Ancient and modern delight in Düsseldorf
From modern art to beer, CLAIRE MILLER discovers there’s plenty to pack into a short break in Düsseldorf
THE German city of Düsseldorf offers a mix of old and new with plenty of opportunities to try the local food and drink, enjoy a stroll along the Rhine or explore the local art scene.
Flying from Bristol with BMI Regionals, the city is just over an hour’s flight away.
I was staying at the Maritim hotel just across the footbridge from the airport terminal, which is just a 10-minute hop on the S-bahn away from the city centre. It boasts comfortable accommodation, a well-stocked breakfast buffet that stretches as far as the eye can see, and a wellness centre with swimming pool and gym for working off said breakfast.
The city centre is small enough that it is easy to walk around the sights, from the Schadowstrasse, with plenty of shopping opportunities, via Ko-bogen – a blend of architecture and nature where lines of glass and stone give way to plants and trees – to the tree-lined Konigsallee.
The Altstadt is an eclectic mix of bars, restaurants and, if you’re not planning to get your cocktail to go, architecture to admire, such as the twisted spire of St Lambertus or the deliberately asymmetrical city hall.
From the Altstadt, the embankment promenade along the Rhine, with its lines of trees and wave-like pavement is a pleasant stroll.
Carlsplatz food market makes a great stop for lunch and on a cold Saturday, a seat next to a patio heater and a large bowl of stew or soup is just what you need to refuel before an afternoon of more sightseeing.
The former farmers’ market is now host to gourmet eateries and shopping opportunities – plenty of stalls stacked high with fruit and veg, meats and cheeses. But if you want to stock up on the local specialities, you’ll need to head back to the Altstadt. There’s a shop and museum dedicated to the local mustard, which is smooth and not too hot. The local herbal liquor Killepitsch can be bought at Et Kabüffke, where, if the tiny counter inside gets too busy, there’s the option of serving customers through the windows.
If you want to supplement your exploring on foot with an overview of the city, head to the top of the Rheinturm, a 240.5m concrete telecommunications tower near the city’s harbour, which also, thanks to the lights dotting the structure, doubles as a digital clock.
When you reach the cafe 168 metres up, you can enjoy views out across Düsseldorf and the surrounding areas from the observation deck.
Once you’ve drunk your fill of the scenery, you can start sampling the city’s wonderful array of beers.
The Altbier safari takes you round the city’s microbreweries where they specialise in the local top-fermented dark beer. You can also visit the “longest bar in the world”, with a fittingly impressive number of takes on the traditional drink, from light, and crisp to something more bitter with stronger flavours.
The beer arrives on aluminium trays carried by blue-shirted Kobessse, who buy the beer from the brewery to sell it on to the customers. They keep the glasses coming, so keep track of how many they put down in front of you by marking it off on a beer mat, until you signal ‘stop’ by placing it over the top of your glass.
After five stops for beer, food is a good plan, and the traditional dishes at the brewery Zum Schiffchen are just what’s needed. I had the braised beef, Rhineland style, with raisins, almonds, red cabbage, stewed apples and potato dumplings, which is delicious, followed by an amazing slice of apple strudel.
On Sundays, the shops are shut, so I headed for the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen K21 Standehaus, a modern art museum in the converted former parliament building for the provincial government.
The current exhibit under the domed glass roof, In Orbit, gives visitors the chance to climb across nets suspended high up over the central hall of the building.
The individual rooms off the main coridors allow individual artists to showcase their work, from anxietyinducing collections of enlarged everyday objects to rooms where neon lights and sound effects transport you to the rain forest.
However, if you prefer your culture less conceptional and more traditional, the Stadtmuseum is the place to learn about the history of Düsseldorf, with exhibitions of paintings, fashion and furniture giving an insight into the lives of the people who forged the city.
But with dozens of museums and galleries packed into the city centre, as well as delicious local food, drink and shops to experience, there’s plenty for all tastes on a short break in Düsseldorf.