City Rating: Düsseldorf
Population: 610’000
Date of visit: August 2019
Attractions & sights: 3/5
Nightlife: 4/5
Safety: 4/5
Infrastructure: 4/5
Low budget factor: 3/5
Total: 👍👍👍/5
The city in a nutshell:
Germany’s 7th largest city is a good weekend destination for shopping, relaxing, beer tasting and nightlife. The city offers some beautiful sights, but is rather an interesting city for cozy days on the banks of the Rhine River or in the old town and excessive nights afterwards. Düsseldorf may not be as good as Hamburg, Dresden or Berlin, but the city is a better choice than Cologne or Frankfurt.
Where to stay:
Altstadt (Old Town) is the most lively area, especially at night. There might be better budget options outside of Altstadt. As a rule of thumb, booking a hotel room between Altstadt and the main railway station is a decent choice.
The Good:
The main attraction of the city is its beauty that you will find in the city center and near the Rhine River. In summer, the Rhine promenade is the perfect place for strolls and a good drink. If you walk down the promenade, you’ll eventually find the Rheinturm, a television tower that offers a great view over Düsseldorf.
Moreover, you will find Medienhafen there, where you can admire the tower from a different angle. You can see the beautiful Gehry buildings there too.
Düsseldorf offers decent food. Restaurant quality is pretty good and you’ll find many with real German cuisine. As there are several breweries in Düsseldorf’s old town, you will find plenty of local beer in the city. Check out Füchschen or Uerige in Altstadt, as this is one of the most popular breweries. Never ask for a Kölsch! 😉
Düsseldorf is a chic city, sometimes even referred as a snobby one. That means: shopping! People, who are into shopping, will love Düsseldorf. The shopping district around Königsallee is one of the best in Germany. There you will find many shopping malls and designer brand stores. The Breuninger Mall is worth a trip because of the architecture of the building, even if you are not interested in shopping.
One of the main reasons people visit Düsseldorf is its nightlife. In Altstadt all hell breaks loose at the weekend. One bar follows the other and there is something for everyone. In Germany such a lively nightlife district is usually only to be found in Hamburg (Reeperbahn).
The Bad & The Ugly:
Düsseldorf is not a city packed with historic sights. Of course, there are some historical buildings, but sightseeing alone shouldn’t be the main reason to visit Düsseldorf. You won’t find a sight such as the Cologne Cathedral that will blow your mind. Besides, one full day is more than enough to see the highlights of the city.
As Düsseldorf is famous for stag and hen parties, nightlife in old town is not very classy. It’s still fun, but you have been warned. 😉
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