstraße, Friedrichstraße
and the Düsseldorf-Mettmann railway line. The fact that the MedienHafen
is considered separately here is not particularly dramatic for
Unterbilk, which historically once belonged to Bilk and was then
separated by the railway line. Due to its proximity to the extraordinary
buildings of the MedienHafen and the ministries and properties of the
state government of North Rhine-Westphalia, the district has become the
object of the so-called Bilbao effect in recent decades. The
attractiveness as a residential district with good transport
connections, proximity to the city center, beautiful old buildings and
much more has strongly gentrified the district and also makes it a
destination for tourist activities due to its culinary offerings (e.g.
on Lorettostraße). So if you want to see something away from the hustle
and bustle of the city center, for example, you've come to the right
place.
streets
Lorettostrasse . Well-known shopping street,
which is certainly attractive from a tourist point of view because of
the diverse culinary offer. Both international and home-style cuisine
attract many local residents and employees of the state government to
the restaurants and cafés during their lunch breaks and in the evening
with reasonable to medium prices.
Gladbacher Strasse/Bilker Allee,
40219 Dusseldorf. Touristically not incredibly spectacular street but
long street with everyday shops like supermarkets, bakeries, pharmacies
etc. Gatsronomy is also available.
Parks
Flora park . Idyllic
and rather quiet park with a small gastronomic offer, play area, dog
meadow and pond. It's best not to leave the paths.
Bürgerpark, 40219
Düsseldorf. If you stopped any Düsseldorfer on the street and asked if
he knew where the Bürgerpark was, he probably wouldn't know. In fact,
this green area, which is located in the immediate vicinity of the Rhine
Tower and the state parliament, has not yet really established itself as
an independent park in the collective understanding. Maybe because it's
too small, there's no fence around it or there aren't enough trees in it
overall. But it is and will remain a park that invites you, for example,
to a picnic before or after visiting the Rhine Tower or the state
parliament.
Buildings
The following buildings are only partly
real sights in the narrower sense. But they are listed for the sake of
completeness in case someone is looking for something specific.
Düsseldorf Police Headquarters, Jürgensplatz 5-7, 40219 Düsseldorf.
Tel.: (0)211 8700, fax: (0)211 870 4404, e-mail:
poststelle.duesseldorf@polizei.nrw.de . The police headquarters has
moved to the building of the former Ministry of the Interior of North
Rhine-Westphalia, Haroldstraße 5, since 2017 due to the modernization of
the actual building on Jürgensplatz.
Lantz'scher Park, Lohauser Dorfstrasse 5.
Kalkum Castle
Kaiserswerth
The Kaiserswerth district in the north, directly on the
Rhine, was one of the most important places in the region in the late
Middle Ages thanks to the imperial palace founded in 1045. Today,
Kaiserswerth is a popular destination for excursions because of its
historic town center. The imperial palace can be visited as a ruin.
(underground station Klemensplatz)
Racecourse
Gerricusplatz
Castle Eller
Unterbacher lake
Garath Castle
Benrath
Benrath Palace and Park with the
Museums for European Garden Art, Corps de Logis and Museum of Natural
History, listed ensemble of pleasure palace, hunting park, ponds and
canal system, built in the 18th century Address: Benrather Schloßallee
100-106, 40597 Düsseldorf Telephone: 0211/ 8921903, Opening times:
Winter season (November 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016): Tuesday to Sunday
11am – 5pm Summer season (April 1, 2016 to October 31, 2016): Tuesday to
Friday: 11am – 5pm Saturday & Sunday : 11.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m. Closed on
Mondays! · S6, RE1, RE5: "S-Bahnhof Benrath", tram U71 and U83 "Schloss
Benrath".
Districts on the left bank of the Rhine (western).
Düsseldorf on the left bank of the Rhine includes the districts of
Oberkassel, Niederkassel (upscale residential area), Heerdt and Lörick.
Museums
Aquazoo Löbbecke Museum, Kaiserswerther Straße 380. Tel.:
+49 211 8996150, e-mail: aquazoo@duesseldorf.de.
movie museum
City
Museum, Berger Allee 2. Tel.: +49 211 8996170 . Open: Tue-Sun: 11:00
a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Hetjens Museum – German Ceramics Museum
Heinriche
Heine Institute
Theater Museum, Jägerhofstrasse 1. Tel.: +49 211
8994660 . Open: Tue-Sun: 13:00 – 20:30.
Dusseldorf memorial site,
Mühlenstraße 29. Tel.: +49 211 8996205.
Goethe Museum in Jägerhof
Palace, Jacobistraße 2. Tel.: +49 211 8996262 . Open: Tue-Fri, Sun:
11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; Sat: 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Art Collection
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia Art Collection K20,
Grabbeplatz 5. Tel.: +49 211 83810. Open: Tue-Thu: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.;
Fri: 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.; Sat, Sun: 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Art
Collection North Rhine-Westphalia
Art collection North
Rhine-Westphalia Gallery Schmela
Museum Kunstpalast, Ehrenhof 4-5 .
Open: Tue-Sun: 12:00 – 20:00.
Benrath Palace and Park
Museum
of European Garden Art
Museum Corps des Logis, Benrather Schloßallee
100-106, 40597 Düsseldorf.
Museum of Natural History, Benrather
Schloßallee 100-106. Tel.: +49 211 8993832. Open: Tue-Sun 10 a.m. – 6
p.m. (summer) Tue-Sun 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. (winter).
Collection of the
Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf
Anatomical Collection
Graphic
Collection "Man and Death" edit info
coin collection
Collections of the Düsseldorf Art Academy
Academy Gallery: New
Collection
Shipping Museum in the Castle Tower, Burgplatz 30. Tel.:
+49 211 8994195 wikipedia.
Gerhart-Hauptmann-Haus, Bismarckstraße 90,
40210 Düsseldorf wikipedia.
Museum Kaiserswerth, Fliednerstrasse 32,
40489 Düsseldorf.
House of Carnival
Museum and archive of the
German Society for Urology, Uerdinger Str. 64. Tel.: +49 211 516096-0
wikipedia. "The collection currently consists of around 4,500 books,
3,500 volumes of journals, around 600 dissertations, extensive archive
materials, including those from the regional societies, a partially
digitized collection of portraits and an exquisite inventory of original
lithographs. There are also around 1,500 instruments from all areas of
the Urology. The museum impressively documents the rich history and
up-to-date presence of the interdisciplinary field of urology." Source:
Museum website Open: Visit by appointment.
German Plastics Museum
glass museum
frame museum
Mustard museum in the mustard shop,
Bergerstraße 29. Tel.: +49 211 41590. Open: Mon-Sat 10:00 a.m. – 7:00
p.m.
Clock Museum
NRW Forum Culture and Economy
Kunsthalle,
Grabbeplatz 4. Tel.: +49 211 8996240. Changing exhibitions and events.
