Düsseldorf sights by interest

Why go

Burgplatz and St. Lambertus give an older-city pairing; K20 and Museum Kunstpalast make sense for an art-focused day. The Rheinturm and the buildings of MedienHafen offer a different view of Düsseldorf. These are choices across the city, so their value lies in selecting a coherent pair or cluster.

Useful to know

• Pair Burgplatz with St. Lambertus and the nearby Rhine bank.
• Check museum exhibitions and entry arrangements before committing to an art pairing.
• Save the Rheinturm and MedienHafen for a separate architecture and river outing.

The route, stop by stop

1. 01

   Optional · – min

   Kunstpalast

   Kunstpalast is the broad art museum in the Ehrenhof, pairing a collection that spans older to contemporary work with temporary exhibitions. Allow more time here than for a single exhibition hall.

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2. Walk · 36 min · Estimated

   02

   Optional · – min

   Rheinturm Düsseldorf

   Rheinturm’s observation level looks across the Rhine, Altstadt and MedienHafen from high above the city. Its illuminated clock on the shaft gives the tower a second point of interest from below.

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3. Walk · 22 min · Estimated

   03

   Optional · – min

   Burgplatz

   Burgplatz opens Düsseldorf's Altstadt to the Rhine, with the surviving Schlossturm standing at the square's edge. Broad steps connect it to the riverbank.

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4. Walk · 21 min · Estimated

   04

   Optional · – min

   Stadtbezirk 1

   Düsseldorf’s central district spans six quarters, from the Altstadt and Carlstadt to the shopping core and northern residential areas. Use it to orient a day, rather than treating it as one attraction.

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5. Walk · 20 min · Estimated

   05

   Optional · – min

   Königsallee

   Königsallee, or the Kö, pairs a landscaped canal with Düsseldorf’s luxury shopping frontage. The public boulevard is worthwhile for a stroll even if the boutiques are outside your budget.

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6. Walk · 11 min · Estimated

   06

   Optional · – min

   Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus

   The sculptural Schauspielhaus anchors Gustaf-Gründgens-Platz and stages drama in three auditoria. Its exterior works as an architecture stop; seeing a production requires choosing a specific performance.

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7. 07

   Optional · – min

   Deutsche Oper am Rhein

   Deutsche Oper am Rhein is the opera and ballet company shared by Düsseldorf and Duisburg. In Düsseldorf, its performances are associated with the Opernhaus on Heinrich-Heine-Allee.

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8. 08

   Optional · – min

   Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen

   Düsseldorf's state art collection spans two distinct museums: K20 at Grabbeplatz for modern art and K21 at the Ständehaus for contemporary work and installations.

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9. 09

   Optional · – min

   Schadowstraße

   Schadowstraße is a pedestrian shopping street beside Kö-Bogen II and Gustaf-Gründgens-Platz. It offers a more everyday retail contrast to the luxury frontage of nearby Königsallee.

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10. Walk · 14 min · Estimated

    10

    Optional · – min

    Kunstakademie Düsseldorf

    Düsseldorf’s art academy is best visited during its public Winterrundgang or Sommerrundgang exhibitions. Outside those events, the historic institution should be treated as an exterior stop, not an open museum.

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11. Walk · 6 min · Estimated

    11

    Optional · – min

    NRW-Forum Düsseldorf

    NRW-Forum brings changing photography, pop and digital culture exhibitions to the Ehrenhof ensemble. Its programme determines the visit, making it a focused alternative to the broader collections nearby.

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12. Walk · 13 min · Estimated

    12

    Optional · – min

    Kom(m)ödchen

    Kom(m)ödchen is a political and literary cabaret stage at the edge of the Altstadt. It occupies the Kunsthalle building, but a performance here is a separate evening choice.

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