Looking for an exciting weekend travel destination in northern Germany? Why not explore Düsseldorf? You can enjoy Japanese sushi and alt bier! Its hipster vibe, trendy boutiques, and captivating art scene, Düsseldorf, makes for a unique weekend getaway.
As travelers, Jim and I rarely go somewhere and not do the full-on tourist thing. We love to really delve in and do things like visit museums, check out the cafés and restaurants, and figure out how to get the most out of the destination.
On this weekend to Düsseldorf, that wasn’t our goal – at all. We just needed some downtime, a real getaway. One without an agenda.
We only wanted to do two things: eat Japanese food and try altbier. That’s it! Of course, us being us, we did check out a couple of other things, but we didn’t do it all. Darn, I guess we’ll have to go back.
How to Get to Düsseldorf
We drive. And we’ve done it a number of times now, because it’s close enough from Kaiserslautern (about 3 hours), and we know that once we get there, we can park the car for the weekend and just enjoy.
To drive, it’s located not far off the Autobahn 3, a major artery in western Germany that takes you right through Cologne. Our recommendation is to get there and park!
Check out our podcast on Düsseldorf!
It’s an easy train ride as well. Since it’s a large city, there are plenty of fast and local trains that go right through the Hauptbahnhof. If you are using the Deutsche Ticket, just remember that you must take local trains, which will take you much longer than buying a fast train ticket.
There is also a small airport that services the city. If you are coming from further away, take a look at your budget airlines. They might just stop there, making it a perfect fly-away weekend.
Approximate Travel Times
| Community | Driving Distance/Time | Time via Train |
|---|---|---|
| Kaiserslautern Area | 280 km / 3.25 hrs | 3.5 hrs |
| Wiesbaden | 198 km / 2.25 hrs | 2 hrs |
| Spangdahlem | 179 km / 2 hrs | N/A |
| Grafenwoehr | 523 km / 5.5 hrs | 6 hrs |
| Stuttgart | 405 km / 2.5 hrs | 3 hrs |
| Brussels, Belgium | 205 km / 2.5 hrs | 3 hrs |
| Schinnen, Netherlands | 87 km / 1.25 hrs | 2 hrs |
Weather in Düsseldorf
As you can imagine, the climate in northern Germany is pretty mild but wet. It rains quite a bit, on average, about nine days per month. However, there will be more overcast days. In saying that, we’ve been in the summer and fall, and both times, it was gorgeous outside. Maybe we just got lucky.
No matter what, be prepared with an umbrella and rain jacket, and dress in layers.
What to do in Düsseldorf
A large city, there’s lots to do in Düsseldorf, from exploring great neighborhoods to museums. You can’t go wrong going for the weekend, that’s for sure.
Here are the things we’ve done:
- Wander the Old Town
- Meander the Rhine Promenade
- Eat authentic Japanese Food
- Imbibe famous altbier
- Gawk at street art on Kiefernstrasse
- Play all day at the Balloon Museum
Old Town
Düsseldorf was one of the few cities that was not destroyed during the wars, so it retained its old-world charm. Winding alleyways, large squares for sitting and enjoying a coffee, and plenty of stores, pubs, and eateries make it an enjoyable place to spend more than a few hours.
Rhine Promenade
The old town is located close to the edges of the Rhine River, which you can walk along enjoying the boats and the architecture, and either sitting on the steps and watching the sunset, or stopping at one of the pubs and having a sundowner.
Japanese Quarter
The area surrounding Immermanstrasse is one of the largest communities of Japanese immigrants in Europe. There are tons of restaurants, cafés, and stores selling everything Japanese, from onigiri to chopsticks. When we go, we eat Japanese food numerous times a day.
Alt Bier Pubs
One of the best things is discovering Düsseldorf’s alt bier scene. Alt bier has been around for centuries, and there are bars that sell it all over the city. Each one is a bit different, but they’re all fun and tasty. Checking out the various breweries is a must.
Kiefernstrasse
You just have to walk down Kiefernstrasse, a city street covered with the most artistic, hipsterish, and fun graffiti. It’s got a rich history and is a great place to do a photo shoot.
Balloon Museum
Not really a museum, per se, the Balloon Museum is a great place to spend a few hours just being a kid.
Where to eat
When we go to Düsseldorf, we’re all about the Japanese food and the altbier. We eat Japanese for snacks, lunch, and dinner. A weekend is just not enough to satisfy those cravings.
All the altbier breweries also serve food, both snacks and meals. We’ve ordered a few snacks, but again we haven’t eaten any meals there.
I have no doubt there are plenty of great restaurants in this cosmopolitan city. Which ones are your favorites?
Breakfast
Café Copenhagen – Not far from Immermanstrasse, it’s a great place to start the day with hot and cold breakfast choices.
Dritan Alsela Café – Such a cute place with an excellent menu. We had to take the tram to get there on Sunday morning, but it was worth it.
Ice Cream
We ate a lot of ice cream while we were in Düsseldorf. The weather was warm, and the conditions were right for some delectable creamy treats.
Our favorites were Eislab, Kumo, and Bing-O. Too many flavors to choose from, so we all get something different and then taste all of them.
Conclusion
If you are looking for a place to take a relaxing break that is comfortable and fun, has great food and beer, and affords the opportunity to do a lot or nothing, this is the perfect city. Düsseldorf is it!
We ate Japanese food, we drank the famous altbier, and we visited a few fun places in the city. It’s now our go-to place where we know exactly what we want to do to relax and just truly getaway.
