Top 15 places of interest & sights in Düsseldorf

The chic heart of Düsseldorf: Königsallee is a shopping mile full of luxury boutiques, 5-star hotels and fine restaurants. Between pretty bridges, the Düssel river and old chestnut trees, where Düsseldorf’s famous green parrots cavort, you’ll find Germany’s most prominent shopping street. The perfect place to stroll, be seen and stylish people watch. An absolute must-do in Düsseldorf: stroll down Königsallee and take a look at the side streets. Perfect for people-watching are the street cafés and the steakhouse The Grill Upper Kö, which reveals a view of the so-called Kö from above.

Königsallee | 40212 Düsseldorf

With the Kunstpalast and the NRW Forum, the Ehrenhof is home to two exciting art and design museums that also deal with fashion, music, digital and photography. The round building of the Tonhalle, a concert hall with perfect acoustics and a large terrace that is the perfect place for a sundowner in summer, is also impressive. Directly across the street is also the famous Kunstakademie, where artists Joseph Beuys, Gerhard Richter and Sigmar Polke have studied and taught.

Kunstpalast | Ehrenhof 4-5 | 40479 Düsseldorf
NRW Forum | Ehrenhof 2 | 40479 Düsseldorf

As the city’s green lung, the Hofgarten meanders through the center of Düsseldorf between the Schauspielhaus, the Opera House and the Goethe Museum, making it ideally accessible. Winding paths lead along the golden bridge, past stylish sculptures and waterfowl. The Goethe Museum offers interesting insights into the work of the world-famous poet. Renowned artists used to hang out in the artists’ meeting place Malkasten. Today, it is home to Lido, one of the city’s best fine dining restaurants. An insider tip is the small garden of the Malkasten. For a small entrance fee, a quiet oasis opens up in the middle of the city.

Lido Malkasten | Jacobistraße 6 a | 40211 Düsseldorf
Goethe-Museum | Jacobistraße 2 | 40211 Düsseldorf

By far the most beautiful walk in Düsseldorf is along the Rhine promenade with breathtaking views across the Rhine to the pretty Art Nouveau facades of the Oberkassel district on the left bank of the Rhine. The best way is to walk from the Tonhalle along the old town to the Medienhafen and its unique architecture. Along the way, the bars and cafés at the Kasematten and the city beach at the Rheinkniebrücke invite you for drinks and snacks with a perfect view of the Rhine.

Düsseldorf’s Media Harbor, with its colorful architecture, is a popular photo spot at any time of day or night and home to exciting gastronomic concepts ranging from the upscale Italian restaurant Riva to the hip scene restaurant The Paradise Now. While creatives from the many local agencies and media companies cavort here during the day, the restaurants and bars in the Medienhafen are filled with life in the evening, while the lights sparkle at night. The absolute eye-catchers of the quarter are the three organic buildings by the famous star architect Frank O. Gehry.

Riva | Zollhof 11 | 40221 Düsseldorf
The Paradise Now | Hammer Str. 27 | 40219 Düsseldorf
Gehry-Bauten | Neuer Zollhof 3 | 40221 Düsseldorf

The Rhine Tower, Düsseldorf’s landmark, is also located directly at the Media Harbor. At 240.5 meters, the Düsseldorf Rhine Tower is the tallest structure in the city and the tenth tallest television tower in Germany. The flashing vertical lights form the largest digital clock in the world. Don’t miss the fusion restaurant Qomo on the observation deck, which rotates 360 degrees on its axis in one hour. Here you can get a bird’s eye view of Düsseldorf while enjoying a delicious meal.

Rheinturm | Stromstraße 20 | 40221 Düsseldorf
Qomo | Stromstraße 20 | 40221 Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf’s art museums are among the most renowned in the country. The art collections K20 and K21 show in changing exhibitions the works of the most renowned artists from Picasso to Ai Weiwei. In the immediate vicinity of the K20 you will also find some exciting galleries and great stores for art supplies in Düsseldorf. The museum K21 is located in the Ständehaus at the idyllic Schwanensee and has with “In Orbit” by Tomás Saraceno a walk-in installation that you should not miss.

K20 | Grabbeplatz 5 | 40213 Düsseldorf
K21 | Ständehausstraße 1 | 40217 Düsseldorf

Together with the Dreischeibenhaus and the Kö-Bogen, the Düsseldorf Schauspielhaus forms the architectural highlight in the city center. The theater building on Gustaf-Gründgens-Platz was built according to plans by Düsseldorf architect Bernhard Pfau in the late 1960s and recently restored. It inspires with its organic forms, which are somewhat reminiscent of New York’s Guggenheim Museum. The ensemble performs modern interpretations of classics and contemporary plays in a large and a small hall. Our insider tip: Schillings Restaurant in the Schauspielhaus serves newly interpreted classics in the best quality and also offers a fantastic view of the Hofgarten. The restaurant convinces with a varied menu, delicious food and a modern, cozy ambience.

