Question 1

Düsseldorf on Your Own

Accepted Answer

The Altstadt, the Rhine promenade and the Königsallee are all close together, so a day on foot works well. For the view, finish at the Rheinturm at the southern end of the promenade. Burgplatz: The square by the river was the site of the dukes' castle. Only its tower was kept after the palace burned in 1872, and it now holds the shipping museum. The fountain of the cartwheeler boys recalls a city legend and a tradition that children still keep up. St. Lambertus: The brick Gothic basilica near the river, finished in 1394, is known for its twisted spire. The market square: In front of the town hall stands the equestrian statue of the elector Jan Wellem, cast by Gabriel Grupello in 1711. Königsallee: The "Kö", the city's grand shopping boulevard, runs along both sides of a canal next to the Altstadt. The Rheinturm: The 240-meter tower stands at the entrance to the MedienHafen, the old harbor with buildings by Frank Gehry. Its viewing level at 168 meters opens daily from 10 a.m. to midnight, with closures for private events, so check before you go. Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own. Carry ID: Carrying ID is not a legal requirement in Germany, but if police ask and you cannot show any, they can take you to fetch your passport, so keep it or another photo ID with you.

Question 2

Getting Around

Accepted Answer

Trams, light rail and buses run by Rheinbahn cover the whole city, and one fare level, Price Category A, takes you anywhere within Düsseldorf, including the airport. Tickets must be validated, and taxis follow clear city rules. In 2026 a single Category A ticket cost €3.80 and a 24-hour pass €7.60, and children under 15 paid €2.10 a ride. Check fares before you go. Stamp your ticket in the machine on board or at the platform entrance. Riding with an unstamped ticket counts as fare-dodging and can bring an on-the-spot fine. Taxi drivers must accept card payment, must display their identity card and the fares in the car, and may not refuse short rides within the city.

Question 3

Food and Drink

Accepted Answer

Düsseldorf's own beer is Altbier, a dark, top-fermented beer served in small glasses, and the best place to drink it is in the brewhouses of the Altstadt. The city's sharp mustard turns up in its signature dishes. Five brewpubs brew Altbier on the spot: Füchschen, Schumacher, Zum Schlüssel, Uerige and Kürzer. Waiters in the brewhouses, called Köbes, replace an empty glass with a full one without being asked. Put your beer mat on top of the glass when you have had enough. Düsseldorf mustard is sold in a stoneware pot called a Mostertpöttche, which Vincent van Gogh painted in a still life in 1884. Senfrostbraten is meat roasted with a crust of Düsseldorf mustard and onion. Halve Hahn is not half a chicken but a buttered rye roll with a thick slice of aged Gouda, onions, mustard and pickles. Carlsplatz, south of the Altstadt, is the city's permanent weekday market, with food stalls, sweets and flowers.

Question 4

Tipping in Germany

Accepted Answer

Germans usually tip waiters, bar staff and taxi drivers, though it is never compulsory. Rounding up the bill is the most common way, and tips rarely go above 10 percent of the total; the currency is the euro. Say "stimmt so" when you hand over the money, and the server will keep the change. For a taxi, 5 to 10 percent is usual, with a minimum of about one euro. There is no need to tip at fast-food counters.

Question 5

Culture and Local Life

Accepted Answer

Düsseldorf is a city of art, fashion and carnival, with the largest Japanese community in Germany and a long rivalry with Cologne. Order an Alt here rather than a Kölsch. Carnival season opens on November 11 at 11:11, and the main celebrations run from Carnival Monday to Ash Wednesday, with a big parade on Carnival Monday. The Rhine fair, the Kirmes, fills the riverbank for ten days in July. The Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen shows modern art in two buildings, K20 in the Altstadt, with works by Picasso, Klee and Kandinsky, and K21 for art since the 1960s. The Düsseldorf Art Academy counts Joseph Beuys and Gerhard Richter among its members. The poet Heinrich Heine was born in Düsseldorf in 1797 and spent his childhood here. Little Tokyo, with Japanese shops and restaurants, grew up along Immermannstraße after Japanese companies arrived from the 1950s.

