• Dusseldorf

    Do & See

    Düsseldorf

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Königsallee

Königsallee

Düsseldorf’s Königsallee is one of a small group of internationally famous streets that may justifiably call themselves boulevards. Affectionately called the “Kö” by Düsseldorf’s residents, it is the primary shopping street in Düsseldorf, and as its nucleus connects the city centre to provide a continuous shopping experience running from the Altstadt (Old Town) through to the Kö and all the way to Schadowstraße. Come along, see and be seen – and do some truly stylish shopping as well.
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Altstadt (Old Town)

Altstadt (Old Town)

Nowhere else in Düsseldorf can one feel the city’s heartbeat so clearly as in the Altstadt. Those who want to party, people in search of culture or history lovers will all be equally well catered for in this area between the Rhine and Heinrich-Heine Allee, that covers an area of less than half a square kilometre. This tiny space is crammed with around 260 eateries, pubs, bars, discos and restaurants, and one would be hard pressed to find the like in any other city. The Altstadt is also home to Altbier – a real Düsseldorf speciality.
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Burgplatz & Rhine embankment promenade

Burgplatz & Rhine embankment promenade

Burgplatz is where the little River Düssel, which gave the town its name, flows into the Rhine. In the background is the former collegiate church, St. Lambertus, with the shrine of St. Apolinaris. Next to the bridge over the Düssel, the monument to Düsseldorf being granted the privileges of a town demonstrates impressively more than 725 years of town history (town status granted in 1288). The square is dominated by Alter Schlossturm, the old palace tower (now the Schifffahrt-Museum navigation museum) and last testimony to the princely palace from the 13th century that fell victim to flames in 1872. The generously proportioned Rhine embankment promenade is considered one of the most beautiful on the Rhine. Upriver, the Medien Hafen is characterised by outstanding architectural creations, and the elegant district of Oberkassel on the opposite bank by art-nouveau facades.
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Carlstadt

Carlstadt

Carlstadt is the city’s exquisite quarter of galleries and antique shops. Citadellstraße with its elegant stately residences from the 18th and 19th centuries and the flair of its streets almost unchanged since these days, seems to have escaped the passing of time. A more profound insight into Düsseldorf’s history can be gained at Stadtmuseum at the corner of Bäckerstraße and Berger Allee. Its cosy garden is treated as an insidertip! The Carlsplatz, and its lively food market open from Monday to Saturday. From here, take the attractive Bilker Straße for a visit to the Heinrich-Heine- Institute or proceed past the former residence of Robert and Clara Schumann to Bastionstraße, a must for every lover of antiques.
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MedienHafen

MedienHafen

The Rhine tower, the North Rhine-Westphalia parliament, the Gehry Buildings, the city gate or Colorium – MedienHafen is a hotspot for creative architecture in Düsseldorf. Several international architects played a creative role in the reconstruction of the old Rhine port area. Frank O. Gehry, David Chipperfield, Joe Coenen, Steven Holl and Claude Vasconi were among those who made a creative contribution to make it what it is today. Those goods depots which were protected by a preservation order had to be renovated with hi-tech engineering and creative interior design. The ancient storerooms have been recreated with a new style and grace. However, you can still feel the old port atmosphere everywhere despite all the reconstruction. Just a decade ago the warehouses were nothing but immense empty spaces inside. Today, various television channels and radio stations, and advertising and media agencies, design bureaus and suchlike have all set up shop inside. So that’s where the name came from: MedienHafen, which means media harbour. The MedienHafen also plays in the premier league where hospitality is concerned. From the exquisite “Berens am Kai”, with a Michelin star, through the “most golden” curry sausage in Düsseldorf, to a cosy cocktail in the evening – the restaurateurs here have adapted to their heterogeneous clientele, which is composed of business customers during the day and the funky in-crowd in the evening, who all meet up to party at the stylish “Rudas Studios” advertising film venue or at the “Port Seven”.
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Rheinturm

Rheinturm

The Rheinturm (built 1979 – 1982, architect H. Deilmann) is a striking landmark on the Düsseldorf’s Rhine skyline. It stands on the edge of the southern city centre, at the entrance to the MedienHafen, right beside the North Rhine-Westphalian parliament building (Landtag) and the building of the public broadcaster, Westdeutscher Rundfunk. It is 240.5 metres high, with a glass-fronted 180-seat restaurant at an altitude of 172.5 metres that rotates on its axis. A bar and lounge is located below the restaurant (168m) as is a viewing platform (164m) with a breathtaking view of the Rhine metropolis: the MedienHafen, the Altstadt, the Hofgarten, Königsallee and the Rhine with its family of bridges all lie at the feet of the tower. When the weather is good, one can see as far as Cologne Cathedral. Thanks to a level entrance in the basement of the tower, the building offers barrier-free access.
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EKŌ-House of Japanese Culture

EKŌ-House of Japanese Culture

The EKŌ-House - since 1993 a centre for Japanese culture - consists of a Buddhist temple (the only Japanese temple in Europe), Japanese gardens, a traditional house with tearoom and, since 1999, another building including a library and an international kindergarten. The most important function of the EKŌ-House is the cultural exchange between East and West: Japanese citizens cultivate their traditions and allow local citizens the unique opportunity to participate.
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Palace and Park Benrath

