Düsseldorf, the state capital, dazzles with boundary-pushing architecture, zinging nightlife and an art scene to rival many larger cities. It’s a posh and modern city that seems all business at first glance: banking, advertising, fashion and telecommunications are among the fields that have made Düsseldorf one of Germany's wealthiest cities. Yet all it takes is a few hours of bar-hopping around the Altstadt, the historical quarter along the Rhine, to realise that locals have no problem letting their hair down once those Armani ties come off.
The Altstadt may still be the ‘longest bar in the world’ but it’s increasingly getting competition from the Medienhafen, a redeveloped harbour area about 1km further south. Not only is this a feast of international avant-garde architecture by the genre’s boldest and brightest (Frank Gehry among them), the area is also evolving into a chic and sleek place to hang out after dark.
If you’re more into high-brow culture, you’ll likely more than get your fill at the many top-notch art museums and the renowned opera house, theatre and orchestra hall.
