On the banks of the tiny river Dussel and its big sister Rhine lies Düsseldorf.
Flowing through a picturesque valley, the river Rhine divides the city into two, giving it a split personality.
On one side lies the old town or the Altstadt, the quaint old town on the other side is the business district. The elegant and lively metropolis on the Rhine stands for business, fashion, art and lifestyle. It’s one of those tourist destinations that combines fun and pleasure and has something for every one.
This perhaps is the reason for the number of people that visited Düsseldorf in 2006. The number of arrivals and overstays increased by a increased. According to Heike Murad, manager GCC states, German National Tourist Board, 16,517 people arrived in Düsseldorf. This was an increase of 28.8 per cent over 2005. The number of overnight stays also went up to 35,917, a 2.7 per cent increase and one-third of overnight stays are in the north Rhine Westphalia.
The number of people flying in from UAE also increased and the number looks set to rise further, given that Emirates has double-daily non-stop flights from Dubai to Düsseldorf. The flight takes only seven hours and the airport is 20 minutes away from the downtown area.
Düsseldorf itself is located conveniently, in the heart of Europe, making it the perfect stopover destination on your way to the other cities like London, Paris and even Zurich, which is just an hour away. Over 40 per cent of the overnight travellers to Düsseldorf are foreigners. This figure is the third largest in Germany.
Being Germany’s numero uno fashion city has helped Düsseldorf find favour with international tourists. It is the home to one of the biggest international fashion fair CPD. It features some of the trendiest international designers. The world famous Kِnigsallee (‘Kِ’) Boulevard is known for its flagship stores of international labels like Gucci, Versace, Prada among others. Fine cuisine and haute couture mingle together with a hint of culture with theatres, concerts and historic sites make this mile the destination to visit in Europe.
For the budget shopper there are several indoor malls and shopping areas in Altstadt and Schadowstrasse. For the convenience of international shoppers guided shopping tours are also available.
A lot of good fashioned family fun is also to be had at Düsseldorf because of it’s proximity to the Movie Park Germany. It consists of six areas based on the topic ‘fascination film’.Get to the bottom of the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle, or live to tell the tale of a hot pursuit in a flight simulator or find your sense of adventure on the breathtaking roller-coaster rides.
One of the most luxurious hotels opening by early 2008 is something the international tourists are looking forward to is the 100-room refurbished Breidenbacher Hof, a Capella Hotel.
Aside from the stylish bars, clubs and restaurants the city holds events like the International Boar Show Düsseldorf, the ARAG World Team Cup, and the FIS ski sprint which fascinate many.
Düsseldorf is a city of lifestyles the Old Town has narrow lanes, century-old houses, old churches, quaint breweries and hip bars, exquisite food, taking you back centuries, into a different world. The promenade along the old town is one of Düsseldorf’s favourite meeting places. The promenade runs along the old town right to the Media Harbour. The city is architecturally very interesting, the old industrial harbour is converted into a unique combination of historic monuments and exciting modern architecture, designed by internationally known architects such as Frank O Gehry. It is one of the biggest locations for big media and advertising houses like BBDO, Gray among others.
By Sonorita Chauhan