Family day every 2nd Sunday of the month with free entry. Every last
Thursday of the month, the Stadtwerke Düsseldorf invite you to the
Kunsthalle and the Kunstverein from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. with free
admission. Open: Tuesday – Sunday, public holidays: 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Art in the Tunnel (KIT), Mannesmannufer 1b. Tel.: +49 211 8996243. Open:
Tue – Sun 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., public holidays 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Art
space Dusseldorf. Phone: +49 (0)211-330237, +49 (0)211-8996148. The
Kunstraum Düsseldorf is a public space at Himmelgeister Straße 107 E in
Düsseldorf, it serves as an exhibition space for contemporary art. Open:
Thu + Fri 3-8 p.m., Sat + Sun 2-6 p.m.
KAI 10 – space for art
EKO-Haus, Brüggener Weg 6. The EKO-Haus is a cultural center and
exhibition for the Japanese community in Düsseldorf and a Japanese
temple. It is located in the Niederkassel district on the left bank of
the Rhine.
Art Museum Düsseldorf; Tue-Sun: 12:00 – 20:00; main
courtyard 5; Phone +49 211 8992460
An interesting opportunity to
get to know several museums in one go is the Düsseldorf Museum Night,
which takes place once a year (2015: Saturday, April 18) and during
which 35 museums and galleries can be visited for a ticket price of €14.
outside of:
Neanderthal Museum, Talstr. 300, 40822 Mettmann.
Phone: (0)2104 9797-0. Site of the first Neadertal skull. history of
human evolution. Game reserve with animal contemporaries of Stone Age
man. In Mettmann (10 km north of Düsseldorf), Regio Bahn S 28
"Neanderthal"
Regular events
Düsseldorf is a carnival stronghold. The "fifth
season", as the carnival in the Rhineland is often called, begins on
November 11th. at 11.11 a.m. with the ceremonial awakening of the
“Hoppeditz”, who then reviews the local and national events of the
months that have passed since the last carnival in a parodic speech.
Finally, the “great days” begin on Altweiberfastnacht, when the women
(“Möhnen”) storm the town hall at 11:11 a.m. and symbolically take power
in the city for a day. There is partying on the streets and in the
numerous pubs in the old town until late at night. A popular tradition
is the Sunday “Kö-Bustle”, to which hundreds of thousands of people make
a pilgrimage on the Königsallee every year on Carnival Sunday in
brightly colored costumes. Finally, the Shrove Monday parade puts the
entire city center in a state of emergency, year after year around a
million spectators line the parade route.
From April to July and from
September to November, a fish market with international fish and seafood
specialties takes place on the first Sunday of every month on the
Rheinterrassen, Tonhallenufer.
In July, the largest fair on the Rhine
takes place with the fair on the Oberkasseler Rheinwiesen. (underground
station Luegplatz, bus stop youth hostel)
Sports
The sporting
flagship of the city is the football club Fortuna Düsseldorf, which
after 15 years of abstinence and a temporary fall into fourth division
for the 2012/13 season played again for a year in the highest German
division, the Bundesliga. After a successful first half of the season,
however, relegation to the second Bundesliga was on the agenda at the
end of the season. Fortuna's home games take place in the Esprit Arena,
which is located in the north of the city in the immediate vicinity of
the exhibition center and was built between 2002 and 2004 on the site of
the old Düsseldorf Rhine Stadium. With a capacity of 54,000 spectators,
it is one of the largest football stadiums in Germany. Large concerts by
internationally renowned artists also take place here (in the past the
Rolling Stones, Depeche Mode, Die Toten Hosen, among others).
The
Düsseldorfer EG ice hockey club, which has won the German championship
eight times and was the measure of all things in German ice hockey,
especially in the 1990s, is also known nationwide. At that time, DEG
still played its home games in the ice rink on Brehmstraße in the
Düsseldorf district; the home arena is currently the ISS Dome in the
Rath district.
Other sports clubs in Düsseldorf that are also
nationally known include: the German table tennis record champion
Borussia Düsseldorf and the tennis club Rochusclub, which hosts the
World Team Cup, the ATP team world championship, every May.
The
Giants Düsseldorf are a big number in basketball. Your home venue is the
Burg-Wächter Castello, a modern multifunctional hall. The HSG ART/HSV
Düsseldorf e.V. plays in the first handball Bundesliga. Just like the
Giants, he has his sporting home in Burg-Wächter Castello. There is
space for up to 3,400 spectators for handball games.
Other sports
and sports clubs:
Baseball: Dusseldorf Senators
Football:
Dusseldorf Panthers
Lacrosse: Dusseldorf Antlers
Speed skating:
Speed skater Düsseldorf
Equestrian sport: Grafenberg racecourse
Tickets for the home games of the Düsseldorf clubs can u. can be
purchased from the tourist information offices at the main train station
and near the town hall.
Golf courses around Düsseldorf:
Golf
course "Auf der Lausward" GSV Golf-Sport-Verein Düsseldorf e.V.
Golf
Club Düsseldorf-Grafenberg
Golf Range Hilden
Hummelbachaue golf
course in Neuss
Golf Park Meerbusch
More information is
available at www.golf-rund-um-duesseldorf.de
Düsseldorf has
several indoor and outdoor pools, a list of which can be found at
www.baeder-duesseldorf.de. We also recommend the Neanderbad
(www.neanderbad.de) in the neighboring town of Erkrath to the east.
Industrial fair
Messe Düsseldorf offers a large number of trade
fairs throughout the year, from the international water sports fair Boot
to the international trade fair for wines and spirits ProWein. The
exhibition center can be reached via the ESPRIT arena/Messe Nord subway
station or with the U78 and U79 tram lines from Düsseldorf and Duisburg
city centres. The site can be reached by car via the federal highway 44.
Messe Düsseldorf, Messeplatz, Stockumer Kirchstrasse 61, 40474
Düsseldorf. Tel.: +49(0)211 456001, fax: (0)211 4560668, e-mail:
info@messe-duesseldorf.de.
City tours
City walks with the
Düsseldorf Greeters: Under the motto "Come as a guest, leave as a
friend", the Düsseldorf Greeters offer free city tours. The guests get
to know the city off the beaten track from the perspective of the
locals. The greeters are happy to show the guests their city in an
authentic way, with all its rough edges. Personal stories and
experiences or tips for going out and leisure are also discussed. In the
concrete agreement between guest and greeter, thematic wishes are taken
into account, which thus turn these walks into a personal and individual
encounter with the city. In order to preserve individuality, the greets
are only carried out in small groups of up to 6 people. More information
at duesseldorf-greeter.de.
In addition to the aforementioned Königsallee (with Kö-Galerie and
Sevens) for high-priced items, the shopping street with the highest
turnover is Schadowstrasse (including Schadow-Arkaden, Kaufhof an der
Kö, Karstadt, P & C, etc.) between Jan-Wellem-Platz and Wehrhahn. At the
end - on Oststraße - there are also various shops (Kaufhof, Conrad
Elektronik, etc.). Recently, a number of shops on the Kö-Bogen (northern
end of the Königsallee) have been attracting those who like to shop.
