Capital of Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia state, the modern and vibrant city that is Dusseldorf (Düsseldorf) retains plenty of traditional character beneath its glamour, glitz and enormous trade fairs. Today, Dusseldorf is bursting with culture, plenty of culinary regional delights, and many exciting nightspots. This is especially the case around the Old Town area of Dusseldorf, better known as the Altstadt district, where fine architecture lines much of the Rhine River.

Much of Dusseldorf's Altstadt quarter is well pedestrianised and a great place to begin your sightseeing, with many historical sights, boutiques, museums and tourist attractions being within walking distance of each other. The true heart of the Altstadt is the Marktplatz, while nearby, a popular tourist information centre can be found on the Burgplatz, dispensing plenty of useful tourism advice. For some of the best shopping within Dusseldorf, pay a visit to Königsallee, known simply as the 'Ko'.

Dusseldorf - lively provincial capital and the centre of the Rhineland. It is home to the seat of government and the Königsallee, one of the most beautiful German shopping avenues. The enchanting Altstadt (Old Town) is known as the world's longest bar!

The capital of North Rhine-Westphalia, Düsseldorf lies on the bank of the Rhine, and is the main centre for industry and culture in the Ruhr-Rhine area. First off it seems like any other German business metro, wealthy businessmen walking purposefully briefcase in hand but scratch the surface and you will discover Düsseldorf’s many faces.

A city that is cosmopolitan and rich in culture, with historical buildings that were damaged during the Second World War now beautifully restored to their past glory, Düsseldorf has become fashion hub and culture capital. Renowned for its many bars and throbbing nightlife Düsseldorf is not called the ‘world’s biggest bar’ for nothing. Yes, with some 500 clubs and bars in the Aldstadt area downtown its one big party in the evenings in Düsseldorf. Offsetting this is the rich art in the many museums in the same area.

The city lies on the right bank of the river Rhine. Back then it was known as Dusseldorp. Dating back to the Roman times, Dusseldorf’s history goes back to the time when a few Germanic tribes were standing in way of the Holy Roman Empire to capture this marshy part of Rhineland. The Germanic tribe successfully repelled the attached of the Romans. However, until the year 1135 there were no written record of Dusseldorf.

In the year 1186, the Bergs conquered the city and by 1280 it was made the centre of the Berg kingdom. On August 14, 1288, Dusseldorf was officially granted city status by Count Adolf V. The city continued to develop thereafter and eventually a market formed within the city. This market made Dusseldorf an important location for business and was made the regional capital of the Duchy of Berg in the year 1380. During this time the church of Saint Lambertus was built which still can be visited.

In the year 1500, Duke Wilhelm took control of the Duchy of Berg, and erected his castle within the city. Dusseldorf became the location of Germany''s first public park, when the Hofgarten was built in the

year 1700. In the year 1803, Napoleonic Wars took place and put a stop to the prosperity of the city and the city continued to spiral downward through the end of World War II in 1945.

It suffered huge damage and most of the people started living in poverty. However, with the end of the World War II, the city regained its lost glory and most of the buildings were restored. Commerce moved back into the city, and currently the city has once again become a bustling city centre.

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Whatever the time of year, a trip to Dusseldorf will always be both enjoyable and memorable. However, those who choose to visit between the months of May and September will find the climate at its best, with plenty of warm and sunny weather to go around.

Even the winter weather in the city of Dusseldorf is fairly mild, with only the occasional frost and snow flurry in December, January and February. Soon after, the temperatures quickly start to increase and the longer days bring highs of more than 20°C / 68°F, from May onwards.

Located in northern Europe and in the North Rhine Westphalia area of Germany, the overall climate in Dusseldorf is influenced by its position and overall proximity to the north-eastern coastline. The city's climate is often known as maritime, due to the warm, westerly sea breezes that regularly blow in from the North Sea and beyond, with this moist air raising the overall levels of humidity.

The winter weather in Dusseldorf can be chilly, particularly at night-time, while by day, the skies are frequently overcast. This soon changes as spring arrives and the overall climate soon beings to improve, with plenty of sunshine for everyone in both March and April. By the end of March, the temperatures have improved and often top 10°C / 50°F. Even though it is fair to say that the summer months in Dusseldorf do bring plenty of fine weather, rain showers can also be expected and are rather unpredictable, although rarely spoil the day for long.

