Things to do in Düsseldorf
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Rheinuferpromenade
Burgplatz marks the beginning of the Rheinuferpromenade, whose cafés and benches fill with people in fine weather, creating an almost Mediterranean flair. It follows the Rhine all the way to the Rheinpark and the 240m Rheinturm (Rhine Tower) with a viewing platform and revolving restaurant at 172m. Just beyond are the Landtag (the state parliament) and the old harbour, which has been redeveloped into the Medienhafen (Media Harbour), a spectacular showcase of contemporary architecture.
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Zum Uerige
This cavernous beer hall is the best place to soak it all up. The suds flow so quickly from giant copper vats that the waiters - called Köbes - simply carry huge trays of brew and plonk down a glass whenever they spy an empty.
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Melody Bar
After 10pm you may have to shoehorn your way into this jewel of a cocktail bar that's an island of sophistication amid the boisterous Altstadt thirst parlours. The drinks are excellent, the owner couple gracious and the crowd mixed.
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Tonhalle
The imposing domed Tonhalle, in a converted 1920s planetarium, is the home base of the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker (Düsseldorf Symphony Orchestra).
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Pleasure Palace and Gardens
Elector Carl Theodor was a man of deep pockets and good taste, as reflected in his exquisite pleasure palace and gardens, where he came to relax and frolic. Designed by Frenchman Nicolas de Pigage, the three-winged palace centres on the Corps de Logis, the former residential tract, where tours (in German) offer a glimpse of the elector's lifestyle. The other wings contain an old-school natural history museum (adult/concession €5/3) and a vaguely interesting museum of European garden history (adult/concession €5/3).
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Hetjens Museum
A short detour off the Rheinuferpromenade takes you to the Hetjens Museum, known for its survey of 8000 years of ceramic art from around the world. An extension houses the Filmmuseum, which trains the spotlight on the technology, history and mystery of movie-making. The integrated Black Box art-house cinema presents retrospectives, rare flicks and silent movies with live organ accompaniment (tickets €6.50/4.50).
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K20 Kunst- Sammlung Am Grabbeplatz
A collection that spans the arc of 20th- century artistic vision gives the K20 Kunst- sammlung am Grabbeplatz an enviable edge in the art world. Paul Klee is well represented but walls are also graced by plenty of other western European and American big-shots, including Picasso, Matisse, Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns and Düsseldorf's own Joseph Beuys. The museum has recently had a major revamp.
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Rheinturm
Burgplatz marks the beginning of the Rheinuferpromenade (river walk). It follows the Rhine all the way to the Rheinpark and the 240m Rheinturm with a viewing platform and revolving restaurant at 172m. Just beyond are the Landtag (state parliament) and the sleek Medienhafen (Media Harbour; see p000) with its dramatic blend of historic and postmodern architecture.
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Marktplatz
Düsseldorf's quaint Altstadt, a mostly pedestrianised web of lanes hugging the Rhine, is rightly (in)famous for its raucous nightlife. Fortunately, it also brims with charming and quiet corners, a smattering of museums and historical sights, and good shopping. At its centre is the historic Marktplatz, framed by the Renaissance Rathaus (town hall; 1573) and accented by an equestrian statue of Jan Wellem.
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Andreaskirche
The art-loving elector, Jan Wellem lies buried in the early baroque Andreaskirche, which is drenched in fanciful white stucco. Six baroque saint-sculptures from the original altar were recently integrated into the sanctuary. More church art awaits in the new treasury in the upstairs gallery. A great time to visit is for the free organ concert at 4.30pm on Sundays.
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Schloss Jägerhof
Painted piglet-pink, but otherwise very dignified, the Schloss Jägerhof is a rococo confection dreamed up by leading 18th-century architect Johann Joseph Couven. Inside is the eclectic Goethe Museum, whose exhibits capture the spirit of this complex genius and his time. Putting the 'trip' in triptych is Paul Struck's epic oil painting (1974) depicting the Walpurgisnacht scene from Faust II.