Worth mentioning is the Carlsplatz in Düsseldorf's old town with
permanent market stalls; Open Monday to Saturday, here you can find
delicacies of all kinds and various snack bars.
Other nice
shopping streets are:
Friedrichstrasse
Lorettostrasse in Unterbilk
Bilker Allee in Unterbilk
Nordstrasse in Derendorf
Luegallee in
Oberkassel
The Düsseldorf-Arcaden (shopping center with various
shops, see https://www.duesseldorf-arcaden.de/) and a large supermarket
opposite are located directly at the Bilk S-Bahn station (S8, S11, S28,
various buses and trams).
Düsseldorf mustard shop, Berger Str.
29, 40213 Düsseldorf. Tel.: +49 211 8368049. There is a large selection
of mustard specialities, sauces and Löwensenf fan articles. Open: Mon to
Thu 10:00 - 14:00 and 15:00 - 19:00, Fri + Sat 10:00 - 19:00. Last
modified: Dec. 2018 (information may be out of date)
Gewürzhaus
Altstadt, Kapuzinergasse 16, 40213 Düsseldorf. There are spices from
anise to cinnamon, as well as the well-known Düsseldorf ABB Mostert and
other types of mustard. Open: Tue to Fri 9.30 a.m. - 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. -
6 p.m., Sat 9.30 a.m. - 3 p.m. Last modified: Jan 2019 (information may
be out of date)
Beverage store El Charip, Gubener Straße 59. Tel.:
+49211273404. There is a large selection of Altbier specialties from
Düsseldorf. One of the oldest drinks dealers in Düsseldorf. Feature: ★★.
Open: 08:30 - 21:00.
Düsseldorf mustard roast is a rump steak with a special mustard
crust. Finely diced onions and mostly the Löwensenf produced in
Düsseldorf are spread on the meat as a paste and then briefly gratinated
Cheap
Middle
Zum Schiffchen, Hafenstraße 5. Tel.: +49 211
132421. Rustic brewery restaurant with high-quality home-style cooking,
which is also popular with business people. As is usual in Düsseldorf
Altbier inns, Altbier is refilled here without asking as soon as the
glass is (almost) empty, until the guest happily waves it away (e.g. by
placing a beer mat on the glass). Open: Daily from 11.30 a.m. to
midnight (warm food served until 10.30 p.m.; lunch menu until 4 p.m.).
Price: main courses €10.20-24.50, lunch specials €7.90-14.90.
Bow Two
ship's bows hang in the high room of the restaurant and are the
inspiration for the name. Located in the Media Harbor, the restaurant
impresses with its unobstructed view of the kitchen and a dark and
pleasant atmosphere.
Taverne Savas, Heresbachstraße 21 (about 10
minutes' walk from the Bilk S-Bahn station). Phone: +49 (0)211 301 56
84, email: info@taverne-savas.de. Huge bifteki that the free ouzo can
hardly appease at the end. night restaurant. Open: Mon-Sun 6:00 p.m. –
3:00 a.m.
upscale
Brasserie 1806, Koenigsallee, in the
Breidenbacher Hof. Tel.: +49 211 160900. In the new Breidenbacher Hof,
head chef Michael Reinhardt and restaurant manager Dominik Karge and
their team present an elegant but relaxed atmosphere. The high quality
of the food, wine and service offer everything you need for an enjoyable
experience. Price: lunch €19.50; Main dishes on the evening menu
€19.50-45.
Roberts Bistro, Wupperstrasse 2 (in the Media Harbour).
Tel.: +49 211 304821. No table reservation, no card payment. This and
certainly the very good cuisine are what make Roberts Bistro so
appealing. Basically, the store is full. Open: Tue – Thu 11.30 a.m. –
10.30 p.m., Fri 11.30 a.m. – 10.30 p.m., Sat 10.00 a.m. – 10.30 p.m.,
Sun + Monday: day off. Price: main courses €14-26.50.
Im Schiffchen,
Kaiserswerther Markt 9 (1st floor). Tel.: +49 211 401050. The
Schiffchen, located in Kaiserswerth, is one of three restaurants in
Düsseldorf that can boast three Michelin stars. The cuisine is French
and menus start around 100 euros per person.
Brewhouses
A
visit to at least one brewery and a freshly tapped Altbier (“that
delicious Dröppke”) should be a must for every visitor. In addition to
the Altbier, you will find hearty Rhineland specialties on the menu at
affordable prices.
3 Uerige Obergärige Hausbrauerei, Berger Str.
1, 40213 Düsseldorf. Tel.: +49 211 866990. There is Uerige-Altbier and
"Hosen Hell", the beer of the band "Die Toten Hosen", which is brewed in
Hallertau, Bavaria. A seasonal warm dish of the day is offered daily.
Open: Daily 10 a.m. – midnight. Price: Old 0.25 L €2.20, simple dishes
between €3 and €7.
4 Füchschen Brewery, Ratinger Str. 28, 40213
Düsseldorf. Tel.: +49 211 1374716 . Home brewery in a historic building,
now in the 4th generation. Alt, pilsner and wheat beer is brewed, also
non-alcoholic. It is home-style, Rhenish cuisine cooked with ingredients
from the region. Reservations from 8 people. Open: Mon – Thu 9am – 1am,
Fri & Sat 9am – 2am, Sun 9am – 12am. Price: Main courses €9 - €16.
5
In the Goldenen Kessel, Bolkerstrasse 44, 40213 Düsseldorf. Tel.: +49
211 326007. The traditional brewery bar of the Schumacher brewery. Open:
Sun – Thu 10:00 – 00:00.
Killepitsch is a bitter-sweet herbal liqueur from Düsseldorf that has
since found friends all over the world. A mixture of 98 different herbs,
berries and fruits from all over the world are stored in old clay
vessels for a year and then processed with alcohol, water, sugar and
caramel to the finished liqueur with 42% alcohol.
Et Kabüffke
Killepitschstube, Flinger Str. 1, 40213 Düsseldorf. Tel.: +49 211 133
69. Small, rustic Killepitsch tasting room in the Goldener Helm
building. In addition to the liqueur, you can also drink wine. Open:
daily 11:00 a.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Pubs/bars
"Longest bar in the
world": the old town, especially Bolkerstraße and Andreasstraße/Kurze
Straße as well as Ratinger Straße (Einhorn, Zur Uel, Ohme Jupp, Stone,
Liebevoll, Zum Gatz, Kreuzherreneck).
A must on a Düsseldorf trip is
to visit one of the traditional Düsseldorf breweries, almost all of
which can be found in the old town. Here Altbier and hearty small and
large dishes are offered: Uerige, Füchschen, Schumacher, Schlüssel,
Kuerzer Alt (on the eponymous Kurzer Straße, attracts a younger crowd).
