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Düsseldorf
Capital of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany.

Plan a trip to Düsseldorf→From Köln (Cologne)

It is the second-largest city in the state after Cologne and the seventh-largest city in Germany, with a 2025 population of 619,444. Most of Düsseldorf lies on the right bank of the Rhine, and the city has grown together with Neuss, Krefeld, Hilden, Langenfeld, Ratingen, Meerbusch, Dormagen, Erkrath, Solingen, and Monheim. Düsseldorf is the central city of Rhine-Ruhr, the second-biggest metropolitan region by GDP in the European Union, which stretches from Bonn via Cologne and Düsseldorf to the Ruhr.

Get in

Getting to Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf Airport, the third largest airport in Germany by passenger traffic, is within the city limits. As the distance is rather small and transportation links are good, the Cologne/Bonn Airport (CGN IATA) can be used as an entry point to Düsseldorf just as well.

  1. 01
    Düsseldorf Airport

    It receives flights from 164 destinations worldwide.

  2. 02
    Düsseldorf Flughafen
  3. 03
    Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof
  4. 04
    Intercity

    Located right behind the main railway station, this is the main hub for long-distance coaches including FlixBus, Eurolines, and various international carriers serving Eastern Europe.

See

Worth seeing

The city was largely destroyed in World War II, and there were very few old buildings left. People interested in modern architecture, however, will have much to see in Düsseldorf. Also, there are many modern public artworks, and on Stresemannplatz Square and the Rhine Bank, there are palm trees, not really something you'd expect to see on a cold day in October.

  1. 01
    Theatermuseum

    The Old Town of Düsseldorf, almost completely destroyed during World War II, was rebuilt according to historic plans on its foundation walls, which makes it look like a real historic town.

  2. 02
    Burgplatz

    Here was the erstwhile castle of the Earls of Berg, the later duke of Jülich-Kleve-Berg.

  3. 03
    Cartwheelers' Fountain

    Radschläger wolle mer blieve, wie jeck et de Mensche och drieve (local dialect: "we will stay cartwheelers, however crazy the world might be") is the legend of the fountain.

  4. 04
    City Monument
  5. 05
    Schifffahrtmuseum Düsseldorf

    The shipping museum in the old castle tower.

  6. 06
    Pegeluhr

    This clock also shows the current water level in the river.

Do

Things to do

Football:

  1. 01
    Fortuna Düsseldorf

    Merkur Spiel-Arena, Arena Strasse (4 km north of centre on U-Bahn),.

Eat

Where to eat

Characteristic Rhenish dishes like Düsseldorfer Senfrostbraten (mustard roast pork), Rheinischer Sauerbraten (marinated beef with raisins), Halve Hahn (not a "half chicken", but a slice of cheese with mustard and a gherkin on rye bread) or Ähzezupp (pea soup) are offered everywhere within the old town. = =

  1. 01
    Zum Kochlöffel

    Individual daily specials are being presented every day.

  2. 02
    Ham Ham bei Josef

    Very good and varied food, and magnificent attention.

  3. 03
    Schweine Janes Altstadt

    A great place to taste the flavors of a good simple cuisine that evokes the stories of the old city.

  4. 04
    Ludwigs Bier&Brot

    The drinks and the food are very good and it has reasonable prices.

  5. 05
    Ess-Klasse

    Fresh home made food Fast, delicious and varied lunch menu.

Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Dietmar Rabich (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons.