Düsseldorf

Wheels of Joy

When, in the year 1288, Düsseldorf won the Battle of Worringen and received its town charter, the children started turning “wheels of joy”. Since then, small Radschläger can be seen everywhere in the city. You may even be approached by children offering to do cartwheels for you in exchange for a coin or two. The fastest and best ones are crowned during an annual cart-wheeling tournament.

The World's Longest Bar

Almost completely destroyed during World War 2, the Old Town was rebuilt according to historic plans on its foundation walls, which makes it look like a real historic town. The old town is a popular shopping mall and the “world’s longest bar”. Within one square kilometer, you’ll find about 260 bars, restaurants and breweries. Don’t make the mistake of ordering a “Kölsch” (a light beer brewed in Cologne). Go for the local “Altbier” instead – otherwise you get to experience first-hand how fierce the rivalry between the two big cities on the Rhine still is.

The Old and the New

At the southern end of the Rhine promenade you can admire the newest landmark of Düsseldorf, the so called Media Harbor (Medienhafen). The partial transformation of Düsseldorf’s old Rhine harbor with its silos and warehouses into a modern business and residential district is an important urban planning project. It positions the city as a center for the creative industries, including advertising, art and media, in Europe.

Speeding Along the Rhine

The Rheinufer Promenade lined by cafés and bars runs along the river and leads from the traditional Old Town to the modern Media Harbor. The promenade makes Düsseldorf a skater’s paradise. Get in your practice rounds here and you can show your stuff in events like Skate by Night or the Skate Marathon which attract thousands of in-line fans to the state capital every year.

From Classic to Rock

Robert and Clara Schumann, Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy and Johannes Brahms lived and worked in Düsseldorf in the 19th century. They forged Düsseldorf’s reputation as a city of music. Düsseldorf’s most famous contribution to the culture of modern popular music is the avant-garde electronic music band Kraftwerk, Marius Müller Westernhagen and the punk band Tote Hosen, who all hail from Düsseldorf.

How Punk Saved Soccer

Fortuna Düsseldorf, founded in 1895, is probably the world’s only professional soccer club to have a punk band as their sponsor. Between 2001 and 2003, Die Toten Hosen, Düsseldorf’s famous punk band, gave a lot of money to help Fortuna stay alive when the team was in financial trouble. Fortuna won the German Championship in 1933 but has been through some tough times in recent years bouncing back and forth between leagues. In 2012 they were finally promoted to the Bundesliga, but lasted only one year.

Helau

One of the biggest cultural events is the Düsseldorfer Karneval which starts every year on November 11 at 11:11 am and reaches its climax on Rosenmontag, featuring a huge parade through the streets of Düsseldorf. On Rose Monday a million jesters line the pavements shouting the local battle cry “Helau”. However, possibly even more popular than this parade is the “Altweiberfastnacht” on Thursday, at least with Düsseldorf’s women. At 11.11 am on that Thursday, the town hall is stormed by women who clip the ties of as many men as possible.

Chic and Green

The Kö, which stands for Königsallee (King’s Avenue) is said to be one of the most beautiful boulevards in the world and THE street to go shopping in Düsseldorf. Some of the most reputed jewelry shops, designer labels and galleries have their stores here. The more than 200 trees that line the exclusive shopping mile are a characteristic feature of the magnificent boulevard. Stroll along the Kö and you may run into Germany’s super model Claudia Schiffer, who was discovered in a nightclub in Düsseldorf.