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Altstadt

The Dusseldorf Old Town “Altstadt” is famous for its food, drink, nightlife and many important churches like the Neanderkirche, the Bergerkirche, the Kreuzherrenkirche and St. Lambertus. Altstadt is also well known as “the longest bar in the world” because there are approx. 200 bars and restaurants. Many people visit Altstadt for its traditional drink called Altbier that is a dark, mellow brew.

Benrath Palace

This is a famous palace built in the 18th century to be the residence for the Elector Karl Theodor. Nowadays, the palace is one of the most visited attractions in Dusseldorf and houses many museums like the European Horticultural Art Museum. Its amazing design shows the transition from late baroque to classical architecture.

Goethe Museum

Known as “Schloss Jagerhof”, it is a beautiful baroque building where collections of pieces relating to Goethe are exhibited. There is also an especial room just for writings related to Faust. This is an excellent place for lovers of literature and Goethe fans.

Rathaus

The Rathaus is a complex dating from the 16th century. It is formed by three buildings from diverse eras: The Old Town Hall, the Wilhelminischer Bau and the Gurpello House; their architecture is traditional Rhine baroque style. Other principal attraction is the statue of Jan Wellem riding his horse.

Marktplatz

Der Marktplatz ist ein zentraler Platz in der Düsseldorfer Altstadt, der im Rahmen der ersten Stadterweiterung im 14. Jahrhundert angelegt und 1392 erstmals urkundlich erwähnt wurde. Das Düsseldorfer Rathaus liegt an dem Platz, der heute überwiegend repräsentativen und öffentlichen Zwecken dient und nur noch gelegentlich als Marktplatz genutzt wird.

Königsallée

Regus Königsallée offers clients one of the most prestigious business addresses in Düsseldorf, an elegant corporate environment and a level of superior support services. A key location gives this centre a great appeal to the general business public. Close to Rein riverbanks and in the heart of the main business and shopping district of the city, it is accessible to major employment and to city networks: the metro station, tram and bus shops are within walking distance.

The building features a variety of amenities such as an upscale restaurant (Maredo), full service bank, 24-hour security, covered parking and many shops and boutiques.

Clients can enjoy the use of two fully furnished and equipped meeting rooms and several touchdown areas in the business lounge for mobile businessmen. The centre provides advanced audio-visual technology and professional administrative support on an as-needed basis.

Dusseldorf Museums

Dusseldorf boasts an impressive array of museums, which are suitable for adults and children alike. There is an aquarium in the city of Dusseldorf, a memorial to the victims of Nazi persecution, and a tribute to Heinrich Heine - author of Seven Years in Tibet.

Also popular is Dusseldorf's fascinating Theatre Museum (Theatermuseum), which documents the timeline of German theatre from as far back as the 17th century. The city's top museums are displayed here.

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Public Transport

The local public transport is really efficient, fast and safe. The service is provided by the Rheinbahn AG., it operates buses and trains. There are also underground trains known as “Rheinbahn” which operate along an extensive network in Dusseldorf. You can buy tickets in orange vending machines at stops, and it must be validated when boarding.

Air

The Dusseldorf International Airport is one of Germany's major airports. It consists of three terminals (A, B, C) each possessing ample shopping opportunities (including duty free), numerous restaurants, info booths, currency exchange centers, and ATMs. Abundant short-term parking is located outside each terminal.

Train

Dusseldorf offers train services to and from Bonn, Frankfurt, Berlin, Munich and more. If your visit to Dusseldorf is part of a larger trip, it may be cheaper to buy a rail pass than point-to-point tickets. For non-European citizens, there are a range of passes available, depending on whether you are visiting Germany only or other countries in Europe as well.

Car

Dusseldorf is encircled by the following highways: A44 Aachen-Velbert and A52 Essen-Düsseldorf in the north, A46 Heinsberg-Hagen and A59 in the south, the A52 Düsseldorf-Roemond and the A57 Köln-Nimwegen in the west, as well as the A3 Frankfurt am Main-Oberhausen in the east.

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