Worth seeing in Düsseldorf
The restored media harbor (Medien-Hafen) with its iconic buildings by Frank Gehry, the heterogeneous districts, grand castles, quiet parks, impressive monuments or the picturesque old town – there are many sights in Düsseldorf to see, to discover and to experience.
Carlstadt, the banks oft he Rhine, the Media Harbor or Fingern – Düsseldorf’s districts are as diverse as their inhabitants and offer an incredible amount of things to discover!
Altstadt (Old Town)
Düsseldorf’s old town is the first place that visitors from all over the world gravitate towards. The historic heart of the city contains what is known as the longest bar in the world, the famous pub mile. Tucked away in the narrow alleyways alongside traditional pubs are first class restaurants and trendy clubs. Düsseldorf’s old town is also excellent for long shopping trips, especially in combination with the “Carlstadt” district. In addition to the longest bar, another highlight is Burgplatz on the banks of the river Rhine. In summer, half of Düsseldorf meets here on the Burgplatz steps to look at the river, watch the world go by and enjoy the sun.
Carlstadt
The smart quarter of Carlstadt is bordered by Altstadt (the old town), Koenigsallee and the banks of the Rhine. Culinary indulgence, culture and lifestyle have found a home here between dreamy squares, a large number of galleries and museums, great restaurants and a multitude of shops. Anna-Maria-Luisa-Medici Platz is an oasis of peace and quiet. On the other hand, Carlsplatz is livelier. Every day, except Sundays and public holidays, there are delicious treats to discover and try in Düsseldorf’s prettiest market. Incidentally, the carathotel Düsseldorf is also located directly on Carlsplatz. And another Carlstadt highlight that we wouldn’t want to keep from you is Düsseldorf's Marionette Theatre in Palais Wittgenstein. A fabulous experience for young and old alike!
The Rhine, the banks of the Rhine and Rheinpromenade
At the end of the 1990s, the level of the B1, which separated the old town from the Rhine, was lowered. And the tunnel roof is now the foundation of one of the best Rhine bank promenades, which stretches from Oberkassel Bridge along the edge of the old town as far as the state parliament. This space offers Düsseldorfers and their guests a place in which to take a stroll, play boules and enjoy the wonderful sunsets on the Rhine. And the surface of the Rhine is increasingly being turned into a sports venue: for jetskiing, canoeing and soft rafting.
The City Centre
Düsseldorf’s city centre is all about art, the Koenigsallee and the Hofgarten. A moat bordered by avenues, which in turn are populated with the finest boutiques in the world. The KÖ (Koenigsallee) is one of Düsseldorf’s landmarks and is part of the cliché of the “Porsche driving snob”! Nevertheless, it is worthwhile wandering along this fantastic street to marvel at the theatre of it all. The Hofgarten is the best of the numerous inner-city parks in Düsseldorf and provided the model for Munich’s English Garden. Like the rest of the city, the park contains numerous statues, including of Heinrich Heine and Robert Schumann, as well as modern sculptures. The large pond is a popular meeting place. However the highlight is the new park benches in Reitallee, which are made of neon tubes and thus provide a great spectacle, especially at night.
The Media Harbour
This architectural highlight rose from the unused warehouses of a dull industrial area: the Neue Zollhof with its three buildings by Frank O. Gehry has a significant influence on the image of Düsseldorf’s new Media Harbour. National and international media, communications, arts and creative companies have settled here, enriched by a multitude of excellent restaurants, pubs, clubs and bars. The Media Harbor is not an exclusively modern complex; in fact it is the interplay with traditional buildings and the old dockside cranes that make the overall impression so charming. As well as being a big draw for photographers and film makers. A literal highlight is the Rhine Tower, which at 234 metres is the tallest building in the city of Düsseldorf. High up the tower are a viewing platform and restaurant. The panoramic view over the city and surrounding countryside is fantastic and, when the weather is good, it’s possible to the spires of Cologne Cathedral.