Schauspielhaus | Gustaf-Gründgens-Platz 1 | 40211 Düsseldorf
Schillings Restaurant | Gustaf-Gründgens-Platz 1 | 40211 Düsseldorf

The Kö-Bogen by star architect Daniel Libeskind has become a modern urban landmark in Düsseldorf and comprises two futuristic buildings. The great architecture, classy stores and different gastronomic concepts make the buildings a place to be. Perfect for a sundowner with a view of the beautiful Hofgarten is Eduard’s Bar in the Kö-Bogen on Königsallee. Europe’s largest green facade makes the second building of the Kö-Bogen KII in the immediate vicinity an absolute eye-catcher. Eight kilometers of hornbeam hedges are intended to make Düsseldorf’s city even greener and ensure a good climate. Delicious coffee is available here from the Meerbusch coffee roaster Samyju.

Kö-Bogen KI & KII | Königsallee 2 | Schadowstraße 42-52 | 40212 Düsseldorf
Eduard’s Bar | Kö-Bogen I | Königsallee 2 | 40212 Düsseldorf
Samyju | Kö-Bogen II | Gustaf-Gründgens-Platz 9d | 40211 Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf’s Little Tokyo is located between the main train station and Königsallee and is the first address for culinary delights from the Far East. In this district you will not only find the most authentic ramen, sushi and kaiseki in Düsseldorf, but also in the whole of Germany. Between the excellent Japanese restaurants you will find Asian supermarkets, manga stores, karaoke bars, bubble tea stores and Korean bakers. In addition to the top Japanese restaurants, Little Tokyo also offers excellent Uyghur, Korean, Taiwanese, Indian and Vietnamese food – here you can feast your way through all of Asia.

This way to the Top 15 spots on Immermannstraße.

Immermannstraße | Klosterstraße | Bismarckstraße | Stresemannstraße

Düsseldorf has the longest bar in the world – that’s what the impressive density of pubs is called. The character of the old town has changed a lot in the course of the past years and got a big damper by the pandemic, but still you should not leave Düsseldorf without having seen this legendary cobblestone along with its many iconic pubs. The quaint alleys of the old town are also the scene of Düsseldorf’s famous carnival in February.

This way to the 15 most iconic pubs in Düsseldorf.

Ratinger Straße | Bolker Straße | Kurze Straße

What would Düsseldorf be without its traditional breweries? The city is famous for its top-fermented Altbier, which is a must-try. Füchschen, Uerige and Schumacher are among the best-known and most popular breweries in the city. The Kürzer, on the other hand, is frequented by a younger crowd. Especially at late hours, many Düsseldorfers meet at the Uerige for a “nightcap” – a last little drink. Of course, it’s rarely just one.

Füchschen | Ratinger Str. 28 | 40213 Düsseldorf
Uerige | Berger Str. 1 | 40213 Düsseldorf
Schumacher | Oststraße 123 | 40210 Düsseldorf
Kürzer | Kurze Str. 20 | 40213 Düsseldorf

A local recreation area in the middle of the city: The Düsseldorf Rhine Meadows are a wonderful piece of green in the middle of the city. On the left side of the Rhine in the districts of Oberkassel and Niederkassel, with their expansive meadows, lush Rhine floodplains and small sandy bays, there is fantastic walking, picnicking and barbecuing. Hardly any other city offers so much local recreation.

This way to the top 10 places for walks and the most beautiful parks in Düsseldorf.

Luegplatz | Oberkassel

The fact that Düsseldorf is also called Little Paris is also due to the charming Benrath Castle. The beauty of the palace park with its kitchen garden and beds full of roses, tulips, pansies and dahlias is unmissable. But also the imposing park with its tall trees inspires with its unique and fairy-tale atmosphere. Those who have time can walk from here to the idyllic nature reserve Urdenbacher Kämpe with its rare water birds or enjoy the sunset on the banks of the Rhine in Benrath.

Schloss Benrath | Benrather Schloßallee 100-108 | 40597 Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf’s most beautiful sight by far is the Rhine. A trip to Düsseldorf must include a boat trip on the famous river. Several times a day, the boat companies KD and Weisse Flotte offer one-hour panoramic cruises in Düsseldorf. If you have a little more time, a trip by boat to the picturesque Kaiserswerth district of Düsseldorf is worthwhile. Here you can marvel at the castle ruins of Emperor Barbarossa as well as a small old town worth seeing.

Weisse Flotte / KD | Landing stages on the Rhine Promenade / Burgplatz