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Dusseldorf Holidays

A fun, fashionable destination

Fashion and nightlife are on tap during Dusseldorf holidays, but this hip German city also wows visitors with its cultural riches. Set handsomely on the Rhine, the sweeping waterfront and bustling city centre set the tone for this dynamic destination. From the Stadtmitte to the Altstadt, Dusseldorf’s districts are distinct treasure troves of discoveries. The Japanese quarter is home to one of the largest Japanese populations in Europe, while Konigsallee is a luxury boulevard full of high-end boutiques.

For nightlife, the Alstadt, or Old Town, is home to more than 200 drinking venues. Walk off a beer or two by the river for some of the city’s best views. Dusseldorf serves up some fantastic German cuisine, often accompanied by mustard, which is famously produced in the area. Simple dishes such as pea soup and marinated beef with raisins are other regional specialities. When it comes to beer, the choice is endless in the Altstadt, so you’re often best just picking one and going with the flow. In the daytime, holidays to Dusseldorf can keep you exploring almost indefinitely – the city is home to so many churches, museums, squares and mansions that you’ll leave already planning your return trip.

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Average weather in Dusseldorf

Your Dusseldorf questions, answered

The local mustard has a rich history and comes in numerous flavours, which will taste just as good back home. Grab a pot for you, and a friend.
A tourist cliché perhaps, but a meal in the rotating restaurant of the Rheinturm, overlooking the city, is absolutely worth it, especially given the inexpensive entrance ticket to the tower.
Dusseldorf is a city you can visit at any time. You'll find the same sort of mild climate and weather as in London, because of the river. The winters are usually moderate and rainy rather than snowy, while the summers are pleasantly warm. You might like to go in late November and December for the Christmas festival, where you can see glass-blowing and art while drinking hot chocolate or mulled wine. Before this, the annual carnival is officially launched on 11th November, though most of the events take place in the days leading up to Ash Wednesday, including a Rose Monday parade.
While Germany can get pretty cold, Dusseldorf has one of the mildest climates in the country, with summers and winters tempered by winds off the Atlantic.
The city is famous for its luxury shopping, its arts and its multicultural and gender-diverse population. You can eat in Little Tokyo and drink beer in the old town's traditional breweries – known as the longest bar in the world. The region has mustard so famous it was painted by van Gogh. Dusseldorf is also justly famed for its cutting-edge modern architecture by world leaders such as Gehry and Norman Foster, as well as for its rococo and baroque palaces. It's a centre of finance and fashion, and a flourishing trade centre that's officially been going for 730 years.
Dusseldorf is the state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia and is on the eastern banks of the Rhine. It borders the Ruhr industrial region in central west Germany and is about halfway between London and Berlin. It's in a low-lying valley where the smaller Dussel river meets the Rhine, and its highest point above sea level is 165 metres. It's fairly close to Cologne, on the west bank of the Rhine, a 20-30 minute drive. It's also very close to the border with Holland, and the local dialect here is similar to Dutch.
Direct flights from the UK take about one-and-a-half to two hours, depending on how far north your departure point is. Dusseldorf is in roughly the same latitude as London, so the distance is shorter than if you depart from more northerly airports like Newcastle. The airport is not far from Dusseldorf city centre and will probably only take you 10-15 minutes to drive, or there are fast public transport connections. Dusseldorf has a good tram, bus and metro network that will get you to most areas of the city, and a suburban railway for locations farther out.
Yes, it's a great city for walking. Some of the best sights in Dusseldorf are pedestrianised, such as the Rhine River Promenade, a mile-long walk that stretches from the old town to the Media Port. The Hofgarten has many fine walks you can explore in its 70 acres of parkland along the Dussel canal towpath or following sculpture trails. Alternatively, you could rent a bicycle to take advantage of the city's many scenic bike paths. The public transport service is efficient, but if you really want to drive around you can access a minute-by-minute car-sharing service using an app.
Dusseldorf is very child-friendly and there are lots of things for them to do. You'll find plenty of gardens and playgrounds both indoors and outdoors, as well as some festivals and specially-designed fun attractions for kids. You can go to the Aquazoo for marine life, or feed the tame animals in the Grafenberger forest. At the Unterbach See, you can swim, sail or play water sports in the lake, have a picnic, a barbeque or buy snacks. You can take children aged six to 14 to a huge adventure playground or book them into the trampoline park or climbing wall.

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