|
Germany
Travel Guide
Düsseldorf
is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
It is
an economic centre of Germany. The city is situated on the River Rhine
and also has a high population density - the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan area
has over 10 million inhabitants alone. The city is renowned for its many
events and also for its fashion and trade fairs. Every July more than 4.5
million people visit the Große Düsseldorfer Kirmes fair.
Culture
and recreation
|
Art-loving Elector Jan
Wellem and his wife Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici of Tuscany, were the
patrons of Düsseldorf's first significant cultural activities in the
17th and 18th centuries. Heinrich Heine, whose 200th birthday was
celebrated in 1997, Clara and Robert Schumann as well as Felix
Mendelssohn are the most prominent artists related to the city. Artistic
impulses were often born in the Academy of Fine Arts and the names of
Paul Klee, Joseph Beuys, Gerhard Richter as well as Albert Bierstadt
are associated with the institution (Düsseldorf School). The Düsseldorf
cultural scene comprises traditional and avant-garde, classical and
glamorous. The world famous state art collection of North
Rhine-Westphalia, the highly acclaimed Deutsche Oper am Rhein (opera),
and the Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus (theatre), artistic home of Gustaf
Gründgens, are major elements of Düsseldorf's reputation as a centre of
the fine arts.
|
Buy
This Allposters.com
|
 Music and
nightlife
Since
the 1950s the "Kom(m)ödchen" has been one of the most prominent
political cabarets of Germany. Düsseldorf's most famous contribution to
the culture of modern popular music is beyond doubt the avant-garde
electronic music band Kraftwerk. Formed by a few Düsseldorf-born
musicians, Kraftwerk have often been regarded as the most significant
band in the history of post-war German music and as pioneers in
electronic music. Internationally-known power metal band Warlock was
formed in Düsseldorf in 1982. Their frontwoman, Doro Pesch, has had a
successful solo career in Europe and Asia since Warlock ended. The punk
band Die Toten Hosen, which is famous around the world, also the most
popular singers in Germany Westernhagen and Heino come from Düsseldorf.
The influential electronic act D.A.F. was formed in the city in 1978. In
The Oldtown (Altstadt) German and international tourists go out on the
main street Bolkerstraße, while the local scene (students and creative
people) prefers the bars on Ratinger Straße.
|
Buy
This Allposters.com
|
Sports
Düsseldorf
is also famous for its traditional football team, Fortuna Düsseldorf,
the German Champion of 1933. Today, Fortuna competes in the
Regionalliga (3rd Division) and their new stadium, the LTU arena opened
in January 2005 and has a capacity of 51,500. Düsseldorf is one of nine
1974 FIFA World Cup cities and the Rochusclub Düsseldorf hosted the
tennis world team cup since 1978.
Other
sports in Düsseldorf are ice hockey (the DEG Metro Stars, former DEG -
Düsseldorfer Eislauf Gemeinschaft, which play in the new ISS-Dome) and
American football. The Düsseldorf Panther are the most successful team
in Germany with six national champion trophies and the Eurobowl 1995.
|
In
addition the Junior-Programm is the most successful youth-football
programm in Germany with thirteen national championchip titles.Rhine Fire
Düsseldorf was an established team of the NFL Europe and won the world
bowl two times in 1998 and 2000. Table tennis is also played (Borussia
Düsseldorf), as are handball (HSG Düsseldorf), basketball (Düsseldorf
Magics), baseball (Düsseldorf Senators) and dancing (Rot-Weiß
Düsseldorf).
Carnival
One of
the biggest cultural events in Düsseldorf is the Düsseldorfer Karneval
(also referred to as the "fifth season") which starts every
year on 11 November at 11:11 a.m., and reaches its climax on Rosenmontag
(Rose Monday), featuring a huge parade through the streets of Düsseldorf.
Karneval ends on Aschermittwoch (Ash Wednesday). The Düsseldorf carnival
is part of the traditional carnival festivities in the Rhineland.
Special drinks
and meals
Düsseldorf
is well-known for its Altbier, a dark beer, which is brewed only in the
region of Düsseldorf. Other traditional drinks are the liqueurs
Killepitsch and Samtkragen.
Traditional
meals in the region are Rheinischer Sauerbraten (horsemeat or beef
pickled for a few days) and Sky and Earth (Himmel on Ähd) (black pudding
with stewed apples mixed with mashed potatoes). In winter the people like
to eat Muscheln Rheinischer Art (Rhenish-style mussels). Also a special
meal: Düsseldorfer Senfrostbraten (Steaks roasted with mustard).
|
Together with the French
city of Dijon Düsseldorf is famous for its Mustard served in a
traditional pot called "Mostertpöttche", which was even
eternalized in a still life by Vincent van Gogh in 1884.
Theaters
- Deutsche
Oper am Rhein (Opera; Ballet)
- Düsseldorfer
Schauspielhaus;
the theater started with theatralic performances in 1585
- FFT
- Forum Freies Theater (Juta and Kammerspiele)
- Kom(m)ödchen (political cabaret)
- Komödie Düsseldorf
- Tonhalle Düsseldorf (classical music, jazz,
pop, cabaret)
- Theater an der Kö
- Capitol (musicals)
- Apollo (varieté, circus;
shows do not require knowledge of German language)
|
Buy
This Allposters.com
|
Museums
and arts institutes
- Aquazoo-Löbbecke-Museum (aquarium and zoological museum)
- Forum NRW
- Goethe-Museum
- Heinrich-Heine-Institut
- Kunsthalle Düsseldorf
- Kunstsammlung
Nordrhein-Westfalen - K20 (Grabbeplatz) and K21 (Ständehaus)
- Kunstverein
für die Rheinlande und Westfalen
- Museum kunst palast
- Stadtmuseum (City history museum)
- Schloss und Park Benrath (Palace and park of Benrath) - Museum of
European Garden Design
- Hetjens-Museum (German museum of ceramics)
read
more
|