Various clubs and discos in the Medienhafen
In nice weather on the
Rhine promenade between Burgplatz and Kniebrücke
Smaller nightlife
districts in the districts: especially in D-Flingern around Ackerstraße
and Hermannplatz, in D-Pempelfort around Moltke- and Tußmannstraße, in
D-Unterbilk around Bilker Allee, Lorettostraße and Friedensplätzchen as
well as in D-Bilk around Brunnen- and Aachener Straße , Luegallee in
D-Oberkassel
Rock pub Die Blende, Friedrichstraße 122, mixed
audience, rock and heavy metal, open before public holidays and
Saturdays until 3 a.m., otherwise until 2 a.m.
Jazz-Café Daydream for
night owls also during the week (except Sundays), Kronprinzenstraße 69.
Culture
German Opera on the Rhine (Heinrich-Heine-Allee)
Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus (Gustaf-Gründgens-Platz)
Kommödchen
(Kay-und-Lore-Lorentz-Platz)
Apollo Varieté (Apolloplatz, under the
Rheinkniebrücke)
Capitol (Erkrather Strasse)
Z.A.K.K. (Center for
Action, Culture and Communication, Fichtenstrasse, near Kiefernstrasse)
and much more
Düsseldorf has more than 200 hotels offering a total of more than
24,000 beds in all price categories. There are also numerous
accommodation options with private landlords. During trade fairs,
especially at large trade fairs such as Drupa or Medica, capacity
bottlenecks can still occur despite the large range on offer. The room
prices sometimes reach astronomical amounts. If you have to travel to
Düsseldorf during these times, you should switch to accommodation in the
neighboring cities from a financial point of view. Tourists should pay
attention to accommodation close to the center, since most of the sights
are located there.
Cheap
Youth hostel in Dusseldorf. The
modern youth hostel, which is also popular with families, is located in
the district of Oberkassel. The media harbor and Carlstadt can be
reached quickly in about one kilometer via the Rheinkniebrücke.
AO-Hostel/AO-Hotel, Hotel/ Hostel in a good downtown location not far
from the Luisenstrasse tram stop
Backpackers Düsseldorf (http://www.backpackers-duesseldorf.de/),
hostel in a good downtown location at Fürstenwall 180
Middle
class
Hotel Orangerie, Bäckergasse 1. Tel.: +49 211 86680-0, fax: +49
211 86680-99, e-mail: info@hotel-orangerie-mcs.de. Stylish
upper-middle-range hotel in a nice and quiet part of the old town.
Price: 110-210 EUR.
Guesthouse Hegger, Meerbuscher Str. 172,. Tel.:
+49 2159 912590, mobile: +49 172 7516459, fax: +49 2159 912592, e-mail:
info@ferienwohnung-duesseldorf.eu . Cozy furnished holiday apartment in
Meerbusch a few minutes from the city center and exhibition center with
good connections to public transport. Check-in: 2:00 p.m. Check-out:
11:00 am. last modified: Nov. 2018 (information may be outdated) edit
info facebook-URL used twitter-URL used youtube-URL used
Upscale
carathotel Düsseldorf, Benrather Str. 7a, 40213 Düsseldorf. Phone: +49
211 13050, fax: +49 211 322214, email: info@carat-hotel-duesseldorf.de.
Feature: ★★★★. Price: Single room from €77, double room from €105, per
room and night including breakfast. Edit info
Luxury
Breidenbacher Hof, a Capella Hotel, 5 stars, Koenigsallee 11.
business hotels
Auszeit Hotel Düsseldorf · Partner of SORAT Hotels,
Auf'm Hennekamp 71, Tel.: (0211) 302 05 90 - non-smoking hotel with
original service ideas. Centrally located in the Bilk district. business
hotel.
relexa hotel Airport Düsseldorf-Ratingen, Berliner Strasse
95-97, 40880 Ratingen. Tel.: +49 2102 458 0. Good transport links to
Düsseldorf Airport (DUS). Just right for business trips: conference
rooms, small wellness and fitness area, restaurant, bar, café, summer
terrace.
You can study in Düsseldorf, among others, at the Heinrich Heine University and at the Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences, which is located in the north of Düsseldorf.
For casual work, Düsseldorf has numerous restaurants in the city
center that are often looking for temporary workers. But many
supermarkets such as “REWE” often offer jobs on a 400-euro basis.
Düsseldorf also has numerous plants such as Daimler or Henkel, where
young people can get a very good education.
The atmosphere (especially downtown) is usually peaceful and
bustling. However, the area around the main train station in particular
has a drug scene that the police have been trying to fight for years. In
the meantime, however, it has become much more pleasant in the station
itself at night thanks to the increased deployment of security forces.
In the area in front of the station forecourt at the bus and train
stops, it often happens that people "bump at you", but if you politely
say no (or, of course, make a small donation), this does not pose any
danger.
Some urban areas have a bad reputation (e.g. Garath and
Hellerhof in the south and Oberbilk), but with a little common sense you
can get along very well in each area. The party mile in the old town
around Bolkerstraße can get quite rough late at night (approx. 11 p.m.
until the early hours) when drunk young people roam around there.
In Düsseldorf, as the state capital, political demonstrations take
place from time to time, as a tourist you should avoid these places.
Emergency practice Kronenstraße 15, Tel.: +49 (211) 986 75 - 55,
right next to the Evangelical Hospital (EVK)
Free, nationwide medical
call center: Tel.: 116 117
Practical hints
Tourist information at
the main train station, Immermannstrasse 65b, Tel.: 0211 – 17 202 0
info@duesseldorf-tourismus.de
Tourist Information Stadtmitte,
Berliner Allee 33, (Finanzkaufhaus corner Steinstraße)
Tourist
Information Burgplatz, Burgplatz 2, Old Town
There are Internet cafes
everywhere, where you can also make cheap calls worldwide. The area code
is 0211.
Church services
Holy Masses in Catholic inner-city
churches:
Franziskanerkirche, Immermannstraße/ Oststraße (near the
main train station). Sun: 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m.; Mon-Fri: 3:30 p.m
St. Maximilian, also "St. Max", Schulstraße/ Maxplatz (old town). Sun:
10:00, 11:30, 18:00; Mon-Sat: 18:00
St. Andreas, Hunsrückenstraße
(near the art gallery, old town). Sun: 8:30, 11:00, 18:00; Mon-Sat:
12:00, 18:00 (except Fri)
St. Lambertus Basilica minor, Stiftsplatz
(old town). Sun: 10:30am, 5:00pm; Mon-Sat: 17:00
Spatial location
Düsseldorf, which is predominantly on the right
bank of the Rhine, is located in the central part of the Lower Rhine
lowlands on a lower terraced area criss-crossed by numerous arms of the
Rhine. Only the districts of Oberkassel, Niederkassel, Heerdt and Lörick
are on the left bank of the Rhine.
The city is part of the
prosperous Rhine line and borders on the Ruhr area to the south-west.
Düsseldorf shares a border with the city of Duisburg in the north. It is
thus in the heart of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region and in the
transition area between the Lower Rhine and the Bergisches Land, to
which the city historically belongs. The Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region
is an economic region and urban agglomeration in western Germany. It is
one of the largest conurbations within the European megalopolis and is
the largest in Germany. In the region's 20 urban districts and ten
districts, around eleven million people live on almost 10,000 km² (as of
2005); Around nine million people live within a radius of 50 kilometers
around the regional center of Düsseldorf.
