Hello! I will be accompanying my husband to Dusseldorf for 8 days in July as he attends a business training. I don't find Dusseldorf even listed in Rick Steve's Germany guidebook, so I am wondering if I could get some suggestions as to places I should visit and where to eat. We are staying near the Altstadt, and I will be by myself during the day without a car. Over the weekend my husband will be with me - we hope to go down to Koln. This is our first time in Europe, and the trip came up suddenly, so I am a bit overwhelmed. More questions will follow about our free week after this business week! Thanks in advance for your help,
Jane
Posted by
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2779 posts
Jane, there is a reason Düsseldorf isn't listed anywhere. Only locals - for some unexplainable reason - find the city attractive. Main reason for all this is it was completely flattened out during WW2 and everything had to be rebuilt in the 1950s through 1980s. Having said that there are some tru hidden gems just in the surroundings of Düsseldorf, which all make for a great half-day or full-day trip. My favorite is Schloss Dyck (Dyck castle, although it's actually a French-style water chateau). It's got great gardens around as well. The next one, probably even more impressive is Schloss Benrath. But it's a diffrent type of castle - I bet you'll find it picturesque and worthwhile though. Then at the end of one of the Düsseldorf S-Bahn lines is Mettmann. The entire old town part is made from slate, the half-timbered houses are white and slate-color, the plaster is slate, the roofs are slate... And then of course your best day trip is by 30 minutes train ride: Cologne.
Posted by
Dallas, Texas, USA
501 posts
My eldest daughter and S-I-L live in nearby Neuss, his parents live in Koln(Cologne). There is a rivalry between C. And Dusseldorf . Cologne is older, more historic, Dusseldorf is the "rich kid" and more modern. I prefer D over C. Walk around the river and what I call the warf area. Because they live there I let them pick the places to eat and don't remember the names. Go to tripadvisor Dusseldorf Forum and get a little more info there. Dusseldorf is a Ladies shopping paradise, lots of high end establishments. While on your own take advantage of train system; could do a day trip to Aachen, Brussels, or go south and follow Rhine river. For whatever it's worth, I like the small town atmosphere in old part of Neuss ( not really old, .....quaint??) Good Luck! While in Cologne, near Cathedral, there are a number of nice rest. The C. cathedral is right outside the main train terminal, hard to miss.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
I spent a few hours in Düsseldorf, and I really don't see the need to return. Nothing wrong with it, but nothing too enticing either. The Aldtstadt is fairly small and low key. There's a nice park in the middle of the city, but half of it was blocked off because of construction when I was there (actually, there was quite a bit of construction throughout the downtown area). The quay along the Rhine is nice enough, but it will probably take you all of 15 minutes to walk. As the others noted, Düsseldorf is Germany's fashion capital, and as such, there's plenty of high-end shopping. If you're into that sort of thing. Across the river, the suburb of Oberkastel looks like one of the most chic residential districts of any city in Germany. Perhaps spend an afternoon walking around.