There are many places your plane can land on a stopover. Some are not that appealing, whilst others don’t even hit the radar. Düsseldorf, for many, is one such city. Which is a real shame. For even the mildly adventurous it is far from stuffy and is a city that has much more going for it than many would imagine. As many Germans and tens of thousands of foreigners could tell you the city is also worth living in. Let’s be fair, where else can you get a 13th century rifle club organizing a major festival? Or a famous boulevard built by Napoleon Bonaparte that had its name changed because of horse dung?

Düsseldorf is situated near the Dutch border of Germany. In fact the city is on the River Rhein, which itself is an important and historical landmark for most of that part of Europe. The city of Düsseldorf also lays claim to being the fashion capital city of the country and, with its great shops and boutique places, it seems justifiable. It has recently been voted one of the top cities in the world in which to live. No mean feat when you think of the competition. Of course when you have a relaxing park, an enjoyable river to rest by or cruise on, and a city center that is clean and modern, it seems only fair that it attracts more that its fair share of admirers.

Coming in by plane is a pleasure. When you arrive inside the clean, modern and highly efficient airport building you feel that you could visit just for the airport alone. Upstairs in the Departure area the arcade of shops is a long mixture of up-market clothes and jewelry shops. As well as small boutique shops, plus some outlets selling books and magazines, there are the food shops. They cater to international tastes, like pizza and other Western foods. However, the array of foods and the way it’s laid out makes you want to spend all your money and increase your waistline. But let’s savor that later, when you’re waiting for your plane. That is if you must depart so quickly.

Downstairs in Arrivals you exit into a long brightly lit corridor-style walkway that has a money exchange and opposite that an ATM which in turn is next to the Avis Rental. Eurocar rental is also nearby. Germany, like much of the EU uses Euros so it is necessary to change some money or use the ATM. In Germany ATM’s are called Geld Automat and most if not all take Diners Club, Am Ex, ULSA, Mastercard and Visa. Your bank card may be able to transfer money, if not check before you leave home.

After getting your money head along the walkway to the Information desk, if you have any queries such as hotel vacancies etc. pick up some leaflets to see what’s on and where it’s at in the city. You can get a free guide here from the English speaking staff. They can book rooms or events for you here. Though, if you want a budget stay these pages should give you enough to be going on with.

A little further along is a baggage check-in place and, for a couple of Euros, you can place any bags that will hinder you for your time in the city. Near enough opposite to the Information place is an exit. Look for a large S on the signage. This is for the S Bahn, or metro, though it technically doesn’t go underground for your journey. The cost into the main train station is 2.10 Euros; however, if you fancy a taxi it is probably slower and more expensive.  The taxi will come to nearly 20 Euros. Many of the taxi drivers are foreigners and don't always know where places are. Make sure you get a map and directions at the Information desk so you can be knowledgeable enough to know the area.

If you decide against the taxi go outside and cross a small internal airport road.  On your left you will see the S Bahn entrance. There is usually some sort of security that you can ask if you get stuck.  Find out which station it is to the Hauptbahnhoff (Main train station) and get a ticket. Platform in German is Glais. The trains run every 20 minutes and they are marked on the information board on the platform with the time of arrival. Sometimes there is no security about, both ways. In this case some people forget to get a ticket and travel for free.  Not that you would, of course.

Once on the red colored trains sit back and relax because it takes five stops to get to the station. The one thing you’ll notice is that the graffiti will rival any that New York has to offer. Ironically that seems to be the only untidiness in the whole city. Perhaps because of that, it stands out far more prominently than it should. Meanwhile, look out for the sign ‘Hauptbahnhoff Düsseldorf'; it's your stop.

When you arrive in the station, head down the steps into the covered area of the station itself. It is a busy place and no one noticeable to help. Turn left as you come down the steps and usefully there is a large ticket place to get your return ticket and, another information desk on the opposite side. In all these places they speak wonderful English and are very helpful. So there are no concerns about being in a foreign country and not being able to get by.

A bit further along and there is a wonderful array of food stalls and bookshops and supermarkets. These are open until 10.00 p.m. and are a good cheap way to eat. Much of it is International/European in style and not just good value but taste also.

The Information desk is near a set of exit doors so when here head to the opposite ones, in other words go back to the way you came in from the S Bahn. Head for the exit doors and you’ll see outside in a courtyard of buildings some sculptures in steel and a couple of fountains.

From here head for the Willi-Becker-Allee and follow the walkway until you get to a main road junction. Turn left and along the road, called Eller Strasser for about 250 yards until you arrive at the Berliner Hof Hotel. It's just not worth the journey for a taxi.

The Berliner Hof is budget hotel, and though small with small rooms, is well worth the bother. It’s central, it’s cheap (55 Euros a night including a good buffet breakfast) it’s clean and lastly it’s safe and friendly.

If this place is full, try a few yards up the road in a place called Motel One, just on the corner of Eller Strasser and Krupp Strasser. It costs the same price as the Berliner Hof and is a nationwide budget franchise hotel group. So you can look out for them in other cities in Germany and expect the same clean standard and of course the prices. This particular Motel One building is white with red borders round the edges.