The central location in
the largest conurbation in Germany, the capital function for the
populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the large number of important
companies and the equipment with infrastructure and offers of all kinds
give the city great contact and agglomeration advantages.
The
highest point in the city, the Sandberg in the district of Hubbelrath,
already part of the Mettmann Loess Terraces and thus the
Bergisch-Sauerland Unterland, is 165 m above sea level. NHN, the lowest
point, where the Schwarzbach flows into the Rhine near Wittlaer, 28 m
above sea level. NHN.
The geographical center of Düsseldorf is in
the Düsseltal, the point is marked with a bronze plaque.
Düsseldorf is located in the center of the Central European Time zone.
The climate of the Düsseldorf area is oceanic/Atlantic due to the relief-related opening towards the North Sea. Düsseldorf is located in the Lower Rhine lowlands; predominantly westerly wind currents bring moist air masses. The consequences are mild winters with little snow and moderately warm, damp and humid summers with changeable weather. With an annual mean temperature of 11.2 degrees Celsius, there is an average of around 790 millimeters of precipitation in the city. The Düsseldorf area is one of the areas with the mildest winters in Germany. Even in winter, the temperature rarely drops below freezing. Emerging frosts usually remain in the upper range just below 0 degrees Celsius. According to the USDA classification of winter hardiness zones, Düsseldorf is in zone 8b, with inner-city microclimates even in zone 9a, which means that the average coldest annual temperature is over −6.6 degrees Celsius. With around 1550 hours of sunshine, Düsseldorf is one of the less sunny cities in Germany, which also ensures milder temperatures in winter due to the overcast sky and thus less heat radiation. Because of the mild climate, many exotic and Mediterranean plants such as palm trees, olives, laurel, figs, pines and cypresses are cultivated outdoors in the Düsseldorf area.
Energy production, industry and transport are the main causes of
anthropogenic, man-made air pollution. Due to the high level of air
pollution, the Düsseldorf district government is drawing up clean air
plans. The first clean air plan for the entire urban area of the state
capital Düsseldorf came into force on November 1, 2008. He combined all
the plans drawn up up to that point into one overall plan. After the
plan has come into force, the measures will be implemented by the
responsible specialist authorities. The aim of this clean air strategy
is to achieve compliance with the legal limit values for protecting the
health of the people living and working in Düsseldorf as quickly as
possible.
Within the scope of the previous clean air planning,
considerable success was achieved and the limit values were complied
with for almost all air pollutants, here in particular for fine dust,
which was still critical at the beginning of the 2000s. However, the
limit of 40 micrograms per cubic meter of air (annual average) that has
been in force since 2010 for nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is still
significantly exceeded in Düsseldorf. At the Corneliusstraße measuring
point, the annual mean value for 2017 was still at a very high level of
56 micrograms per cubic meter of nitrogen dioxide pollution. For some
time now, in addition to the fine dust particle fractions, the so-called
ultra-fine dusts have been increasingly in the focus of attention,
especially in the vicinity of airports.
The Düsseldorf nitrogen
dioxide pollution area ("environmental zone") covers a large part of the
urban area with around 420,000 inhabitants, which corresponds to 68
percent of the population. In this respect, there is a need for action
to further reduce nitrogen dioxide pollution in the planning area.
From the beginnings to the early modern city
The medieval city of
Düsseldorf was founded in the 12th and 13th centuries. Although it was
founded in the 19th century in the vicinity of early medieval old
settlements, it did not emerge directly from one of these old
settlements as a new foundation - similar to, for example, in Alpen or
Kalkar. The settlement was named after the small river Düssel, which
flows into the Rhine south of the Altestadt street. The name Düssel
probably originated from the Germanic term thusila and means the
rushing. Before the creation of the County of Berg, the region in which
Düsseldorf was founded was originally a Franconian county belonging to
Ripuaria, in recent research called Duisburg-Kaiserswerther County, a
dominion of the Ezzonen.
The first written mention of Dusseldorp
in a shrine map cannot be dated with certainty and dates back to 1135 at
the earliest granted city rights. The city, which is only 3.8 hectares
in size, was early a place secured by a city wall and a moat, which
marked the western border of the county of Berg.
In 1380, Count
Wilhelm von Berg was elevated to the rank of Imperial Prince by the
Roman-German King Wenzel. In the same year, the new duke decided to give
up the relatively remote castle on the Wupper as the seat of government
and to develop Düsseldorf on the Rhine into the new residence, as an
expression of his imperial political function and position. For the
planned capital of Düsseldorf, a castle was first mentioned in 1382,
which was expanded over the following centuries to become the Düsseldorf
residential palace. The duke and his wife Anna have resided there since
1386. Between 1384 and 1394 the city was expanded considerably; the
construction of the brick Gothic hall church of St. Lambertus and its
rich furnishings with relics and benefices date from this time. Through
the Clever Union, the dukes of Jülich-Berg and Kleve-Mark united their
countries into the personal union Jülich-Kleve-Berg. In the years 1538
to 1543, Düsseldorf was the capital of a group of territorial states
which, in addition to Jülich-Kleve-Berg, also included the Duchy of
Geldern, the counties of Mark, Ravensberg and Zutphen, and the Lordship
of Ravenstein. Under Wilhelm the Rich in particular, the region became a
center of humanistic scholarship and liberal Catholicism. However, under
his rule, an anti-Jewish line prevailed towards Jews with the police
decree of 1554, which demanded the expulsion of all Jews. In 1585, at
the marriage of Hereditary Prince Johann Wilhelm to Margravine Jakobe
von Baden, what was probably the most magnificent documented wedding of
the 16th century took place. Under the title Orpheus and Amphion, an
operatic theatrical play with song and music was performed for the first
time. Wilhelm the Rich saw to it that the Renaissance master builder
Alessandro Pasqualini rebuilt and expanded the Düsseldorf Palace. After
the Jülich-Bergisch-Kleves line of regents died out in 1609 and during a
succession dispute between Brandenburg and Palatinate-Neuburg, the
Spanish general Ambrosio Spinola occupied the city as imperial
commissioner in 1614.
Bergisch residence and state capital
After the settlement of the Jülich-Klevischen succession dispute,
Düsseldorf and the Duchy of Jülich-Berg belonged to the then Protestant
House of Pfalz-Neuburg, a branch of the Wittelsbach noble family. In the
first phase of Palatinate rule, there were serious arguments between
Roman Catholic, Lutheran and Reformed officials at court and in the
city. Under the influence of his wife, Magdalene of Bavaria, Hereditary
Prince Wolfgang Wilhelm converted to Roman Catholicism in 1613, which
enabled him to secure the support of the Catholic League in the
political disputes of the time. With the assumption of the title of
Count Palatine and Duke in 1614, the conversion of Wolfgang Wilhelm led
to repression of the Protestant denominations in his territories and to
favoring the Roman Catholic Church. The Jesuits who frequented the court
played a key role in the Counter-Reformation that now began.
