DUSSELDORF
ACCOMMODATIONS AND FOOD. It’s not unusual for hotels in Dusseldorf to double their prices during trade fairs, which happen from August to April. Jugendgastehaus Diisseldorf (HI) , Dusseldorfer Str. 1, is just over the Rheinknie-briicke from the Altstadt. Take U70, 74, 75, 76, or 77 to Luegpl. then walk 500m down Kaiser-Wilhelm-Ring, f 55 73 10. Reception daily 7am-lam. Curfew lam; doors open every hr. 2-6am. Dorms 20; singles 32; doubles 50.) To reach Hotel Schaum , 63 Gustav-Poengsen-Str. exit left from the train station on Graf-Adolf-Str. take your first left, and follow the tracks to Gustav-Poengsen-Str. (311 65 10. Breakfast included. Singles from 30; doubles from 50.) Hotel Komet , Bismarckstr. 93, is straight down Bismarckstr. from the train station and offers bright but snug rooms, (si7 87 90. Singles from 40; doubles from 55.) To camp at Kleiner Torfbruch , take any S-Bahn to Diisseldorf Geresheim, then bus #735 (dir.: Stamesberg) to Seeweg. ( 899 20 38. 4 per person, 5 per tent.) For a cheap meal, the endless eateries in the Altstadt can’t be beat; rows of pizzerias, Doner stands, and Chinese diners reach from Heinrich-Heine-Allee to the banks of the Rhine. A Tavola , Wallstr. 11, has bottomless bread baskets and meticulously prepared pastas. (Open daily noon-3pm and 6-1 lpm.) The local outlet of the Czech brewery, Pilsner Urquell , Gragenstr. 6, specializes in meaty eastern European fare. (Open M-Sa noon-lam, Su 4pm-midnight.) Otto Mess is a popular grocery chain; the most convenient location is at the eastern comer of Karlspl. in the Altstadt. (Open M-F 8am-8pm, Sa 8am-4pm.)
SIGHTS. The glitzy Konigsailee (the “Ko”), just outside the Altstadt, embodies the vitality and glamor of wealthy Dusseldorf. Midway up is the aweinspiring Ko-Galerie, a marble-and-copper shopping mall showcasing one haughty store after another. (lOmin. down Graf-Adolf-Str. from the train station.) The Baroque Schlofi Benrath in the suburbs of Diisseldorf was originally built as a pleasure palace and hunting grounds for Elector Karl Theodor. Strategically placed mirrors and false exterior windows make the castle appear larger than it is, but the enormous French gardens still dwarf it. (S6 (dir.: Koln) to Schlofi Benrath. Open Su and Tu-Sa 10am-6pm, W until 8pm. Tours every 30min. 4, students 1.75.) The Heinrich-Heine-lnstitut is the official shrine of Diisseldorf s melancholic son. (Bilker Str. 12-14. Open Su and Tu-F llam-5pm, Sa l-5pm. 2, students 1.) At the upper end of the Ko is the Hofgarten park, the oldest public park in Germany. At the east end of the park, the 18th-century Schlofi Jagerhof houses the Goethemuseum. (Jakobistr. 2. Streetcar #707 or bus #752 to SchloJS Jagerhof Open Su and Tu-F llam-5pm, Sa l-5pm. 2, students and children 1.) The Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, within the black glass edifice west of the Hofgarten, houses works by Expressionists, Surrealists, Picasso, and hometown boy Paul Klee. (Grabbepl. 5. U70, 75, 76, 78, or 79 to Heinrich-Heine-Allee; walk north two blocks. Open Su and Sa llam-6pm, Tu-F 10am-6pm, first W of month until 10pm. 3, students 1.50.)
NIGHTLIFE. Folklore holds that Diisseldorfs 500 pubs make up die langste Theke der Welt (the longest bar in the world). Pubs in the Altstadt are standing-room-only by 6pm; by nightfall it’s nearly impossible to see where one pub ends and the next begins. BolkerstrafSe is jam-packed with street performers. Prim (3) gives tips on the scene; it’s often free at the youth hostel. Facolte (2), a gay and lesbian nightlife magazine, is available at newsstands. Pam-Pam, Bolkerstr 34, plays house, rock, pop, and plenty of American music. (Open F-Sa lOpm-dawn.) Zur Ul, Ratinger Str. 16, is the quintessential German pub. (Open M-F 9am-lam, Sa-Su 10am-3am.) Unique, Bolkerstr. 30, lives up to its name, drawing a younger, trendier crowd to its red-walled interior. (Cover 5. Open W-Sa lOpm-late.)