Palace and Park Benrath

Schloss Benrath (Benrath Palace) was built as a pleasure and hunting palace for the Elector Carl Theodor. Today, the ensemble in its artistic unity of buildings, interior and gardens, 60 hectares in all, is considered one of Europe’s rare complete works of art of the late baroque period. The main palace building (corps de logis), with its furniture, porcelain, paintings, etc., gives an impression of court life in the second half of the 18th century. The eastern wing houses the “Museum für Europäische Gartenkunst” (Museum of European Garden Art) and the western wing the “Museum für Naturkunde” (Museum of Natural Sciences).
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Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf Duisburg

Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf Duisburg

Two cities, two branches: The Deutsche Oper am Rhein and the Ballett am Rhein Düsseldorf Duisburg have jointly performed at Düsseldorf’s Opernhaus (1,292 seats) and Theater Duisburg (1,079 seats) since 1956. With one of the largest opera ensembles in the world and one of the major ballet companies in the German-speaking region, it is one of the prime addresses for musical theatre and dance in Europe. The programme includes: Grand Opera from baroque rarities all the way to contemporary musical theatre and a ballet that sets new standards with uncompromising aesthetics.
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Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen K20 Grabbeplatz

Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen K20 Grabbeplatz

The Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen presents a demanding and variegated exhibition program at three locations: at the K20 Grabbeplatz, at the K21 Ständehaus and at the Schmela Haus. Around a half-century ago, in August of 1961, the regional government of North Rhine-Westphalia established the Foundation of the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen. The purchase of 88 works by artist Paul Klee was the “opening salvo.” Since then, the Kunstsammlung has become one of the most recognised art museums worldwide, with a collection which ranges from Classical Modernism to American Pop Art and major contemporary works.
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Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen K21 Ständehaus

Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen K21 Ständehaus

Added in early 2002 as the second main pillar of the Kunstsammlung and accommodating contemporary art was the Ständehaus am Kaiserteich, until 1988 the seat of the Parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia. Four wings with continuous arcades surround the building’s central public area, a spacious plaza. The creative treatment of this representative building in the Historicist style (1876-80) by the Munich architectural office of Kiessler + Partner created a modern museum building with a striking glaze domed roof which shapes the building’s aesthetic and at the same time spans an expansive sculpture garden located on the uppermost level. Together, a flexible hall for temporary exhibitions in the ground floor level and the upper galleries comprise more than 5300 m² of surface area. Installations and artist’s rooms are an important focus of the Kunstsammlung, an area which has been expanded continuously in recent years.
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Museum Kunstpalast

Museum Kunstpalast

The Museum Kunstpalast, which was redesigned by Oswald Matthias Ungers and opened in 2001, is located in the centre of Düsseldorf, right on the Rhine river. Ever since it reopened, the house has gained a splendid international reputation with its high-quality exhibitions, such as Miró, Dalí, Warhol, Caravaggio, "Bonjour Russia", "Diana and Actaeon" and Per Kirkeby. The permanent exhibit too, whose spectrum ranges from medieval sculptures to an outstanding assortment of Baroque graphic works up to paintings of the Düsseldorf School of Painting and Expressionism, as well as contemporary photography, is held in great esteem all over the world. The Hentrich Glass Collection is also found in the Museum Kunstpalast, and is the most comprehensive glass collection in Europe, tracing the development of glass artistry without interruption from luxury glass objects of the pre-Roman period up to glass art from contemporary studios. The Robert Schumann Hall, a multifunctional hall offering a sophisticated program running from chamber music to cabaret, is also integrated into the museum.
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Goethe-Museum Düsseldorf

Goethe-Museum Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf's Goethe-Museum is housed in the former hunting palace "Schloss Jägerhof", which was finished in 1772 and is located at the eastern edge of the Hofgarten. Since 1956 Goethe's life and work is presented via about 1000 exhibition pieces in chronological order. The first editions of the poet's individual works are kept in glass cases, surrounded by draft manuscripts and letters from the period when they were written. Pictures of towns and landscapes show places where Goethe wrote his books; pictures of the poet and his friends complete the exhibition.
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Aquazoo Löbbecke Museum

Aquazoo Löbbecke Museum

A natural science exhibition, aquarium, terrarium and insectarium are what makes up the Löbbecke collection. The museum collaborates with others in various projects concerning the protection of nature and species, animal geography, behavioural biology and reproduction. Cooperation in the preservation of endangered species is one of the tasks of the Aquazoo, as is the scientific documentation of the collection. Guided tours, special workshops, events and holiday programmes for children on request.
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Sankt Lambertus Basilika

Sankt Lambertus Basilika

Düsseldorf's Altstadt (Old Town) is also home to some of the city's most beautiful churches. For instance, the Sankt Lambertus Basilika, which was first built in the 13th century, and which with its twisting spire helps make Düsseldorf's skyline unique. In conjunction with the Schlossturm (Castle Tower) and the River Düssel, the basilica remains part of the Old Town's original core. This church's parish altar also houses a shrine containing relics of Saint Apollinaris, the city's patron saint.
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