Johann Wilhelm von der Pfalz, called "Jan Wellem" by the people of
Düsseldorf who spoke Lower Franconian, had been regent of Jülich-Berg
since 1679 as hereditary prince, and finally Elector Palatine and Duke
of Jülich-Berg since 1690, also held Düsseldorf as a sovereign main
residence, especially since the former electoral main residence in
Heidelberg had been destroyed by the Palatinate War of Succession.
During the reign of Johann Wilhelm, Düsseldorf experienced remarkable
economic, cultural and urban development due to the presence of the
glamorous court, which continued under Elector Karl Theodor von der
Pfalz, who founded palaces, collections and institutes and had Carlstadt
built. The picture gallery founded by Johann Wilhelm and also sponsored
by Karl Theodor was outstanding and famous. However, Düsseldorf lost the
status of an electoral main residence back to Heidelberg in 1718. In
1720 this function passed to Mannheim and in 1778 to Munich, from where
Karl Theodor governed the territories of Electoral Palatinate-Bavaria
and Jülich-Berg. Another short heyday of the city took place under the
electoral governor Johann Ludwig Franz Graf von Goltstein. In 1769,
Düsseldorf became the seat of the Jülich-Bergisches
Oberappellationsgericht.
Fortified in modern times since 1732,
the city was occupied by the French in 1757 during the Seven Years' War
and, after the Battle of Krefeld in 1758, was taken by Duke Ferdinand
von Braunschweig through capitulation, but was soon abandoned again. In
the course of the coalition wars unleashed by the French Revolution,
Düsseldorf capitulated to the French revolutionary army in 1795 and
remained under French occupation until it was returned to Electoral
Palatinate-Bavaria in the Peace of Lunéville in 1801.
This was
followed by the contractually required demolition of the fortifications.
However, as a result of an exchange of territory, which was stipulated
in the Treaty of Schönbrunn and the Treaty of Brno between Electoral
Palatinate-Bavaria, Prussia and France, the city came under French
influence again from 1806. Before the land exchange, Elector Maximilian
IV had the world-famous collection of paintings, which was state
property of the Duchy of Jülich-Berg, withdrawn and illegally
incorporated into the Bavarian art collection. Düsseldorf became the
state capital of the Grand Duchy of Berg. On the basis of the Rhine
Confederation Act, the Grand Duchy left the Holy Roman Empire as a
sovereign state allied with France and effectively existed until the end
of 1813. Grand Dukes were Joachim Murat until 1808, then Napoleon
himself, and finally from 1809 under Napoleon's reign his underage
nephew Napoléon Louis Bonaparte. Significant social and administrative
reforms took place under the new government. In 1810, Napoleon
introduced the Bergisches Code civil, which brought with it, among other
things, the breakthrough welcomed by Heinrich Heine towards equality for
the Jews. Demanding measures for the urban renewal and beautification of
Düsseldorf were carried out, in particular according to designs by the
landscape architect Maximilian Friedrich Weyhe. The Neue Allee, which
later became Königsallee, was planted, and the Boulevard Napoléon, later
Heinrich-Heine-Allee, was planted for the first time as an elegant
esplanade; the courtyard garden was expanded to become an English
landscape garden. Nevertheless, in the context of France's imperialist
expansion, the Grand Duchy was ultimately only relevant as a satellite
and buffer state and as a resource for financial income and troop
enlistments. In addition, the Grand Duchy increasingly found itself in a
severe economic crisis because the French tariffs that were levied on
its western and northern borders as part of the continental blockade cut
it off from important market areas. The turning point was the Battle of
the Nations near Leipzig, as a result of which the French troops and top
officials left the Grand Duchy of Berg.
Prussian provincial town
and industrialization
The Grand Duchy of Berg, which had been
abandoned by the French, was occupied by Prussian troops from the end of
1813 and temporarily administered by Prussian officials as the General
Government of Berg. On the basis of the reorganization of Europe, which
had been negotiated in the years 1814 to 1815 at the Congress of Vienna,
the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III. finally owned the territory and
its capital Düsseldorf on April 5, 1815. Legally it belonged to Prussia
from April 21, 1815. Düsseldorf became the seat of the district of
Düsseldorf in 1816. Düsseldorf itself was initially an independent city,
but as early as 1820 the city was incorporated into the district of
Düsseldorf. On April 22, 1816, the Düsseldorf district government began
its work. With the creation of the Rhine Province, Düsseldorf became the
seat of the provincial governor in 1822 and the seat of the provincial
parliament in 1823.
Due to its incorporation into Prussia,
Düsseldorf lost the status of a state capital after more than 400 years
and with it all state government authorities. Düsseldorf was thus only
the center of a province and an official city, surrounded by a closed
ring of extensive parks after the demolition of the fortifications,
which was followed by the first city expansion in the classical style.
According to contemporary descriptions, the city in the Biedermeier
period offered a comparatively harmonious cityscape overall, as Carl
Julius Weber remarked: "Cheerful Düsseldorf is doubly pleasing when you
come from gloomy Cologne." However, the political and administrative
importance was significant of the city due to the loss of capital
functions not as high as the rank of intellectual and artistic life at
that time, which was largely based on the founding of the Düsseldorf Art
Academy (1819) and the Düsseldorf School of Painting (1819-1918) that
emerged from it, as well as its reputation an art and garden city. In
the period of the Vormärz and the German Revolution, the bourgeois
milieus represented in the city with the personalities Lorenz Cantador,
Ferdinand Freiligrath, Ferdinand Lassalle and Hugo Wesendonck were a
focal point of the democratic and labor movement that was forming.
From the mid-1830s, the social and economic upheaval triggered by
industrialization gripped the small Prussian provincial town. The
replacement of the Cologne stacking right by the Mainz Act (1831),
steamship travel on the increasingly regulated Rhine, the establishment
of a free port (1831) and the construction of the first West German
railway lines (1838) created the conditions for the development of
Düsseldorf into an industrial city. The steamship company for the Lower
and Middle Rhine operating between Rotterdam and Mannheim was founded in
Düsseldorf in 1836. In 1837 the first trade exhibition took place in
Flinger Strasse, in addition to the provincial trade exhibition for
Rhineland and Westphalia held in 1852, a basis for the later development
into a trade fair city. From 1850, the first steelworks settled in
Oberbilk, among other places. Numerous other industrial companies
followed, such as the Gerresheimer Glashütte. However, until 1870 the
textile industry still dominated. Düsseldorf has had a professional fire
brigade since 1872.
In 1872 Düsseldorf became a district again.
