Dusseldorf

The Rhine Valley’s most elegant metropolis

Düsseldorf is a wealthy city--the richest in Germany. It's big and commercial, full of banks and industrial offices and skyscrapers, but it's also refreshingly clean. Düsseldorf got its start as a settlement on the right bank of the Rhine, but today it's spread out on both sides--the older part on the right, and the modern, commercial, and industrial part on the left. Five bridges connect the two sections, the most impressive being the Oberkassel. Parks and esplanades line the riverbanks.

After 85% of the right bank was destroyed in World War II, Düsseldorf followed a modern trend in reconstruction, and today it's the most elegant metropolis in the Rhine Valley. Düsseldorf’s Altstadt has been called "the longest bar in the world" because of the 200-plus bars and restaurants travelers can find here. The favorite drink is a dark, mellow brew that must be consumed soon after it's made. The MedienHafen district, originally a 19th-century warehouse sector, is now a showcase for avant-garde modern architecture, especially in the office buildings and other works by Frank Gehry.

© 2009, Wiley Publishing, Inc.