Düsseldorf Tourism will be promoting the many attributes of the city at this year’s ATM.
The city is proud to hold Düsseldorf International, which ranks as the third largest airport in Germany, offering 180 connections to destinations worldwide and about 12 intercontinental flights. Emirates Airline alone offers two non stop air connections to Dubai daily. An advantage compared to other cities is the short distance it takes - less than 15 minutes – to reach the city centre by taxi or public transportation.
Düsseldorf is the capital of North-Rhine Westphalia, the most populous of the German federal states. About 30 million people live within a radius of 150 kilometres. Düsseldorf has an excellent reputation worldwide as a place for medicine, hosting 2,000 registered physicians with private practices and numerous specialised clinics services by internationally renowned professors.
Düsseldorf MEDICA, the International Trade Fair for Medicine, takes places every year and is the largest of its kind.
Other attractions are the castles in and around Düsseldorf: Schloss Benrath (Benrath castle) with its adjacent park was built in the 18th century in the southern part of the city and today is one of the city’s museums. Schloss Dyck, a moated castle with several outworks and a notable English landscape garden is one of the most important cultural monuments in the Rhineland.
The city provides a variety of first class hotels. The Renaissance Hotel, member of the Mariott group, emphasises exclusive service and individual treatment to its international guests. From May 2008 the Breidenbacher Hof, a top luxury Capella hotel, owned by investor Pearl of Kuwait, will enrich the range of deluxe hotels in Düsseldorf. Together with Steigenberger Parkhotel and the Intercontinental Düsseldorf, Breidenbacher Hof will be the third five star hotel situated directly at the famous shopping boulevard Königsallee.
The stately boulevard lined with chestnut trees is known worldwide for its glamorous flair, where international designers like Armani, Bulgari, Gucci, Jil Sander, Prada or Versace show their presence. Shopping enthusiasts appreciate these designer shops, sidewalk cafés and shopping arcades on the ‘Kö’, housing outlets such as Schadow Arkaden, Sevens, Kö-Galerie and Stilwerk.
Visitors from outside the EU have the advantage of tax free shopping. Visitors can apply to have the value added tax on the purchased goods refunded when leaving the country. A special service is offered by personal shoppers, professional shopping guides who advise on all aspects of shopping.
For more unusual items, Dusseldorf Tourism Board suggests a shopping expedition through the old town, especially during the Christmas season when the city offers atmospheric markets.
There are more than 200 restaurants and guest houses in the Old Town, also known as “the longest bar in the world”, making Düsseldorf a suitable place for dining, clubbing and evening entertainment. With its leaning Gehry buildings and numerous restaurants and bars, the chic Media Harbour has established itself as an additional district for going out in recent years.
From Düsseldorf it is easy to explore other large cities like Amsterdam, Brussels and Cologne, or attractions like the theme park Phantasialand, the legendary Nürburgring race track, and the Neanderthal valley – where the prehistoric Neanderthal man was found.