Around 1880 it consisted of six districts: the Altstadt (the original
Düsseldorf) with narrow and irregular streets and the two estuaries of
the northern and southern Düssel, the Carlstadt on the south side of the
Altstadt (laid out in 1767), the Neustadt some distance away, which was
built in 1690-1716, the Friedrichstadt at the south-east end, the
Königstadt and finally Pempelfort in the north and north-east. In 1880
the trade exhibition for Rhineland, Westphalia and neighboring districts
took place in Düsseldorf, which attracted over a million visitors and
gave the city further impetus for growth. According to the census of
December 1, 1880, 95,458 people lived in the city on an area of 49
square kilometers. The Prussian city, which has good transport
connections and is centrally located in terms of economic geography,
which 50 years earlier had little to show for itself from a political
and economic point of view, was in a good position thanks to progressive
industrialization, developed transport infrastructure, rapid population
growth and the abolition of customs barriers, which resulted in the
realization of the German Customs Union from 1834 had shown, on the
threshold of development into one of the most important large and
industrial cities of the German Reich, founded in 1871, whose federal
framework now included Prussia as a member state. In the period from
1880 to 1900 the population more than doubled to 215,000 inhabitants.
Rise to economic metropolis and decline
At the turn of the 20th
century, Düsseldorf was a busy and thriving industrial city. After the
bank of the Rhine was pushed forward, a large trade, industry and art
exhibition with over 2500 exhibitors was organized on a 70-hectare site
on the banks of the Rhine in 1902, which attracted worldwide attention.
Good finances, low taxes, and urban planning incentives attracted
wealthy people and businesses from across the empire. Thanks to the
concentration of administrations and company-related services as well as
the establishment of a stock exchange, large banks and a number of
important industrial associations, the city established itself as the
"desk of the Ruhr area" at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1909 a
Zeppelin airfield was set up on the Golzheimer Heide. In the same year,
the first major incorporations since the Middle Ages took place. As a
result, the city grew by 62.5 km² and, with an increase of around 63,000
people, reached a total population of 345,000. The city took its new
shape as an opportunity to hold an international urban development
exhibition in August 1910, to the success of which, in addition to major
German cities, Chicago, Boston, London, Zurich, Copenhagen, Stockholm
and Helsinki also contributed urban planning exhibits. In the Düsseldorf
city exhibition for Rhineland, Westphalia and neighboring areas that
followed in 1912, plans for the "city of Düsseldorf with over a million
inhabitants" were presented. The US publicist and reformer Frederic C.
Howe praised Düsseldorf's urban development as exemplary. The city's
growth seemed unstoppable to contemporaries. The outbreak of the First
World War caught Düsseldorf completely unprepared.
On July 31,
1914, the military took over executive power and general mobilization
was announced the following day. Life in the city soon changed
noticeably. The Düsseldorf industry switched to war production and
became one of the largest arms manufacturers in the empire. The city
turned into a supply center and hospital location. In 1915, 46,000
reservists were stationed in Düsseldorf, and in 1917 there were around
8,000 hospital beds. Due to the economic decline, port handling fell to
less than 30% of the pre-war level. The number of births fell by 42
percent; there was a shortage of food and clothing; death rates rose
massively; over 10,000 soldiers never returned. In June 1917 there were
protests and looting of shops because of the hunger in the population. A
state of siege was announced several times.
On November 8, 1918,
sailors coming from Cologne carried the November Revolution into the
city. A provisional workers' and soldiers' council was formed, which was
initially able to maintain public order in cooperation with the city
administration. As a result of the Armistice of Compiègne, the end of
the First World War, Belgian troops occupied the parts of the city on
the left bank of the Rhine on December 4, 1918. Himmelgeist and Benrath,
which was still independent at the time, were British occupied. The rest
of the city was in the demilitarized zone according to Articles 42, 43
of the Versailles Treaty. The soldiers formally withdrew from the
Workers' and Soldiers' Council, and the Workers' Council was re-formed.
From January 7th to 9th, 1919, after strikes, occupation of
newspaper offices and a mass demonstration against the Ebert-Scheidemann
government, an executive council of the workers' council made up of
members of the Spartakusbund and the USPD took power. The aim of these
groups was a revolution on the Russian model. The main station, the
police headquarters and the telephone exchange were occupied. Around 150
inmates were freed from Ulmer Höh prison. Lord Mayor Oehler, District
President Kruse and a few other public figures were able to escape to
Belgian-occupied Oberkassel, while other respected citizens were taken
hostage. City officials stopped work on January 10 in protest. An
executive council of the workers' council declared the appointment of
Karl Schmidtchen as mayor. There were strikes and bloody clashes on
Graf-Adolf-Strasse with many dead and seriously injured. After five
weeks, on February 28, 1919, the Freikorps Lichtschlag conquered the
city and deposed the Executive Council. Nevertheless, armed clashes
between the Spartacists and the reactionary Freikorps troops repeatedly
broke out until mid-April 1919, especially during the general strike
movement in the Ruhr from April 8th to 13th. The district of Oberbilk,
which could only be conquered with artillery support, was hotly
contested. Until 1933, Düsseldorf remained largely a "red" city in
Prussia, shaped by the labor movement, which had become a republic in
the German Reich as the Free State of Prussia in 1918 after the fall of
the Hohenzollern monarchy.
Around noon on March 8, 1921, French
and Belgian troops invaded and occupied Düsseldorf and other cities in
the Ruhr area. The background to this was the Reich government's refusal
to recognize reparations payments from the Versailles Treaty amounting
to 269 billion gold marks. Two years later, the French began to occupy
the Ruhr area from their bridgeheads in Duisburg and Düsseldorf. The
occupation ended when the German government accepted the Dawes Plan on
September 1, 1925. On this occasion, Reich President Paul von Hindenburg
came to Düsseldorf and gave a patriotic speech in front of around 50,000
listeners in the Rheinstadion.
In 1926, the GeSoLei, the largest
trade fair in the Weimar Republic with 7.5 million visitors, took place
in and on the courtyard designed for this purpose.
In 1929, the
district of Düsseldorf was largely merged into the new district of
Düsseldorf-Mettmann, while the northern part was added to the cities of
Duisburg and Mülheim. Düsseldorf-Mettmann was renamed Kreis Mettmann
during the district reform in 1975.
On April 13, 1931, the
criminal proceedings for one of the most spectacular criminal cases of
the Weimar Republic began in Düsseldorf. The serial killer Peter Kürten,
who lived in Düsseldorf from 1894 to 1921 and again since 1925, was in
court. The trial, which also attracted a great deal of international
attention – around ninety foreign correspondents had announced their
presence – ended on April 21, 1931 with a death sentence that was
carried out in Cologne on July 2, 1931. In Germany, the event triggered
a renewed debate about the admissibility of the death penalty. The
criminal case inspired the director Fritz Lang to his strip M - A city
seeks a murderer, one of the first sound films.
