Book a Flight to Dusseldorf from €41

Neuer Zollhof: a post-modern complex of three buildings of the 90s bearing the signature of the world-renowned American Canadian architect Frank O. Gehry. Built on the bank of Rhine, these three buildings, like an enormous, futuristic sculpture, dominate the urban scenery of the city with their façades of white limestone, steel and bricks, their sloping walls and curves. Their construction was identified with the radical renovation phase of Düsseldorf's port and today they house offices in the hip district of MedienHafen. Address: Stromstraße 26

Kunstsammlung Nordrhein – Westfalen: the top art museum of North Rhine - Westphalia and one of the most important museums in Germany. Stretching in three buildings, K20 with its characteristic granite façade at Grabbeplatz, K21 at the former Parliament headquarters and Schmela Haus in the historical district of Düsseldorf. Wandering in its spaces, covering 10,000 square metres in total, you will admire the exceptional collection of 20th century works of art, with works by Klee, Picasso, Matisse, Mondrian and by American pop artists. Address: Grabbeplatz 5, 0049 211 83810,www.kunstsammlung.de

NRW-Forum: whatever happening in art now, you are bound to find it here, in Düsseldorf's NRW-Forum, which listens closely and presents the new trends of pop culture, in all modern versions: applied arts, design, advertising, architecture, video art, fashion, comics. It hosts innovative exhibitions and it is home to IMAI institute, which collects and distributes art videos. Address: Ehrenhof 2, 0049 211 89 26 681, www.nrw-forum.de

Kunstpalast Museum: built in the city centre, on Rhine river, this internationally acclaimed museum, houses medieval sculptures, works of the Düsseldorf School of Painting and expressionism, modern photography exhibitions. The jewel in Kunstpalast crown is the Hentrich collection of 3,000 works of art made of glass, which, through the artefacts, is the narrative of 3,500 years of artistic glasswork. Address: Ehrenhof 4-5, 0049 211 89 90 200, www.smkp.de

Benrath Park: this verdant space in the south area of Benrath in Düsseldorf houses one of the most beautiful baroque palaces of the 18th century. Its interior houses the Museums of European History of Gardens, Natural History and another museum. Relax on the banks of the lake with the ducks, against the backdrop of the elegant pink palace and its blooming gardens. Address: Benrather Schloßallee 100-106

Düsseldorf Film Museum: an interactive wandering in the magical world of films, from the very start of the Seventh Art to today. The permanent collection includes collectors' projectors, sets, costumes, a filming studio display, a special effects department allowing visitors to go backstage, extensive archive material and a rich film library. Furthermore, theme specials and screenings are organised in the museum cinema. Address: Schulstraße 4, 00492118992490

Goethe Museum: housed in a stately palace of 1772 at the end of Hofgarten garden, it hosts first editions of the works of the German poet and writer, manuscripts, letters, and photographs. The collection is a lifetime’s work of Anton Kippenberg, owner of a historic publishing house of Leipzig, who dedicated fifty years of his life in collecting texts and artefacts related to Goethe. Address: Schloss Jägerhof Jacobistraße 2, 00492118996262, www.goethe-museum.com

Bonn: located 68km from Düsseldorf, historic Bonn, was the capital of the former West Germany, Beethoven's birthplace and home to a historic university. Walk in the historic centre, Altstadt, one of the largest urban pedestrian areas in Europe, admire frescoes inspired by the Old Testament in Saint Martin's church, one of the oldest churches of Rhineland. See the old city hall, the Altes Rathaus, a baroque masterpiece of 1737, at Poppelsdorfer Allee Avenue with the magnificent art nouveau buildings, and do visit the house -museum of the composer of the “5th Symphony”, Ludwig van Beethoven, who was born in Bonn in 1770, at 24-26, Bonngasse street.

The aristocratic Königsallee Avenue, the“avenue of the Kings”, with its high-end boutiques and the glamorous shop windows of European haute couture houses and jewellers', is the German version of Paris' Avenue Montaigne. One of the places to be in Europe for high end shopping, with the necessary stops in its shopping centres, the ultra-elegant marble mall Kö-Galerie and the iconic Kö-Bogen by star- architect Daniel Libeskind. Rhine's metropolis is closely linked to fashion since the time of the Palatinate. Designers from around the world flock to Düsseldorf for fashion shows that set the international trends in prêt-à-porter, while the city has its own famous signature designers to demonstrate. Explore the commercial Schadowstraße street near Kö street and move to Flingern, Unterblink and Pempelfort districts to visit studios and concept stores of new, up-and-coming designers of the city and their novel creations.

Come to “the world's longest bar”, as the historical centre of Düsseldorf is also known. Countless bars, cafés and restaurants are stacked in Altstadt's cobbled alleys, one next to the other, with the region's hallmark being its over three hundred pubs and brewpubs. Here, you can try the famous local Altbier beer, with the dark, bronze colour that is produced the traditional way in the breweries of Düsseldorf. Accompany your beer with some hearty dishes of the North Rhine - Westphalia cuisine, such as Flönz black pudding, the finely chopped Rievkooke fried potatoes, the thick Ähzezupp pea-soup. Along with traditional German food, in the old city you will also find excellent quality ethnic restaurants serving specials from the Middle East, Africa and Asia. In the luxurious restaurants of Königsalle Avenue you will try gourmet dishes by award winning chefs. Locals and visitors alike party till dawn in the night hotspots of the old city, and in old industrial spaces of the port that have been turned to avant-garde clubs. Classic rock, funk and house tunes and spontaneous parties make up the music mosaic of night-life in Rhine's hip metropolis.

Events in Düsseldorf, impressive as regards participation, remind extravaganzas with the air of a spontaneous party.

• Düsseldorf's Carnival: The city parties wildly in February, waiting for the culmination of the great parade. Impressive floats with original, satirical themes and masqueraded crowds flood the banks of Rhine.
• Christmas market: The air of a fairytale in Marktplatz square in the old city. On the wooden stalls you will find handcrafted ornaments, wooden toys, while artists will create in front of your eyes masterpieces of blown glass. Warm wine and cups of pipping hot chocolate are mellowing the chill; children and parents spin on the merry-go-round against a backdrop of the renaissance city hall building.
• Dusselfdorf's Marathon: A top sports event in the capital of North Rhine - Westphalia and an original way to go sightseeing every April. The 42.195 kilometres track, passes from Kö Avenue and the iconic buildings by Frank O. Gehry at the port, continues along Rhine's quay and ends in the historical centre where crossing the finish line is celebrated with a pint of beer!
• Open-air concerts at Hofgarten Park: A musical tradition since 1964 that has become the soundtrack of Sunday strolls in this beautiful park of the city, from May to September. Bands from across the area of Rhine and from abroad, entertain audiences with live shows of classical, folk, jazz, pop, gospel music and film theme songs.

Transport from the airport

Aegean Airlines lands on the International Airport of Düsseldorf, 8km north of the city. The third largest airport in German has duty-free shops, restaurants, cafés, bars, banks, ATMs, foreign exchange offices, a prayer room, a pharmacy, a dental clinic and offers free Wi-Fi for 30 minutes. The airport's services include a special seminar for those suffering from flight phobia.

To get from the airport to the city centre, you can take the S11 line of the suburban train (S-Bahn) connecting the city's main railway station to the airport in 12 minutes. Alternatively, you can use the SkyTrain automated cabin to access the train platform on the east wing of the airport and catch the S1 line to get to the city. Also, you can use city buses and taxis.