Vayama Travel Blog

In search of fashion, art, food and music in Dusseldorf

I knew almost immediately that Dusseldorf was a place I wanted to visit again. With only two days to explore, it seemed I had only scratched the surface of this city with its old and new contrasts. Dusseldorf is a destination that offers your typical European charm, but the bigger find is that it is also a city on the edge of the fashion, music, food and impressive art scene.

With over 26 museums and 100 galleries, it wasn’t hard to get my art fix – even when I found myself underground. The Kunst im Tunnel (KIT) gallery leverages an unused tunnel along the Rhine to display the works of local art students. Just off the Rhine promenade, this gallery is a must see for only 4 Euro per person.

As dusk starts to set, the city really comes alive at night and crowds fill the pubs and bars along the Altstadt, the old town. With the “longest bar in the world,” there were plenty of places to sample the local brew variety, Alt. At the suggestion of our tour guide, we also sampled some Killepitsch, a local liquor that has been around since 1848. With 42% alcohol content, this is the drink that’s sure to warm you up on a cold winter evening.

The highlight of my time in Dusseldorf was getting to go backstage at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein (aka. the opera house) before a performance of La Boheme. As a guest of the media director, we also got to explore the costumer archive and dine with performers before the show. Getting to explore the 50,000+ costumes was an awesome experience and I was secretly hoping they’d let me take my pick – the black swan perhaps? With daily performances, the Oper am Rhein is a great way to spend an evening.

If you are planning a trip to this wonderful city, here are some recommendations based on my experience this trip:

Where to stay

Hyatt Regency Dusseldorf

What to eat

Monkey’s Restaurant Group
Monkey’s East – I dined at this location and enjoyed all of the Asian fusion dishes and hands down some of the best curry
Monkey’s South
Monkey’s West

Zum Schlüssel
Traditional German eats

Things to do

Christmas Market
November 22^nd – December 23^rd, the city center will be transformed into a Christmas wonderland with hundreds of vendors offering local treats for the holiday season.

Museum Kunstpalast
Escape the cold and head into the Kunstpalast to explore the paintings and modern art exhibits. The Andreas Gursky exhibit is on display until January 13, 2013.

Deutsche Oper am Rhein
Daily opera and ballet performances.

MedienHafen
District of Dusseldorf along the harbor with Gehry buildings.

How to get there

Airberlin offers daily flights from the US directly to Dusseldorf.

By Allison Tebbe

Everyone here at Vayama is passionate about travel and more importantly about sharing the best fares, flight options and travel deals to make people’s travel dreams a reality.

That is why today I am leaving sunny California for the chillier parts of Europe in search of the best winter destinations. On my twelve-day excursion, I will be on the lookout for the best winter travel specials, accommodations, tours and sights in Germany, Denmark, Austria and Switzerland to help everyone become a savvy traveler and have the insight to plan their perfect winter Euro-trip!

The first leg of my trip begins with an airberlin flight from Los Angeles International Airport to Dusseldorf International Airport in Germany where I will spend three days touring the city and visiting sights like Benrath Palace and Garden. From Dusseldorf I will venture to Copenhagen, Denmark for three days, then Vienna, Austria for three days and finally make my way to Zurich, Switzerland for the last four days.

I will be sharing regular updates of my experience, including everything from the airports and flights, to my hotel stays and various activities. Stay tuned for photos of my adventure and recommendations for how to plan the ultimate winter vacation in Europe!

By Allison Tebbe