Question 6

History

Accepted Answer

Düsseldorf grew from a village at the mouth of the little Düssel river into the seat of the Dukes of Berg, a capital under Napoleon, and finally the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia. Bombing in the Second World War destroyed much of it, and the Altstadt was rebuilt on its old plan. City rights, 1288: On August 14, 1288, after the Battle of Worringen against the Archbishop of Cologne, the Count of Berg granted the village on the Düssel the rights of a town. Seat of the dukes: Wilhelm II of Berg made Düsseldorf his main residence and became duke in 1380. He enlarged the castle and the church, which was finished as St. Lambertus in 1394. Jan Wellem: The elector Johann Wilhelm II, known as Jan Wellem, who ruled from 1690 to 1716, built up a great art collection. When the court later moved to Munich, the collection went too and is now part of the Alte Pinakothek there. Napoleon: In 1806 Düsseldorf became capital of the Grand Duchy of Berg under Napoleon, who visited the city in November 1811. Prussia and industry: The city passed to Prussia in 1815. Iron, steel and chemical works arrived from the 1850s, and the population grew from 40,000 in 1850 to 100,000 in 1882. The castle fire: The ducal palace burned in 1872, and only its tower was kept when the ruins were cleared. War and rebuilding: Allied bombing destroyed much of the city in the Second World War. Many Altstadt buildings were rebuilt on their old sites with their historic façades. State capital: In 1946 Düsseldorf became the capital of the new state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Back to the river: In 1993 the riverside road went into a tunnel, opening the Rhine promenade to people on foot. To learn more ashore: The Stadtmuseum in the Palais Spee, Berger Allee 2, covers the city's history, and the Schifffahrtmuseum in the castle tower on Burgplatz tells the story of shipping on the Rhine since Roman times.

Question 7

Düsseldorf with Children

Accepted Answer

With children, Düsseldorf's best bets are the Aquazoo in the Nordpark and the elevator ride up the Rheinturm. Teenagers will find more in the art museums and the MedienHafen. Younger children: The Aquazoo Löbbecke Museum, a zoo, aquarium and natural history museum in one, has more than 6,000 animals of over 570 species. It opens daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and keepers give talks at some feedings, so ask at the entrance for the day's times. In 2026 tickets were €11 for adults, €6 reduced and €22 for a family, so check before you go. Light rail lines U78, U79 and U80 stop at Nordpark/Aquazoo. School age: Ride the Rheinturm elevators to the viewing level at 168 meters, then watch the lights on the tower's shaft, which work as a clock. Look for the cartwheeler fountain on Burgplatz, too. More green space: The Japanese garden in the Nordpark, a gift from the city's Japanese community, is free to enter. Teenagers: K20 and K21 hold modern art from Picasso to the present, and the Gehry buildings in the MedienHafen are an easy walk from the Rheinturm.

Question 8

Accessible Travel

Accepted Answer

Several Düsseldorf attractions and city tours carry the "Travel for All" accessibility label, which means they were assessed against set criteria, and accessibility details are published for each one. The riverside promenade has been free of road traffic since the road was moved into a tunnel. Tactile city maps, which you read by touch, are at the Town Hall and on Königsallee. The Aquazoo has a level entrance with an automatic door, an accessible toilet on the ground floor, wheelchairs to borrow free if you book by phone, and three lifts, each 160 by 90 cm. At the Aquazoo, easy-language audio guides can be rented, and the lecture room has a hearing loop. Two public elevators serve the Rheinturm's upper levels. Some Altstadt streets, such as Ratinger Straße, are cobbled.

Question 9

Shopping

Accepted Answer

The Königsallee is Düsseldorf's showcase street for fashion and luxury, and the Altstadt adds mustard, Altbier and food markets. Düsseldorf has been a center of the German fashion trade since the late 1940s. The KÖ Galerie, at Königsallee 60, is a shopping arcade with boutiques, a supermarket and cafés. Schadowstraße, which meets the Kö, is another major shopping street. The mustard maker Löwensenf is based in Düsseldorf and has a mustard shop with a tasting area in the Altstadt. The brewhouses sell bottles of their own Altbier to take away. Killepitsch, a blood-red herbal liqueur, is a local specialty.

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