Sights and landmarks in Düsseldorf

Sights and landmarks in Düsseldorf

1. See

   Alter Hafen

   Neither a haven nor actually old, the Alter Hafen occupies the area that was once the haven of the fortress of Düsseldorf. Today it is not connected to the Rhine, nor is it actually deep enough (there is a parking garage and tunnel underneath) to serve as a haven, and is surrounded by buildings constructed after the Second World War, but it is still a very nice area for a stroll.

2. See

   Benrath Palace and Park

   The Corps de Logis is the central building of the three-wing maison de plaisance, which was erected for the Palatine Elector Carl Theodor by his garden and building director Nicolas de Pigage. Construction was completed in 1770: it is a complete work of art that unites architecture and nature in one overlapping concept, and is rated as one of the most beautiful palaces of the rococo epoch. The park beside the Palace is enormous, nearly 62,000 m². Take the U71 or the U83 tram towards Benrath, exit Schloss-Benrath. You can also take the S6 towards Cologne, exit Benrath, then walk about 200 m east.

3. See

   Birthplace of Heinrich Heine

   Heine (1797-1856) was a poet and author and perhaps the most famed Düsseldorfer in German history

4. See

   Burgplatz

   Castle Square

   At the old town limits next to Rhine. Here was the erstwhile castle of the Earls of Berg, the later duke of Jülich-Kleve-Berg. The castle was later reconstructed as a baroque palace, which burned down in 1872. In 1888 the ruins were removed completely, and only a tower was left. Today the tower houses an inland navigation museum. The coffee-shop in the towers top offers a grand view onto the Rhine and the ships passing by. The square won an award as one of the nicest squares in Germany after World War II.

5. See

   Carlsplatz

   The Carlsplatz is the centre of Carlstadt and houses the city's only permanent weekday market, featuring savory food, sweets, flowers as well as popular artworks

6. See

   Cartwheelers' Fountain

   Radschlägerbrunnen

   Radschläger wolle mer blieve, wie jeck et de Mensche och drieve (local dialect: "we will stay cartwheelers, however crazy the world might be") is the legend of the fountain. It is under some wonderful old plane trees. The cartwheeler is a popular symbol within Düsseldorf and cartwheeling an old tradition. According to legend, after winning the War of Worringen, the Earl of Berg said to the boys waiting for their fathers, “Show me that you're happy about your fathers' return”, and they began cartwheeling. Even today this tradition is continued by annual competitions.

7. See

   City Monument

   Stadterhebungsmonument

   An artwork of Bert Gerresheim, donated by the society “Düsseldorfer Jonges” on occasion of the 700th anniversary of the foundation of the town. It is a kaleidoscope of local history, starting on left side with the cruel battle of Worringen, the signing of foundation documents by the earl of Berg in the middle and several scenes on right side including 4 popes. Among them we see Nikolaus IV raising St. Lambertus Church to a canon monastery. A market scene is shown, but also trade goods of Düsseldorf. The monument is full of symbols. You should go nearby and take account of details. You also should go some steps back. Mind the men following the apocalyptic horse riders on the left side. Their arms form the number 1288, the year of the battle of Worringen. During the battle, the Earl of Berg, Adolf V, fought against the Archbishop of Cologne, Sigfried of Westerburg. The citizens of Düsseldorf and the citizens of Cologne united in backing Adolf V (ironically in view of their future rivalry). The battle ended with the victory of the earl and the citizens.

8. See

   EKO-Haus

   The house of Japanese culture in the quarter of Niederkassel on the left bank of the Rhein. It was Europe’s first Buddhist temple, and it is surrounded by several buildings like a kindergarten and a library. The garden is styled like a Japanese garden. There are guided tours, but if you respect the dignity of the location they will not prevent you from stepping in without a guide during daytime.

9. See

   Gießer-Junge

   At the side of market square, in the shadow of Jan Wellem, stands the statue of the cast boy. They say that just before the cast of the Jan Wellem monument master Grupello realised that the amount of metal was not sufficient. This prompted the cast boy to ask the citizens for a donation of noble metal like silver forks or coins. He got so much that the cast could be finished very well. Out of thankfulness he got a statue too. The one you see today was designed by Willi Hoselmann and realised in 1932.

