Düsseldorf: the destination for a weekend burgundy enjoyment

Do you want a weekend away, not too far but still the feeling really get to get out, abroad? Consider a trip to Düsseldorf! By train from Utrecht you will be there within two hours and it's a nice city to spend a weekend. We'll give you tips on make it cool and tasty days.

What to do in Düsseldorf? The city is most visited in the winter months because of the famous Christmas markets, but also outside those period there is plenty to experience. Düsseldorf is known as 'the German capital of fashion'. The retail offer is huge and part of it is also a kind of German Champs-Elysee: the exclusive Königsallee. On this shopping street you can marvel at shiny watches of tens of thousands of euros, the last fashion of expensive designer fashion houses like Chanel and Gucci as well, perhaps still the most fun, the fashionable rich people who actually do their shopping here (although you should search for that among all the curious window shoppers with inadequate bank account). Of course, there is also plenty of affordable outside this street range, from large chains to unique boutiques.

Funny thing is that Düsseldorf has a fairly sharp distribution shopping, eating, and steps. In the shop area you will hardly find a place find to have lunch or eat evening, but fortunately the different streets in Altstadt not far apart. In any case, Düsseldorf is not already too big and you can explore the city on foot. Although 'Altstadt' refers to the 'old city', you can't really get from Düsseldorf a historic centre because much of it was killed during The Second World War and then rebuilt. But fortunately, that doesn't make the centre any less Cosy. Outside the shopping streets you will find an awful lot of catering establishments so there is cosy crowds all day long. And that's not surprising, if you consider that no German thinks it's weird to be good in the morning. start with a beer. Also in the evening Altstadt is definitely the place to be, because also to go out You can find everything from pub to cocktail bar or even fancy clubs here.

When you're in Altstadt, you can hardly get around it too the famous Altbier try. This dark beer type is the beer of Düsseldorf and is also here in different places brewed under various brand names. Would you like to immerse yourself in the Düsseldorf culture, then it is absolutely recommended to go to such a Hausbrauerei, for example Hausbrauerei Zum Schlüssel in the middle of Altstadt. Pretty much everyone's on here The Altbier, you don't have to order because the operation runs constantly round with full blades and immediately you can weather a filled glass When your beer's gone. If you're planning to leave, you'd better ask for the bill, otherwise the beer will just come! Whether you beer fan or not (I am, but not altbier..) in Düsseldorf this is it's an experience you just have to go through. You can Hausbrauerei as Zum Schlüssel often also tasty and not too expensive Eat.

If you prefer to go to a place where you don't look at it as disapprovingly if you want to drink something other than Altbier, Brauhaus Zum Weißen Bären is highly recommended. This cosy location is also located in Altstadt and offers affordable drinks and food. The German menus are often full of meat dishes with potatoes or fries, but with this Brauhaus you can also get very tasty, well-stocked salads when you are ready for variety.

Have you seen Altstadt and ate your tummy around, please visit the hip Medienhafen. Here you will find next to boats, a diversity of architectural styles, from modern and flashy to rough industrial or more traditional. For the connoisseurs: here you can also spot buildings by the famous American architect Frank Gehry, known for a.o. the 'Dancing House' in Prague and the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao. Around the harbour there are also several restaurants. Not the cheapest, but for fish lovers I found Meerbar highly recommended. And at the Medienhafen he is not to be missed: the Rheinturm, the icon of Düsseldorf. You can climb this one – that is, with the elevator up – for a view over all sides of the city. Admission costs 9 euros, unless you go before 11 am or after 10 am, you only pay 5 euros. The tower is pretty high so worth it! Upstairs there is also catering, so you can enjoy the view with your cup of coffee or good food.

Whatever the name of the tower refers to, the river to which Düsseldorf is located is the Rhine. Although it is officially the edge of the city, it is not far from the center at all. You can walk along the promenade to admire boats and bridges, or chill in the grass and stare over the water. Also nice: there are several 'terraces' on the water, i.e. boats along the quay where you can go on to have a drink or snack. If you want to go all the way for a real 'Rhine-experience', there are also all kinds of possibilities for cruises.

Finally, there is one more thing that your weekend Düsseldorf complete, namely currywurst! As pride of Germany, you can get some delicacy in many places. I myself have had a wonderful lunch at Rob's Kitchen. The sausage is prepared in an outdoor kitchen (probably depending on the season) and served with tasty sauce and good thick Fries. The delicious homemade bun we got beforehand and yes, a alt beer, finished it. In the meantime, have you also been hungry for a weekend on the Rhine in Düsseldorf?