The Berliner Hoof hotel is small and you may miss it. Look for the sign that hangs on the side of the building. The front door will be closed, this is normal. Just ring the bell and whoever is on reception will let you in.

Inside the Berliner Hof it is clean and organised. There’s an elevator to all floors and each of the 23 rooms has a good strong shower and a small fridge. The larger doubles have a couch as well. A radio and TV are also there. What may interest you is the free WiFi. It will give you a chance to look up some of the links below plus, give you maps and information about the city of Düsseldorf. The rooms are quiet and if not watching TV or surfing the Net you should get a good night sleep.

In the morning the hotel’s clientele will invariably stagger the downstairs for breakfast. This starts around 7.30 - till 10.00. The breakfast room is a small clean room right bang next to the reception area and tastefully done out. It’s a buffet breakfast and it’s free, so dig in and help yourself to as much as you can get. There are all sorts of different cheeses, hams, fruit, sometimes spicy sausage, slices of wurst, and great bread. Fill up with the tea, coffee and juice and this should last you till at least lunchtime. When you are done it’s time to explore the city. Ask them at the reception desk for any directions to particular areas you want to explore, they speak good English. If you want to book anything like a taxi they will do that for you.

To begin with just explore the local area in which the hotel is located. Just up the road from it you'll find an interesting area. Turn left out of the hotel, cross the main road until you get to Josef Strasser. Turn left up this street and pass St Josef’s church on your right hand side. It's set in its own small grounds and inside is nice and quiet, if you need a moment of reflection at some time. Carry on until up the road until you get to the junction and you’ll be on a main local street.

There are countless immigrants here, most have set up businesses. The booming German economy, coupled with a good social benefits system make the country a magnet for migrants from all over the developing world. The area around the hotel is very much an immigrant place, mostly Turkish and seems quite safe and secure. Obvious care should be taken at night, as in any city, but by and large it the place is safe.

Up to 7% of Düsseldorf’s population consists of foreigners, around 99,000 people. The largest minority ethnic groups are Turkish, Greek, and Italian. The city also has the third largest Jewish community in Germany, around 7,300 or 1% of the city's population. They also have a large Japanese community, one of the largest in Europe. There are about 11,000 in the city and surrounding area, even having their own district.

This influx of foreigners makes for a colorful area and the food reflects it. Lots of fresh produce stalls overlap the shops onto the street. If you need fruit for your journey here is the place; it’s cheap and fresh as you can get. It is less expensive that the more upmarket shopping areas.

Have a quick walk up and down the area exploring some of the more interesting ethnic shops. If you are just a touch hungry there’s a nice kebab shop opposite Western Union. They also serve pizza slices and are also a sit down or take out place. Kebabs cost 2.50 Euros. There’s a Chinese restaurant a bit further up from the Kebab shop, opposite the Josef Stressed entrance. It has set dishes going from 5.50 Euros a meal.

Among some of the things you’ll notice about Germany is the tendency for people to smoke in most places. A recent law now restricts smokers from lighting up in restaurants. Everyone seems to be a smoker, though the law is beginning to bite bringing it in line with much of the rest of Europe. But still. . .

Another thing that stands out are bicycles, they are everywhere. Designated lanes for bikes, like bus lanes, are common throughout the country, and can take precedence over some traffic. Small attachments like bicycle trailers for kids are quite a common site in Germany, mother up front, the lord or lady of the house rides behind in pomp and circumstance.

Then there is the recycling effort. Germany seems intent on doing a good job for the planet, unlike some other Western countries. They were into it well before most of us had woken up to the fact that there is a crisis looming. Especially at public places like the airport, you’ll see 4 bins, each for things like glass, plastic, paper and regular organic trash.

Depending on what you are there for and how long, one of the great shopping areas in Europe is a particular street in Düsseldorf. Get a quick taxi ride and head for Konigsalle. It is known as ’Ko’ locally. As the crow flies this main artery is directly on the far side of Eller Strasser, on the opposite end of the train station.

On arriving you can see the well-heeled people of the city. This is an area to do some serious indulgence shopping. People come from all over Germany for the shopping experience. The place can get busy with all the window shoppers and serious retail therapists. Jewellers, perfumeries, antique sellers and all those high-end shops seem to congregate here. Cartier, Hugo Boss, Prada, Gucci, Chanel, Armani, plus many, many more other well known ones, all have a presence in Konigsalle (King's Avenue). With all this bling and fur flying round it is no wonder that it is also the place to be seen. Natives of the city like the idea of seeing and being seen in this area of conspicuous consumption.

Yet it is not just a line of upmarket shops. What is unusual about the place is that a 100 foot wide canal runs through the middle of this large street. This is in turn is fed by the river that gives the city its name, the Dussel. Built in 1804 the canal was later lined with chestnut trees. This sylvan canopy nowadays counterbalances the large department stores and shopping complexes making it a more convivial place to shop. When the sun shines and it is pleasant outside, cafes open up onto the pavement allowing people-watching skills to be honed. Sipping a coffee, and maybe a cognac as a chaser, is a nice way to spend a quiet afternoon.

