Travel On

DUSSELDORF

Famous for its fashion and trade fairs, D?sseldorf as the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia has a dense population of over 10 million inhabitants solely in the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan area. Every year more than 4 million tourists, mainly fashion-lovers, visit D?sseldorf for its Kirmes fair. The name D?sseldorf was adopted from the name of a stream in the city, the ‘D?ssel’.

There are many city landmarks in D?sseldorf, one of it being the Rheinturm, a 240.5 metre high TV tower with a light sculpture on its shaft, which works as a clock. The light sculpture on the Rheinturm is the biggest digital clock in the world. The Rheinturm also carries aerials for directional radio, FM and TV transmitters and a revolving restaurant at a height of 174.5 metres in the air.

Another interesting landmark is none other than the D?sseldorf Opera House and is one of two opera houses where performances are given by the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, a opera company. The original opera house was constructed between 1873 and 1875, and was severely damaged during the Second World War. It was not until 22 April 1956 when the house was restored to its original form.

To the north of the Rhine lays Kaiswerth, a tiny town which is famous for housing the ruins of Emperor Freidrich’s palace. Although not in perfect condition, the ruins of the palace still can give tourists a picture of what the palace looked like in the olden days – with tapestries hanging down the brick walls of the palace and fountains that shoot sprinkles high up in the air.

D?sseldorf is also home to the largest Japanese community in Europe, thus it is not surprising to see buildings with Japanese style around the city. Eko House is one of the examples. Eko House can be found in the Old Town of D?sseldorf and has a lovely garden which serves as a culture centre where frequent tea ceremonies and Buddhist readings are held.

The Heinrich Heine University of D?sseldorf is also quite famous for a certain reason, perhaps because the university itself is named after Heinrich Heine, the German poet and political thinker who was also born in D?sseldorf in 1797. The Heinrich Heine University of D?sseldorf has been a fully-fledged university since 1965, consisting today of faculties of law, medicine, philosophy, mathematics and natural sciences, and economics.

Apart from all that, tourists shouldn’t miss out on the world-renowned art museum, Kunstammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen which houses paintings of famous artists such as Picasso, Matisse, Expressionists and Surrealists.

Last but not least, tourists who travel with their family can consider Grafenberger Forest, a popular spot for a day trip, picnicking, long walks or just to relax. Different species of deers can be spotted running freely in the forest and a forestry school stands at the edge of the forest for children who are interested in the region’s flora and fauna.

The D?sseldorf of today is a sophisticated, modern city, and home to a multinational corporation base despite the many terrible calamities over the centuries. A trip to Germany would not be complete without paying a visit to D?sseldorf – home of fashion of Germany.