Düsseldorf

Walking by the river or shopping in the downtown

I’ve been to Düsseldorf several times because I have a very good friend there. I always visit her and her family when I travel there. It is interesting to see the city in different seasons.

If I compare it to Berlin, the two cities are very different, even the people, how they dress, etc. However, Düsseldorf is also worth a visit, and you can do quite many things in the city center, but also in the neighboring areas. There are two places that I always like visiting when I’m there, and I cannot get bored with them: the riverside (Rheinufer) and the shopping area in the downtown. The river has a nice curve, and you can walk along the water and enjoy the nice view. There are some bridges, and you can also see the famous Rheinturm, that is basically the symbol of the city, from almost everywhere. It’s also possible to buy a ticket and go up to the tower and enjoy the view from there. I’ve already done it twice and it’s especially nice in clear, sunny weather. I always enjoy taking photos from such a tower. And you can see airplanes flying over the river and the bridge, as the airport is not far away.

Shopping is a great activity, if you visit Düsseldorf. The downtown area is famous for its many shops, including more expensive brands, especially on the Königsalle. But you don’t necessarily need to buy anything, it’s also enjoyable to walk along the main shopping street and look around. There is also a huge bookstore where you can spend some time, maybe even go to its coffee shop and have something to eat or drink. If you have a sweet tooth or want to buy some local souvenirs, I can recommend you the Heinemann pastry shop in the downtown of Düsseldorf. It can be a really nice present to take home, especially because the packages are very pretty.

You might also get into the same situation as I did: on several occasions, I needed to buy some warm clothes or even a new pair of shoes because the weather is often gray and cool in Düsseldorf (which is true in general for Germany). When I travelled there from Hungary, I couldn’t imagine that the temperature would be so much lower… So make sure to check the weather forecast before your journey – and believe it. But luckily, there are many opportunities to buy some warm clothes, if you need to. If you happen to be as naive as I was… 😄

Just like in every big city, there are different neighborhoods in Düsseldorf. The area around the main train station is not nice, but there is for example Oberkassel, a beautiful and rich quarter of the city. People in Düsseldorf tend to say that posh people live in this district. It’s worth a visit, if you have the time for it. Similarly, the so called Medienhafen is also a nice area. I have once found it out while visiting a restaurant in the neighborhood.

If you come to Düsseldorf for several days, you might want to consider a day trip to the Netherlands. The border is a bit more than half an hour by car and you can easily visit the closest town even in an afternoon. We have done it once and went to Maastricht, a nice Dutch town. Even though it’s so close to the border, the atmosphere and the people are different than in Germany. For me, it was very interesting to see the Dutch culture and architecture, even if just for a short visit. You can either drive there or travel by train.

If you are lucky, you can find some interesting and special programs while being in Düsseldorf, for example I had the opportunity to visit the Opera House on an open day. We could participate in a guided tour and look behind the scenes. It was very interesting, and it was also a birthday present for me, as it was exactly on my birthday! 😊 We also went to a so called Lichtfestival (festival of lights) which was at a castle and in its park. It was an adventure in the darkness of the night, but the lights were very nice and such a program is special.

The capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia might not be so famous as for instance Berlin, it might not be considered beautiful either, but if you like shopping and the city life, or you are interested in seeing a bit of the German culture, it’s worth a visit. Especially if you can find some special programs or go on day trips to the neighboring cities. Some of my recommendations are Köln/Cologne (because of its cathedral), Bonn (the former capital city of West Germany) and the Netherlands. I started to enjoy such day trips when I moved to Germany, and you can try it out, too. 😊