Welcome to Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf - capital of North Rhine Westphalia, bustling business center, trade fair and convention city with International atmosphere.

No wonder Napoleon called it "un petit Paris". Because people in this sparkling city on the Rhine really know how to live. Cultured yet swinging Düsseldorf has an unmistakably cosmopolitan flair that makes it a top favorite among visitors from abroad.

There's an exciting elegance on charming Königsallee (affectionately known as "The Kö"), with all its fashionable shops, elegant shopping arcades and sidewalk cafés. As one of the world's most beautiful boulevards: The Kö is the catwalk of the latest fashion trends... one kilometre of seeing and being seen... sauntering in front of an interested public on the terraces under the chestnut trees.

Düsseldorf is a city wheere everything is close together: just near 'The Kö' is the Altstadt, the Old Town. With around 260 pubs and home-brew taverns it is nicknamed "Europe's largest Bar". But there is much more in this square kilometre: world famous museums like the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen...jewels of baroque-style buildings like St. Andreas... the Burgplatz, which has received an award as one of the finest squares from post-war Germany, opens up to the Rhine with the Alter Schloßturm (old castle tower), whinin whose walls 2000 years of sailing romance are revived. Right next to it is the Radschlägerbrunnen and Düsseldorf's symbolic city founders monument in the shadow of St. Lambertus, whose crooked, twisted tower still leads to speculations even today...

Only a few steps away, Elector Jan Wellem greets you seated high on his horse in front of the old city hall. Around old Jan Wellems's monument you'll find the typical Düsseldorf beer taverns where the famous local "Altbier" is served fresh from the barrel. And if you walk up Bolkerstraße from here, you will eventually arrive at the house where an even more famous son of the city was born: Heinrich Heine came into the world here in 1797.

A little further on, you can find renewed proof that the citizens of Düsseldorf love to promenade: "The Kö has recently acquired a new companion promenade, which is even two kilometres long. Now that the new Rhine embankment tunnel has diverted the through traffic, the Altstadt has taken back its traditional place by the Rhine. While the traffic races along underground, strollers on the Rhine embankment promenade can admire the outlook over the Rhine and the art nouveau facades of Oberkassel. The view swings to the 234-metre-high Rhine tower, which rises above North Rhine-Westphalia's government building. From here you have glorious views of the Old Town, Königsallee, the Rhine and its bridges - and on a clear day all the way to the towers of Cologne cathedral. The restaurant at 172,5 metres rotates one full cycle every hour.

Düssdorf's new symbol is the "Düsseldorfer Stadttor", the City Gate. This 75-metre-high office building is forming a linking element between the "media mile", world-famous as the Media Harbour, in the harbour and the inner city. The City Gate is one of the most spectacular buildings in Germany - even in Europe. It has been awarded a prize as "Europe's best office building". Take a leisurely walk from the Old Town to the City Gate - you will like it.

You can enjoy a romantic view of the city by exploring it from one of the many white pleasure steamers. A trip northwards will take you to Kaiserswerth, following Barbarossa's tracks to the medieval ruins of his castle... picturesque houses, idyllic places... in the typical Lower Rhine countryside. Interested in culture, art, music? Visitors find plenty of entertainment at the opera... concerts held in the Tonhalle... galleries and museums housing important art collections... spots featuring rock and pop music, jazz or disco. For detailed information about city sightseeing tours, excursions and the Highlights 2001 contact:

Düsseldorf. Marketing & Tourismus GmbH,
Immermannstr. 65b (opposit main station)
D-40210 Düsseldorf
Phone+49(0)211/ 17 20 20, Fax +49(0)211/17 20 29 50.


Düsseldorf - the style center par excellence

Eminently fashionable and fun, dynamic Düsseldorf transforms shopping
from mere materialistic acquisition into an adventure in lifestyles.
The names of designer boutiques read like a "who's who" of their
business - Armani, Kenzo, JOOP!, Jil Sander, Uta Raasch, Onofri, Féraud.

Most notably on glittering Konigsallee (affectionately known as "The Kö"), with all its cosmopolitan elegance and flair. One of Europe's most delightful boulevards, it's a unique "Mile of Style" that never fails to enchant. Literally overflowing with coveted European luxury wares challenging even the most resolute ascetic's will to resist temptation. And dotted with bars, bistros and sidewalk cafés that further enhance the pleasures of worldly self-indulgence. So relax, take your time, and join the natives savoring a leisurely stroll beneath the chestnut and plane trees. Past all the fabulous show windows opulently stocked with bijoux and bagatelles, furs and finery, art and antiques, jewellery and fine porcelain. Displayed of course, in ultra-stylish settings for extra panache and pizzazz. No doubt about it: the Kö is Glamor Avenue! From one end to the other, temples of consumption abound in malls and arcades.

Among them captivating Kö-Galerie, housing prestigious shops speciali-zing in everything from designer fashions to rare antiques, luxury leathers to gourmet fare, Italian shoes to exclusive giftwares.

More than 100 shops in all - making this one of the Continent's most illustrious upmarket shopping arcades, also offering outstanding culinary delights. The "adventure of shopping" can be fully experienced at "SEVENS" and "stilwerk". At "SEVENS" department store (Konigsallee 56) on 15,500 square meters some 60 specialized shops are grouped according to themes on seven levels: e. g. designer level, lifestyle level or multimedia level. On 17,500 square meters and 5 levels at "stilwerk" (Grünstr. 15) more than 40 shops sell everything related to furnishing and design - from the designer teaspoon to the stylish interior.

Yet it's only one of the Kö's many alluring showplace promenades. Such as the Kö-Center, WZ-Center, the TrinkausGalerie. And more, stretching all the way to the Old Town.The "Old Town" (Altstadt), known to most for its cheek-by-jowl line-up of over 260 pubs as a centre of conviviality and nick-named "Europe's Longest Bar", is also home to small boutiques and avant-garde studios stretching from Marktstrasse to Heinrich-Heine-Allee. Being so close to the Kö, it is ideal for a stroll after or in between that experience.

But Kö and Old Town aren't all Düsseldorf has to offer. There's also shopping galore on nearby Berliner Allee and Schadowstrasse, to cite but two of the more distinguished thoroughfares. Predominantly characterized by large department and clothier's stores is Schadowstrasse, the high-street with the biggest turnover in Germany leading directly into Königsallee. The SchadowArkaden, a world of shopping and an experience in itself with its huge array of garments on offer, is a fitting entrée to Konigsallee.

Extending from the southern end of the K6 to Fried richstrasse is the shopping mile of the "City Süd" (South Central). A wide range of shops selling books and other media, home electronics and all items of daily use jostle with numerous "in" rendez-vous, pubs and restaurants for all tastes, an ambience that attracts many visitors.

A heaven to bargain hunters are the many flea markets and jumble sales. The most popular ones are at Aachener Platz (each Saturday) and the monthly "Radschläger-Markt" at the central market on Ulmenstrasse. After-hours-shopping Düsseldorf's Main Railway Station lies central to the inner city and is what experts call the "most modern and best organized junction on the continent". Every day tens of thousands of commuters pour into the business metropolis from the Rhine-Ruhr region. The large food market sells all types of fresh foodstuff until 10 p.m.'