Bilk
This leisurely quarter is home to many students. The numerous small second hand bookshops are great for enjoying a rummage around, and the tiny Romanesque basilica of Alt St. Martin, Düsseldorf’s oldest church, is well worth a visit. Bilk is also where you will find the Volksgarten, the perfect spot for summer barbecues.
Flingern
The Rhine metropolis’ new hotspot has outgrown its roots as a working class district and now offers a great stock of old buildings, long avenues and colourful graffiti to young, creative types. Numerous small shops, studios, restaurants and clubs tempt visitors on a voyage of discovery.
When it comes to architecture too, Düsseldorf has something to offer, above all, of course, the Gehry buildings. Other than those, the following buildings are from particular architectural importance
- Düsseldorf’s Theatre
- Dreischeibenhaus (Three Slice Building) (administrative building of Thyssen-Krupp AG) in the Pempelfort district
- Ehrenhof – expressionist brick architecture – also in Pempelfort
- K20 art collection
- Department store on the KÖ – art nouveau
- Carschhaus – neoclassicism with art nouveau influences
- City Gate
- Oberkassel: the quieter streets behind Kaiser-Wilhelm-Ring contain neo-Renaissance, neo-Baroque, neoclassical and art nouveau buildings side by side with one another.
Religious Buildings
- Basilica of St. Lambertus
- Berger Kirche (Berger Church)
- Johanneskirche (Church of St. John)
- Former Brothers of the Cross monastery church (Kreuzherren-Klosterkirche)
- Basilica of St. Margareta
- Basilica of Alt St. Martin the Bilk district - Düsseldorf’s oldest church
Castles and Palaces
- Benrath Palace www.schloss-benrath.de
- Jägerhof Palace
- Barbarossa Pfalz in Kaiserswerth: a picturesque ruin of the Mediaeval imperial palace of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa – formerly one of the most important castles on the Rhine.
Fountains - These are the crowning glory of many of the cities squares – be they large and bustling or small and quiet. And always a popular meeting place.
- Tritonenbrunnen fountain
- Radschlaegerbrunnen fountain (cartwheeler fountain) with the inscription: „Radschläger wolle mer blieve, wie jeck et de Mensche och drieve“ (we’ll keep cartwheeling, no matter how crazy it makes people)
- Mack-Brunnen fountain
- Antes-Brunnen fountain
- Gaensebrunnen fountain
- Musikbrunnen fountain
- Maerchenbrunnen fountain: the marble original now stands in the Kaufhof on the KÖ to protect it from damage; the Hofgarten now has a bronze replica.
- Heimatbrunnen fountain
- Fischerjungenbrunnen fountain
Famous personalities, scence of the city's history or just the charming cartwheeler - all of them have been dedicated special places in the city.
The city’s best known monument is the Jan Wellem monument which depicts the prince on horseback (1711) on Marktplatz in front of the town hall in the old town. It is considered to be one of the best equestrian sculptures north of the Alps.
Other monuments in Düsseldorf include:
- The monument to the founding of the city (Stadterhebungsmonument)
- Father Rhine and his Daughters
- Kaiser Wilhelm I monument
- Bismarck monument
Art City Düsseldorf – statues throughout the city. The art axis runs from the Museum Kunstpalast past the Kunstmuseum im Ehrenhof, to the Academy, the Kunstsammlung and the Kunsthalle / Kunstverein.
- Düsseldorf Film Museum
- North Rhine Westphalia K20 art collection in Grabbeplatz
- North Rhine Westphalia K21 art collection in the Staendehaus
- Düsseldorf Kunsthalle
- Düsseldorf Kunstraum
- KIT – Kunst im Tunnel (Art in the Tunnel)
- NRW forum
- museum kunst palast
- Heinrich Heine Institute
- Goethe Museum
- Academy Gallery
- Deutsches Keramikmuseum (German Museum of Ceramics)
- Schifffahrt Museum (Museum of Shipping) in the Schlossturm (castle tower)
- City Museum
- Art Academy
- KAI 10 Raum für Kunst (space for art)
… and, last but not least, the Mustard Museum.
