Düsseldorf, Germany

Families
There are kid-friendly museums, palaces, and lakes and parks for summertime fun.

Shoppers
Numerous shopping boulevards and trendy shops will entice.

Transfers
Transfers between the airport and hotel are not included with WorldVacations packages. From the airport, the central city can easily be reached by train or the S-Bahn urban railway.

Public Transportation
With trams, buses, and underground trains the “Rheinbahn” operates a network all throughout Düsseldorf. Transportation time between the main train station and the Altstadt is just three minutes. Düsseldorf is also well connected to other European cities with more than 1,000 trains stopping in Düsseldorf every day.

Car
Driving in the city is relatively easy, compared to some European cities. Parking is also fairly easy with 41 affiliated open-air, multi-story, and underground car parks in the city. Rental cars are available from WorldVacations.

Taxi
You can find a taxi at one of the 151 taxi ranks, hail an available one from the road, or call a taxi office.

Düsseldorf is well-known for its Altbier, a dark beer, which is brewed only in the region of Düsseldorf. Other traditional drinks are the liqueurs Killepitsch and Samtkragen. Traditional meals in the region are Halve Hahn, Mainzer cheese with caraway seeds and a bread roll, and Sky and Earth (fried egg, apple butter, and mashed potatoes).

• Berens am Kai
  The restaurant has been awarded a Michelin star for its fine French and regional specialties.
• Brauerei Im Füchschen
  Anyone and everyone comes here to enjoy good-value meals and the genuine Füchschen beer. Serves up some of the best knuckle of pork around.
• Fischhaus
  A highly popular restaurant in the middle of the old city. The fish is outstanding, especially when enjoying it at a sidewalk table.
• Im Schiffchen
  Holder of a two-star Michelin rating and specializing in haute cuisine. Chef Jean-Claude Bourgueil's French specialties are renowned and the delicious menu changes often.
• Meerbar
  One of several harbor bistros that overlook the water in Media Harbor.
• Restaurant Top 180
  Located at the top of the Rhine Tower and with commanding and panoramic views of Media Harbor, Altstadt, and the Rhine River Valley. The food is just as memorable.
• Zum Schiffchen
  The oldest restaurant and brewery in Düsseldorf. Since 1628, this historic restaurant has served up sauerbraten, potato dumplings, and rye rolls. A true-blue Düsseldorf institution attracting a potpourri of guests. Make sure to ask for "mostert," a local, spicy brown mustard.

Whether you are looking for a warm-up, or something for the entire evening, the bar and pub scene in Düsseldorf can satisfy any desire and offers something for every taste. Traditional and classy can be found around Grünstrasse and Steinstrasse, trendy and modern is along the harbor, and the young and hip are along the party-mile on Ratinger Strasse.

Düsseldorf is one of the world’s most elegant shopping metropolises with three main areas for shopping — its beautiful Königsallee, the Schadowstrasse, and the hip Altstadt.

The famed Königsallee, which is affectionately referred to as the “Kö” is a glamorous boulevard home to the branches of all the top designers, and to exclusive jewelers, perfume, porcelain, and antiques shops.

The Schadowstrsse is one of the most visited shopping streets in Germany and has numerous department stores and shops that line both sides of the street that joins up directly to the Königsallee. All the best-known fashion chains, department stores, and in particular, shoe shops, have a huge selection.

The Altstadt has a great deal more to offer than just bars and restaurants. Apart from souvenirs, you can also find boutiques and avant-garde shops with curiosities and the very latest fashion. The Altstadt is the first choice in the city for fashion trends, art, and design.

Düsseldorf, being a major industrial city and business center has numerous trade shows throughout the year. More leisurely events include the following:

Carnival/Karneval
November 11 - Ash Wednesday. One of the biggest cultural events in Düsseldorf is the Düsseldorfer Karneval (also referred to as the “fifth season”) which starts every year on November 11th at 11:11 a.m., and reaches its climax on Rosenmontag (Rose Monday), featuring a huge parade through the streets of Düsseldorf. Karneval ends on Aschermittwoch (Ash Wednesday).

Christmas Market
Late November - December 23. Düsseldorf plays host to several Christmas markets, the largest on Flingerstrasse in the Altstadt. Others are in the Schadowstrasse (the main shopping street) and the Nordstrasse, just north of the Hofgarten. If you are an ice skater, you can skate along the Königsallee Corneliusplatz, the main boulevard of the city.

Boat Tours
April - October. The Wesse Flotte and the Köln-Düsseldorfer (KD) run regular boat tours along the Rhine.

Free Admission
Many museums have free admission during the last hour of opening, including the Heinrich Heine Institut, Theatre Museum, Stadtmuseum (City Museum), Goethe-Museum, Film Museum, and Hetjens Museum. The KPMG cultural evenings in the museums K20 and K21 are also free.

Kunst
Art in German is known as "kunst" so the museum dedicated to 20th-century art is nicknamed K20 and the museum housing 21st-century art is, naturally, referred to as K21.

Zum Uerige
At this historic pub, where waiters roll wooden barrels of beer across the floor, your server will keep your glass full until you ask them to stop.

Benrath Palace
Located south of the city, this 18th century work of art was built as a trio of Rococo houses facing a charming pond furnished with fountains and swans. The surrounding gardens and woods are just as beautiful.

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