10. See

    Jan Wellem

    Reiterdenkmal

    In front of the city hall is the monument of elector Johann Wilhelms II (1658-1716) on horseback. The citizens affectionately call him Jan Wellem. His monument is among the most important baroque equestrian sculptures north of the Alps. Because of his connections to European dynasties and by the powers invested in him he was a very important man. In co-operation with other electors he elected the German Emperor. He was a representative of a pompous baroque sovereign. In 1691 he married Anna Maria Luisa de‘ Medici (1667-1743). Jan Wellem died in 1716; his grave site is in St. Andreas-Church. Jan Wellem boosted the development of Düsseldorf, so the citizens still love him. The monument was realised by Gabriel Grupello in 1711.

11. See

    K20 Kunstsammlung NRW

    Kunstsammlung NRW has two buildings, K20 at Altstadt and K21 in Carlstadt. K20 has a great collection of 20th-century art, including Picasso, Klee, Richter, Kandinsky, and Warhol.

    Tue-Fri 10:00-18:00, Sat Sun and holidays 11:00-18:00·€6.50, €10.00 K20+K21

12. See

    K21 Kunstsammlung NRW

    Kunstsammlung NRW has two buildings, K20 at Altstadt and K21 in Carlstadt. K21 houses a modern art collection after 1960s, mainly from local artists.

    Tue-Fri 10:00-18:00, Sat Sun and holidays 11:00-18:00·€6.50, €10 K20+K21, free entrance on the first Wednesday of every month

13. See

    Liefergasse 1

    Just 100 meters from the bustling Altstadt, the Stiftsplatz offers a tranquil atmosphere. Walking along Lambertusstraße near the intersection with Liefergasse, look for the historic house at Liefergasse 1. Its well-preserved, ornate facade is considered one of the finest examples of traditional architecture in the old town.

14. See

    Maxkirche

    church of St.Maximillian

    The late baroque church was built in the mid-17th century for the Franciscan convent and, after its dissolution in 1804, was renamed St. Maximillian as a nod towards the then-Elector to protect it from destruction. The church is renowned for its organ music and choir.

15. See

    Medienhafen

    Media Harbor

    At the southern end of the Rhine promenade you will find the newest landmark of Düsseldorf, the so called Media Harbour. The former harbour was transformed into a quarter with restaurants, bars, coffee shops, discotheques and hotels. Its flair is based on the mixture of old and new. Protected buildings like depots, quay walls and industrial surroundings stand side by side with modern architecture. There are buildings constructed by Frank O. Gehry, Claude Vasconi or David Chipperfield. It is mainly the Gehry buildings that form the face of the quarter.

16. See

    Neanderkirche

    Neander church

    The population of the Rhinelands is mainly Catholic, and Protestants and members of the Reformed Church had to suffer many restrictions. Finally, the Contract of Rheinberg 1682 granted everybody the free practice of religion. This led to the construction of the Reformed church-house at Bolkerstraße in 1683 in a style of the early baroque with a simplified façade. Although the Protestants and members of the reformed church had the right to their own churches, they were not well-liked. So the new church had to be built in a way that was not visible from the street, meaning in the yard of already existing buildings. But today you have an unlimited view onto the church from Bolkerstraße because the building that used to block the view was the only one not rebuilt after the war. In 1916, the church got the name Neander-Church.

    Fri Sat afternoon Sun after church service

17. See

    Nordpark

    on the right bank of Rhine in the northern city, is one of the major Parks in Düsseldorf. Its most interesting part is the Japanese garden inside, a gift of the Japanese community to the citizens. Within about 5,000 m², you will find an example of Japanese horticulture with traditional elements like stones, trees, bushes, ponds and bridges. Entrance is free.

18. See

    Nördliche Düssel

    northern Düssel

    On the right hand of the monument is a little river, named the northern Düssel. It gave the city its name (Düsseldorf means village at Düssel). The balustrade is an artwork of Bert Gerreshein too. It is also full of symbols.

19. See

    Palais Wittgenstein

    The residences at Bilker Straße 7 and 9 both have rich history (including ownership by Prince von Sayn-Wittgenstein, which gave them the name), and are owned by the municipality. They were reconstructed in the 1970s with their historic façades preserved, but the interior was redeveloped to house cultural institutions. Today it is the home to the Marionetten-Theater, a chamber music hall and the Institut Francais

20. See

    Rathaus

    The historic and striking city hall of Düsseldorf dates from the 16th century. Since then it has housed the city parliament. The building consists of three parts, and there are guided tours for free every Wednesday at 15:00. They will show you the council hall, the Jan-Wellem hall and the reception hall of the Lord Mayor where they present the city’s silver coins and roof-paintings of the artists Domenico Zanetti and Johannes Spilberg.