The time of
National Socialism and World War II
After the transfer of power to
the National Socialists, the first burning of "undesirable literature"
by the German student body, including books by Heinrich Heine, took
place in Düsseldorf on April 11, 1933. The NSDAP Gauleiter Friedrich
Karl Florian promoted the mass commemoration of Albert Leo Schlageter at
the Schlageter National Monument, which had been erected in 1931, as
well as the personnel restructuring of the city administration and
authorities. The former chief of police, Hans Langels (Centre Party),
was deposed and replaced by SS group leader Fritz Weitzel. Numerous
opponents of the regime were arrested, mistreated or killed. As the
capital of the Gaus Düsseldorf (1930-1945), Düsseldorf was the seat of
numerous Nazi associations and security police institutions: the
Düsseldorf State Police Headquarters, the Higher SS and Police Leader
West (from 1938), the Inspector of the Security Police and SD, the SS
Upper Section West , the SD upper section west, the SA group
Niederrhein, the 20th SS standard, an HJ ban (No. 39, Obergebiet West,
area Ruhr-Niederrhein), from 1936 an army base administration and a
military district command of the Wehrmacht. Among the cultural-political
“highlights” were the propaganda shows Reichsausstellung Schaffendes
Volk (1937) and Entartete Musik (1938).
In 1937, as part of the
"Degenerate Art" campaign, works from the city's art collection were
confiscated and destroyed. On November 10, 1938, the synagogues on
Kasernenstraße and in Benrath were burned down during the pogrom night,
the Jewish population of the city was persecuted and at least 18 people
were murdered. The deportation of almost 6,000 Jews from the entire
administrative district was in the hands of the "Jewish Department" of
the Düsseldorf State Police Headquarters. On October 27, 1941, the first
train with a total of 1,003 Jews from Düsseldorf and the Lower Rhine
left the Derendorf goods station for the German concentration camps in
occupied Poland (see Jewish life in Düsseldorf). Over 2,200 Düsseldorf
Jews were murdered. In 1944, around 35,000 foreign civilian workers,
several thousand prisoners of war and concentration camp inmates who had
to do forced labor lived in the approximately 400 camps in Düsseldorf.
Since 1987, the Düsseldorf memorial site in the former police
headquarters on Mühlenstraße (town hall) has commemorated the victims of
National Socialism in Düsseldorf. There are also numerous memorial sites
in Düsseldorf for victims of National Socialism.
The first bombs
fell on Düsseldorf in 1940 during the Second World War. The people of
Düsseldorf experienced the first major attack on the night of August 1,
1942. The Allied air raids claimed more than 5,000 civilian lives by
1945. About half of the buildings were destroyed and around 90 percent
were damaged. All Rhine bridges, most roads, flood dikes, underpasses
and overpasses, and the urban drainage network were largely destroyed.
The amount of debris was estimated at around ten million cubic meters.
From February 28, 1945, in the course of the formation of the Ruhr
basin, Düsseldorf became a frontline city for seven weeks with
continuous American shelling from the left bank of the Rhine and in
March it was increasingly encircled.
In April, some Düsseldorf
citizens of the resistance around lawyer Karl August Wiedenhofen tried
to get police chief Franz Jürgens arrested, so that the city could be
handed over to the Allies without a fight. The coup attempt initially
succeeded, but was then betrayed. After the liberation of Korreng by
forces loyal to the line of Gauleiter Friedrich Karl Florian, who had
five of the resistance members shot by summons (including Jürgens), the
last two members managed to escape, lawyer Wiedenhofen and architect
Aloys Odenthal, to reach the American forces advancing to the east of
the city and to avert the final destruction of the city by a large air
raid already prepared.
Reconstruction and development into the
state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia
Units of the U.S. Army
occupied Düsseldorf on April 17, 1945 almost without a fight. Only about
half of the inhabitants still lived in the largely destroyed city, which
came under British military administration in the course of the division
of Germany into occupation zones, which had already set up a German
municipal administration in June 1945. At the end of the hostilities
there were still around 235,000 people in Düsseldorf, and by the end of
1945 there were already 394,765 people living in the city. After
preliminary decisions at the London Foreign Ministers' Conference, the
British founded the state of North Rhine-Westphalia with Düsseldorf as
its capital on August 23, 1946, as a successor state to the only de jure
existing Free State of Prussia, in order to give the country's
significant industrial resources to the political influence of the
Soviet Union and France revoke. The geographic centrality, in particular
the grown function as an economic decision-making center (“desk of the
Ruhr area”), and the existence of undamaged administrative buildings
were the decisive factors in choosing Düsseldorf as the political center
of the new state. By 1947, around 70,000 apartments had been made
available through emergency housing programs. In 1947 the first trade
fair took place in Düsseldorf. In 1949, the year the Federal Republic of
Germany was founded, Düsseldorf's population had almost reached its
pre-war level again, and systematic reconstruction began in the early
1950s. From 1949 to 1952, Düsseldorf was the seat of the International
Ruhr Authority, a forerunner of the European Coal and Steel Community.
Thanks to the Igedo marketing association and the proximity to the
textile industry, the trade fair and exhibition center at the Ehrenhof
was able to establish itself as the new German location for fashion
retail with the Düsseldorf sales and fashion week.
The
reorganization plan of 1950 laid the foundations for further urban
development over the next few decades, which was to decisively change
the cityscape and traffic routing, largely based on the model of the
car-friendly city. Numerous streets were widened and destroyed buildings
were rebuilt two to three stories higher. The first skyscrapers were
built from the mid-1950s. Düsseldorf developed into an administrative
city. Nevertheless, Düsseldorf remained an important industrial location
until the 1980s. Due to the proximity to the Ruhr area and the then
federal capital Bonn, numerous associations and interest groups from the
steel sector settled in the city. The 1960s and 1970s brought big
changes. The city had the highest population in its history at this
time. From 1961 Garath was a completely new district in the form of a
satellite town on the southern outskirts. In 1965 Düsseldorf became a
university town. The new theater opened in 1970, the new exhibition
center in 1971 and the new concert hall in 1978. The largest
incorporation since 1929 took place in 1975. Two new bridges over the
Rhine were built and work began on the construction of an underground
city railway, the first section of which was inaugurated in 1981.
In the 1980s, the cityscape was once again permanently changed with
further urban development projects, the new construction of the state
parliament, the development of the media harbor and the construction of
the Rhine bank tunnel, the completion of which dragged on into the
1990s. Car traffic has been flowing underground since 1993 and the old
town has moved back to the Rhine with the Rhine promenade. In the 1990s,
a new office, business and leisure district developed in the
Medienhafen. In 1996 a major fire destroyed a terminal at Düsseldorf
Airport. The airport and the connection to the city have been completely
redesigned. The work was completed in 2003.
A bomb attack at
Düsseldorf-Wehrhahn train station on July 27, 2000 injured ten people,
some of them life-threateningly, and a pregnant woman lost her unborn
child. After an arson attack on the New Synagogue in Düsseldorf on
October 2, 2000, the then Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schröder appealed
to the German public, calling for a “revolt by the decent people”. On
May 25, 2009, the city was awarded the title of “Place of Diversity” by
the federal government.
The municipal administration declared
Düsseldorf debt-free in 2014, but this was questioned by the state of
North Rhine-Westphalia and its statistical office. The different views
resulted from different assessments and were also politically motivated
at state and city level. As of December 31, 2013, the city had
liabilities totaling EUR 383 million. This made Düsseldorf the least
indebted independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia.