BRIEF:
GO
CLOCKWISEFROMLEFT: COURTESYDÜSSELDORFMARKETING&TOURISMUS; SABINELUBENOW/GETTY IMAGES; JORGGREUEL/GETTY IMAGES
composersChopinandSchubert,whoare said to
haveperformedat thehotel.Whether youprefer
comedy or tragedy,
Stage 47
gets a standing
ovation for design. Next door to the Savoy The-
atre, the hotel decor radiates a dramatic theme,
including largeportraitsof famousGermanactors
in each room. Situated in the city’s edgy Media
Harbourdistrict, the
RadissonBluMediaHarbour
Hotel
offers 135contemporary roomsandaffords
guests easy access to the city center, the Rhine
Tower and thepeaceful riversidepromenade.
EATANDDRINK:
Ask anyone about Düsseldorf,
andonememoryoften flickers, hazily, back: beer.
Düsseldorf’s
OldTown
, or Altstadt, is the Olym-
pics for well-trained pub crawlers and has been
dubbed “theworld’s longest bar,” thanks to the
nearly 300 drink establishments crammed into
a half-square-mile of cobblestoned space. The
copper-colored altbier is Düsseldorf’s favorite
elixir. Tour the
Uerige
brewery, established in
1862, andsip it straight from thebarrel. Fora true
Düsseldorf experience, head to
ZumSchiffchen
,
a 380-year-old restaurant/brewery that serves
traditionalRhinelandcuisine likeherring ina sour-
cream saucewithapples, onionsandbaconpota-
toes. South of the center, former working-class
neighborhood
Bilk
is a buzzing outpost where
old factories andworker flats are now occupied
by trendybarsand restaurants; italsohouses the
city’s large student population.
SEE AND DO:
What’s a trip to Europe with-
out a palace? Düsseldorf has several, including
JägerhofPalace
, completed in 1772and restored
in 1811 on the occasion of Napoleon’s visit. The
palace ishome to the
GoetheMuseum
,dedicated
to the famousGermanpoet.
BenrathPalace
, just
outside the city center, was built in the 18th cen-
tury as the summer palaceof PrinceElector Carl
Theodor von der Pfalz. The pink edifice and sur-
roundinggardensprovideapopularexcursion.Ar-
chitectureenthusiastswill love theMediaHarbour
district,whereultramodernoeuvres fromsomeof
theworld’smost renowned architects loomover
Düsseldorf’s formerRhineharbor. If retail therapy
is what the doctor ordered, fill the prescription
on the
Königsallee
, also called the Kö, a spendy
stretchof tree-linedstreet that’shome to fashion’s
most exclusivedesigner boutiques.
CHILL OUT—ANDUP:
The incredibly scenic
Rhine river promenade
links the Old Town to
the Media Harbour and affords a pleasant walk,
bike or skate past the numerous cafés and beer
gardens that overflowduringwarmmonths. The
city’s tallest landmark, the
RhineTower
, isvisible
from here. Work your way up 168meters (550
feet) to theplatform for panoramicviews.
AWEEKEND IN:
Düsseldorf,Germany
Longan importantdestination for commerceand trade,Düsseldorf
putsona serious facewhen it comes tobusiness. Butoncloser look,
thisbig littlecityof600,000peoplehas
ANOTHERSIDE
—and
that’sprecisely theappeal.
CLOCKWISEFROMLEFT:
TritonFountain, at thenorthernend
of theKönigsallee; outdoor seating
inOldTown;MediaHarbour
Find contact information for all of
theplacesmentioned in this storyat
aa.com/americanway
;
keyword search
Dusseldorf
.
A
BLENDOFAVANT-GARDEandGothic
architecture, resplendentpalacesand
sprawlingparks, a tony shopping av-
enueandanOldTown that tests themettleofany
beer enthusiast, Düsseldorf seamlessly fuses its
medieval past to its cosmopolitan present. Even
better, duringwarmer months, a wealth of out-
door cafésand festivals invites localsandvisitors
alike to languish in the sunand soakup the city’s
vast culture into theweehoursof thenight.
STAY:
The 200-year-old
Breidenbacher Hof, a
CapellaHotel
is a paragon of OldWorld tradi-
tion and luxury andhas hosted the crowned and
the titled for the last two centuries, including
AMERICANAIRLINES
offersdaily service toDüsseldorf out of
ChicagoO’Hare (ORD)
.
32
MAY 01, 2013
AA.COM/AMERICANWAY