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Königsallee
The main raison d'être of Düsseldorf's most famous thoroughfare, the Königsallee, called Kö for short, is to help you spend your hard-earned cash in its exclusive boutiques and department stores. Otherwise there's little of actual merit here, although the Art Nouveau façade of the Kaufhof department store and the landmark Triton fountain deserve a glance.
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K21 Kunstsammlung Im Ständehaus
Speaking of juxtaposition: a stately 19th-century parliament building forms the incongruous setting of the cutting-edge K21 Kunstsammlung im Ständehaus, which brims with canvases, photographs, installations and video art created after 1980 by an international cast of artists. Look for works by Andreas Gursky, Candida Höfer, Bill Viola and the late Nam June Paik.
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Museum Kunst Palast
The once stuffy museum kunst palast now takes an unconventional approach to presenting its well-respected collection. Old masters find themselves juxtaposed with contemporary young dogs and non-Western works to reveal unexpected connections between the ages and artistic trends. Temporary exhibitions further reinforce the theme.
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Medienhafen
This once-dead old harbour area has been reborn as the Medienhafen, an increasingly hip quarter filled with architecture, restaurants, bars, hotels and clubs. Once-crumbling warehouses have turned high-tech office buildings and now rub shoulders with bold new structures designed by celebrated international architects, including Frank Gehry.
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Stone Im Ratinger Hof
After a stint as a techno temple in the '90s, the venerable Ratinger Hof has returned to its rock roots and is now the 'it' place for lovers of indie and alt-sounds. Depending on the night, tousled hipsters, skinny-jean emos and sneaker-wearing students thrash it out to everything from noise pop to neo-garage to indietronics.
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Zakk
Parties, concerts, readings, theatre, discussions - the menu sure varies at this well established cultural centre in a former factory. The beer garden is a convivial place to spend a balmy summer night. It's a couple of kilometres east of the Hauptbahnhof; take tram 706 to Fichtenstrasse or the U-Bahn 75 to Kettwiger Strasse.
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Anaconda Lounge
The living room of hormone-happy hipsters, this designer cave is great for chilling or launching a bar hop. Strong drinks, kick-ass music and complexion-friendly decor further loosen inhibitions. Insiders fuel up for the long night ahead with cheap pizza from Harlequino next door (ok to bring inside bar).
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Heinrich Heine Institut
For a literary kick, swing by the Heinrich Heine Institut, where letters, portraits, first editions and manuscripts document this famed Düssel- dorfer's career. Heine's birth house at Bolker- strasse 53 now contains a literary bookshop and reading room.
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3001
A clubber's nirvana, this hot 'n' heavy club in Medienhafen has a giant dance floor where DJs whip shiny, happy and barely legal hotties into a frenzy with electro and sizzling light and video projections. The crowd's a bit older and admission is free during 'Milchbar' on Thursdays.
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Hofgarten
When you've had your shopping fill, head on over to the pleasant Hofgarten dotted with statues of Heinrich Heine, Robert Schumann and other German greats. Thespians might get a kick out of the Theatermuseum, which looks back on Düsseldorf's centuries-old theatre tradition.
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Robert's Bistro
Tables are squished together as tightly as lovers at this très French restaurant in the Media Harbour. Bring both an appetite for hearty Gallic fare (the fish soup is highly recommended) and some patience - it doesn't take reservations and a queue is guaranteed.
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Naniwa Noodles & Soups
The space is minimalist, the food is not. Soup's the thing and nearly every variety we tried - flavoured from mild to wild - had perfect pitch. Tables are usually packed with Japanese expats and plugged-in locals, but the wait's worth it. Or just make a reservation.
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Harpune
At this highly rated club the dance floor hums with a mixed bag of globally influenced techno, House and electronica. Fridays are dedicated to other music styles, from hip-hop to reggae. The door policy is pretty relaxed, but don't show up drunk or dishevelled.
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Zum Schiffchen
History pours from every nook and cranny in this almost ridiculously cosy Altstadt restaurant specialising in gut-busting German and Rhenish meals. Were portions as huge when Napoleon dropped by a couple of centuries ago? Reservations recommended.
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