DÜSSELDORF: Four things to do at the Grand Départ

1

SAMPLE THE ALTBIER Translating to old beer, the name is derived from the old top-fermented brewing process. It has a dark colour with a crisper taste more like lager. It’s the most popular beer in the city, with several bars, such as Uerige and Schumacher, brewing on site. It’s very local to Düsseldorf – head to nearby Cologne, and you’ll be laughed out of the bar for ordering altbier. They prefer kölsch. uerige.de

2

CATCH THE RACE For those on the roadside and the host town itself, the best Grand Départs begin with a prologue or time trial, which allow an extended opportunity for fans to get close to riders and TV cameras to beam pictures of the town or city. The 14km time trial this year begins and ends in Düsseldorf’s Nordpark, on the eastern bank of the Rhine, and is the place to be. dusseldorf.de/ letour

3

HIRE A BIKE Hiring a city bike, or a race bike, is the best way to see Düsseldorf. It’s not quite the cycling city of some of its neighbours over in Holland, but the boulevards are wide and the roads flat, so it's an easy city to get around. Despite being a heavily populated region, with Cologne, Dortmund and Essen close by there is plenty of rolling countryside in between. schickemuetze.de

4

RELAX ON THE RHINE There is no better place to be in summer in Düsseldorf than on the picturesque eastern banks of the Rhine in the centre of the city. In the evenings with the sun going down, people gather in their thousands for drinks and a bite. The tower at Burgplatz has a restaurant at its summit, Laterne im Schlossturm, which offers cracking views. duesseldorf.de