21. See

    Rheinturm

    Rhine Tower

    The 240-m-high Rhine Tower is right on the Rhine river, near the Media Harbor. It offers a 360-degree view from the restaurant, at 172 m. The restaurant is overpriced, but it is worth a trip for the amazing view.

    Adults €7

22. See

    Schneider-Wibbel-Gasse

    Tailor Wibbel Lane

    A small lane inside the old town, connecting Bolkerstraße and Flingerstraße. It is packed with restaurants and bars, most of them offering Spanish-American and Latin American food (particularly Argentinian). Tailor Wibbel is the main character of a popular theatre play, written by Hans Müller-Schlösser in 1913. Tailor Wibbel had opposed Napoleon and, therefore, was sent to prison. But, instead of himself, his assistant went to jail under the name of Wibbel. Unfortunately, the assistant died in prison as a result of a former disease, so the actual Wibbel was able to witness his own burial incognito. After the end of the French occupation, Wibbel had the chance to disclose his identity and became a local hero. Across Bolkerstraße is the Wibble clock. Daily, at 11:00, 13:00, 15:00, 18:00 and 21:00, it shows the Wibbel character. At the other end of Tailor Wibbel Lane, near Flingerstraße, is the Wibble sculpture. Walk nearby and examine the sculpture. Did you see the mouse?

23. See

    St. Lambertus Basilika

    Built with bricks in the style of the Lower Rhine Gothic, it is a landmark of Düsseldorf. The church-hall was the last residence of St. Apollinaris, the city’s patron. A particular characteristic is the winding tower. Although there are legends saying they used wet arbors for reconstruction after a fire in 1815, locals know better. They say that about 100 years ago, a bride dressed in a snow-white wedding dress came to the altar pretending to be a virgin. Being ashamed, the tower turned aside. They also say that it will straighten again if a real virgin appears at the altar. As you can clearly see, the tower is still twisted. But the fact is, the citizens love their twisted tower. After the war, it was reconstructed as twisted as it was before.

    Closed · opens 9 am tomorrow

24. See

    Stadtmuseum

    Palais Spee

    The municipal museum features collections of artifacts, art and photographs related to the history of the city. It is located in the reconstructed baroque Palais Spee (as well as a postmodern west wing added in the 1970s), which features an extensive garden park with a pond formed from the Südliche Düssel. Even if you pass on the museum's collections, the park is worth a visit.

    Tue-Sun 11:00-18:00

25. See

    Wilhelm-Marx-Haus

    The Wilhelm-Marx-Haus was the first Hochhaus, or highrise building, in Germany and, apparently, in Europe. Finished in 1924, it is 57 m high and has 13 floors above ground level. The architect was Wilhelm Kreis. It used to be the home of the Düsseldorf Stock Exchange and includes a theatre. It is named after Wilhelm Marx, who was mayor of Düsseldorf in the early 20th century and started a programme for the modernisation of the city at that time.

26. See Not mapped

    Zoo

    Zooviertel

    There's no longer a zoo here, so if you're looking for animal interactions, the Wildpark in Grafenberg is the nearest option, where you can feed roaming deer by hand. Apart from the Zoopark - which still contains some statues appropriate to the name - there are quite a lot of dining options and the ice-rink on Brehmstraße.

27. See

    Filmmuseum Düsseldorf

    Schulstraße 4

    Tue-Sun 11:00-17:00, Wed 11:00-21:00·€3; reduced €1.50; students under 18 free

28. See

    Palais Nesselrode

    Hetjens Museum/Deutsches Keramikmuseum

    Schulstraße 4

    Tue-Sun 11:00-17:00, Wed 11:00-21:00

29. See

    Pegeluhr

    This clock also shows the current water level in the river.

30. See

    Schifffahrtmuseum Düsseldorf

    The shipping museum in the old castle tower.

    Tue-Sun 11:00-18:00·Adults €3, concessions €1.50

31. See

    Theatermuseum

    Hofgärtnerhaus, Jägerhofstraße 1

    Tue-Thu 12:00-18:00 Fri 12:00-21:00 Sat Sun 12:00-18:00·Adult €4, concessions €2

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Düsseldorf (CC BY-SA 4.0).