This wonderful looking boulevard was commissioned by the French Emperor, and conqueror, Napoleon in 1811. It was originally called Kastanielalle because of the chestnut trees that surround it. However, it was later called Konigsalle after protesters threw horse dung at the visiting Prussian king, Friedrich Wilhelm IV. The local dignitaries thought changing the name to King's Avenue might appease the royal gentleman.

If shopping is not your style ignore the side streets, particularly Schadowstrasse with a slightly more down-market style than its bigger brother. There is also something different in Little Tokyo, an ethnic area located in Immermanstrasse. Here you can have a slight diversion to indulge in all things Japanese, if that is your style.

If you want to avoid it instead now head for Altstadt. This is the Old Town and though it has quite a lot of boutiques and avantgarde shops, there are things here that are different. Altstadt boasts museums, art galleries, bars restaurants and cafes in abundance. It could be time to indulge your cultural side whilst imbibing some local brew.

From here you can also go to one of the parks or the zoo, but if it is raining head for one of the museums. The Theater Museum, Goethe Museum, the Film Museum or even the City museum, are often free, though some are just that for the last hour of entry. If all this sounds confusing there is a free city guide you can pick up all round the city, particularly at the airport and train station. This will give you a map and all current activities that are going on when you are in Düsseldorf.

If you stay for more than a day or two in the city, sporting activities like swimming, indoor skiing and cycling are popular pastimes. Golf, of course, soccer which is almost a religion, basketball and even American football are possible sports to watch or participate in. They take their pastimes seriously here and enjoy the energetic lifestyle. It could be said, without it being a cliché that they work hard and play hard.

For thousands of years the River Rhine has been important to all who live on its banks. Now, however, many cities have revamped the areas connecting to it; Düsseldorf is no exception. Going down by the river area you will see boats and people watching them, ferries plying back and forth passing the refurbished streets and walkways. Here also you can find a swell of media companies, around 300 in all. So many, in fact, that they call it Media Harbor.

This in turn has attracted a vast array of people selling different cuisines in the many great restaurants, bars and cafes. Throughout the area, and in most of the city, you can see some wonderful old buildings with interesting edifices. In fairness you may also wonder at the modern styles that thrust up within this energetic city. Often as not they merge very well with the old.

This may be a city of work and shopping but there is another side to it that makes it such a liveable place. For pure fun there are a number of festivals. The day before Shrove Tuesday is Rosenmontag. This Bacchanalian festival draws a million visitors every year. There is also a fair on the banks of the river which everyone seems to head to. Cartwheeling for joy was something children did in 1288 after the Battle of Worringen and still do it today in Düsseldorf. There is even a tournament for the best and the fastest cartwheeling, which is held annually in Konigsalle. Sometimes you'll see youngsters doing it for a penny around the city. This tradition goes back hundreds of years.

In July a massive funfair comes to Düsseldorf. Four million visitors can't be wrong when they claim it's the biggest on the Rhine. It is organised by the Saint Sebastian Marksmanship Club, which was founded way back in 1316. They founded the fair and still run it. Continuing on the gun club theme, there are 50 festivals organised by rifle clubs. These go back to the Middle Ages when the clubs were formed by craftsmen to protect the citizenry from marauding gangs.

During November there is the Lanterns for St. Martin festival. This is to celebrate the time when the Roman Legioner St. Martin gave his coat to a poor man who was begging. In this particular festival over a hundred processions go through the Düsseldorf streets to arrive in the Old Town Hall. There the saint is on a horse and the children sing and then share their coats.

Lastly, there is Christmas. The festivities are usually enhanced with a sprinkle of snow giving the traditional markets a magical feel to them. The whole city seems to be involved with the celebrations as bunting and lights color the world that Düsseldorf has to offer.

Finally, back to the airport, and you can indulge in a cornucopia of food stalls, enjoy the efficient, friendly check-in and whilst waiting for your plane and surf the Net with the airport-covered WiFi.

If you think this article is slightly partisan, below is a list of the world's cities by quality of living. According to the "Mercer Human Resource Consulting, 2007 cities by quality of living survey, the city of Düsseldorf comes in 6th. That is after Zurich and Geneva, both in Switzerland, Vancouver in Canada, Vienna in Austria and Auckland in New Zealand. Others are Honolulu and San Francisco, 28th and 29th respectively. Boston and London are 37th and 39th. It is also regarded as the 28th for health and sanitation, though it is listed as the 45th most expensive city in the world. Yet in Germany it is regarded as the best city in the country for quality but the 3rd most expensive place to live in the country.

There's far worse places to stopover, or even to consider it as a place to live in. Apartments, for instance, go for around 330 outside of the city center, if it interests you. Give it a try. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Useful Addresses for Düsseldorf.

Düsseldorf Airport

www.dusseldorf-international.de

Bus and Tram information

www.rheinbahn.de

Trains

www.bahn.de

Hotel & room Reservation

www.dusseldorf-tourismus.de

Düsseldorf on-line

www.dusseldorf.de

Düsseldorf daytime activities

www.dusseldorf-today.de

Düsseldorf night time activities

www.dusseldorf-today.de

Apartments for rent

http://www.duesseldorf.e-rent.de/en/

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