The capital of North Rhine-Westphalia, Düsseldorf lies on the bank of the Rhine, and is the main centre for industry and culture in the Ruhr-Rhine area. An important administrative city as far back as the 1500s, the city developed considerably after iron and steel industries were established in the 1870s. Despite severe damage during the Second World War, Düsseldorf has managed to recover much of its lost splendour- many of the most prominent buildings have been rebuilt and restored, and many are excellent reminders of the city’s past.

Among the most popular of Düsseldorf’s attractions are the Benrath Palace, a pleasure palace and hunting lodge set amidst lovely grounds, and considered one of the best Baroque palaces in Europe; the Imperial Palace of Barbarossa, a ruin, but important nevertheless; and the historic Town Hall.

The city boasts of 18 museums, including a fine museum of ceramics), a huge number of parks and gardens, and a lot of lovely old churches, including the beautiful St Lambertus Basilica, with its slightly twisted steeple.

Düsseldorf has one of the busiest civil airfields in Germany, with lots of flights, chartered and regular, coming in throughout the day from destinations across Europe. In addition to this, it’s well connected by rail and road to most major cities in Germany, and has an impressive three river harbours on the Rhine. Much of the traffic on the Rhine is of goods, but there are lots of riverboats that also carry passengers. Within the city, buses and taxis are available for transport, as are cars for hire.