Düsseldorf is well known as a centre of telecoms and media, for its rivarly with Cologne, for its Altbier and its Altstadt. The former is a type of beer brewed in an 'alt' (old) style, which produces copper-coloured, top-fermented beer. The latter is the old town, situated along the bank of the Rhine, where so many bars are clustered next to each other that the area is jokingly called the 'world's longest bar'.

Altbier was apparently first brewed by the Schumacher brewery, whose main pub/restaurant I've coincidentally recommended below, along with a few things to see and do. For more such information, see the pages of the official Düsseldorf tourism website. 

To keep this page uncluttered, I've not included any photos. Instead, I've put together a selection in this Düsseldorf City and Stadium Gallery.

You'll also find plenty of photos and countless ideas for things to do over at GetYourGuide.

For hard copy guide books, see my Books page.

Getting to Düsseldorf

If you're flying into the city from the UK, see my UK Airports page for departure airport information and my Düsseldorf Airport page for details of your arrival airport (or my Weeze Airport page if you're flying with Ryanair). If you're travelling to the Euros by rail, an Interrail pass will cover all your train journeys, while for individual trips within Germany see this page for Deutsche Bahn times and fares. And if your'e coming by coach, then FlixBus have you covered.
 

Eat/Drink

Stammhaus - Brauerei Schumacher
Ate/drank here twice on the same day in 2006. At lunchtime in high spirits, in the evening in sombre mood (in between we'd been over to Gelsenkirchen and seen England beaten by Portugal in the World Cup quarter-final). But whatever your mood, I'd recommend this tradition-steeped tavern-style place for hearty German food or just a few glasses of beer from their own brewery. It's also only a few minutes' walk from the main station. Hull City fan Paul says about this place: "Atmospheric alt beer pub. The dark interior compliments the colour of the traditional Schumacher brew. If the drinking makes you hungry, the Pork Knuckle is fantastic."

As the website linked to above is in German only, here's the Brauerei Schumacher page on Tripadvisor in English.

Zum Schlüssel
Another traditional brewery-cum-tavern, this time right in the heart of the old town. Tours are offered in the evenings and at weekends, or you can just enjoy a few Altbier and something to eat in the restaurant. Here's their menu (in German and English).

Little Tokyo
Düsseldorf also has a whole host of Japanese bars and restaurants in what is known as 'Little Tokyo' in the area around Immermannstrasse, as described here on the city's tourism website.
 

See/Do

Old Town
It's a long time since I did anything touristy in Düsseldorf, and really everthing there centres around the old town and the plethora of bars (apparently over 260 of them!). There's also the historic town hall there, the palace tower and St Lambertus Church, said to be the oldest building in the city. You can get a guide for a walking tour of the area over at GetYourGuide.

Altbier Safari
How about a guided tour around 5 micorbreweries and a glass of their Altbier at each one? Would be rude not, wouldn't it?! Details via the link above and here.

Rhine Cruise
As Düsseldorf is centred around the River Rhine, one relaxing way of getting to learn a bit about the city is by taking a river cruise with audio commentary explaining the sights you are seeing. As you'd expect, there are many of them available. The best-known provider is probably the Köln-Düsseldorfer company, which offers, among other trips, a one-hour 'panorama' cruise up and down the river.

There are more ideas on things to do here and elsewhere in Germany on my '100 things to do' page.
 

Stay

Hotels/hostel:

Ibis Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof 
Stayed here for a Union game a couple of years ago. You know what you’re getting with an Ibis hotel, and this one couldn’t be handier if you’re travelling by train, as it’s built into the main station.

Best Western Ambassador Hotel
Only 200 metres from the main station. 24-hour reception. Not a hotel I've stayed at myself, but almost as handy for trains in and out of town as the Ibis above.

Backpackers Düsseldorf
An inexpensive hostel for those doing the Euros backpacker-style. A 15-minute walk from the bars of the old town.

For other hotels on and around the respective matchdays, plus out of town alternatives, see the Dates page.

Campsites:

Camping Düsseldorf-Lörick
1500m walk to D-Lörick underground station, then 16 minutes on the underground to Düsseldorf main station.

Camping Zweckverband Unterbacher See
850m walk to D-Stammesberg bus stop, then a 7-minute bus ride to Düsseldorf-Gerresheim and 5 minutes on the S-Bahn (metro) to Düsseldorf main station.

For campsites for other venues, see my Camping page.