Dusseldorf, Germany, a hidden gem known as the "Japan of Europe." Just walking around the city will fill your soul.

Easily accessible from Japan. What is Dusseldorf, Germany?

Düsseldorf, the capital of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany, is an international commercial city that developed as the main city of the Ruhr industrial region. It is also famous as a center of fashion and art, and exudes a sophisticated atmosphere.

There are direct flights from Japan to Frankfurt Airport, which takes about 12 hours. From Frankfurt Airport, you can take a train and arrive in Düsseldorf in about 1.5 hours. Alternatively, you can fly to Düsseldorf Airport via Helsinki, London, etc. on a codeshare flight.

It may not be well known as a tourist destination, but it is actually a city known as "Little Japan," with many Japanese companies and around 7,000 Japanese people living there.

From the enthusiastic carnival to the Christmas market at the end of the year, many events are held throughout the year, and the Spring Japan Festival is one of them, attracting many anime fans as the world's largest cosplay festival. There are also many popular soccer teams in the surrounding area, so it is also recommended as a base for watching games.

Walking around Dusseldorf and its suburbs. Spectacular views and delicious food abound

From here, we will start from Dusseldorf and walk to Solingen and Wuppertal. We will introduce famous places that can be reached by train or bus, so you can easily access them.

The most beautiful city along the Rhine! Dusseldorf, also known as Little Japan

Take the train from Dusseldorf Airport Station for about 10 minutes to Dusseldorf Central Station. When you arrive at Dusseldorf Central Station, head to the promenade along the Rhine River that runs through the center of the city. You can also use the subway, but you can also walk west through the business district in about 30 minutes, so we recommend walking while enjoying the scenery.

This promenade is praised as "the most beautiful promenade along the Rhine" and is a beloved place of relaxation for locals. Cafes and bars line the riverside, and on weekends it is a bustling spot for locals and tourists to enjoy strolls and picnics on the grass.

If you continue north along the promenade, you will come to a place called "Castle Square." The tower standing here was once part of a castle and is now open to the public as a maritime museum.

The cafe on the top floor is a hidden gem with a spectacular view of the majestic Rhine River and the old town. You can enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view while having lunch or tea.

Maritime Museum (Schifffahrtmuseum)

Popular photo spot "Medieval Hall"

Return to the Rhine promenade and head south for just over one kilometre to reach the Rhine Tower, the tallest building in Düsseldorf.

To the south lies the Medienhafen, a former port area that has been redeveloped into a media district housing media and design offices, and has been transformed into a popular area with modern cafes and restaurants.

The three buildings designed by world-renowned architect Frank Gehry are the landmarks of Medienhafen, an area lined with modern architecture. Their unbalanced designs are innovative and popular photo spots. Why not try taking some cool photos here?

Medieval Palace

The Old Town is a great place to find local cuisine and souvenirs

The Old Town, which spreads out over the entire area east of Castle Square, is also a great area to stroll around. This area is known as the "longest bar counter in the world" because of the large number of bars and izakayas that gather here, and it is especially crowded on weekends. There are many delicious restaurants, so it is recommended if you want to enjoy eating your way around and looking for souvenirs.

One of the must-try gourmet spots is the city's most popular bakery, Bäckerei Hinkel, which offers an impressive selection of bread, from traditional German bread to new creations.

The recommended items are the "Schwarzwelder," which has a rich flavor the more you chew it, and the "Krapfen," a doughnut with a fluffy texture. It's a popular shop that always has a constant line, so it's best to make sure you have plenty of time to get there.

Backpack

If you are looking for souvenirs around the old town, you should definitely visit Konditorei Heinemann. This famous store has not expanded overseas because they want to provide fresh, handmade products. They offer a wide variety of delicious products, including cookies, baked goods such as the Christmas confectionery stollen, fresh cakes filled with fruit, and baumkuchen, which is popular among Japanese people. However, Heinemann's signature product is the champagne truffle.

This chocolate has an exquisite harmony of fragrant champagne and caramel cream, and is highly praised by foodies around the world. The packaging is also lovely, so it is sure to be a hit as a gift.

Contributor Heinemann

Speaking of Germany, it's the home of beer and is famous for its Oktoberfest!

Many people would like to enjoy local craft beer while they are there. The local beer that Dusseldorf is proud of is "Altbier (Altbier)". Alt means old in German, and it was named after the traditional (old) top-fermentation method used for brewing. It originated in Dusseldorf, and is a full-bodied beer characterized by its deep fruity aroma, moderate hop bitterness, and amber color.

Brauerei Schumacher, considered to be the original brewery in Dusseldorf, is a long-established establishment founded in 1838. It still operates today as a brewery and restaurant. There is a standing bar in front of the store, so you can enjoy drinking with the locals there, but we recommend enjoying a beer with your meal inside the historic store. It goes perfectly with the rich sauce of the specialty meat dish, Rhenish Sauerbraten (braised marinated meat).

Brownie Schumacher

"Immermann Street" Japanese Town lined with Japanese shops

We will also introduce the Japanese town, which is so famous that the city's tourist bureau promotes it as "Little Tokyo." The center of the area is "Immermannstraße," which stretches from Düsseldorf Central Station to the old town. In 2021, it became a hot topic when signs in Japanese were installed.

In addition to restaurants serving sushi, izakaya, ramen, takoyaki, taiyaki, and more, there are also a number of Japanese shops, including bookstores, supermarkets, and dry cleaners, so you might forget for a moment that you're in Germany. If you're missing the flavors of Japan, be sure to stop by.

On weekends, you can see cosplayers and many Japan fans eating rice balls and ice cream.

Immermannstraße

The lustrous shine of tarnished silver! Solingen, one of the three major cutlery production centers in the world

If you visit Düsseldorf, we would like to introduce some of the surrounding towns that you should definitely visit. First up is Solingen. It takes just over 20 minutes by train from Düsseldorf Central Station to Solingen Central Station.

Along with Seki City, Gifu Prefecture, Japan, and Sheffield, England, Solingen is known as one of the three major cutlery production areas in the world, and is known as one of the "3S of Cutlery." Cutlery maker Zwilling JA Henckels, famous for its twin logo, is well known in Japan, so many people may have seen it. Cutlery manufacturing developed in Solingen around 1250, and at one time it held 80% of the world's cutlery market share. Although mechanization is progressing now, there are still some manufacturers that use manual methods.

A historic cutlery factory turned into a museum! "LVR Industrial Museum"

The LVR Industrial Museum, which is also a key location on the European Industrial Heritage Route that connects the most important industrial heritage sites in Europe, is a distributed museum consisting of seven facilities in the Rhineland region, mainly in the Ruhr industrial region. One of these, Gesenkschmiede Hendrichs, is located about 10 minutes by bus from Solingen Central Station.

This facility has been repurposed from a historic cutlery factory that operated for 100 years since 1886, and visitors can see traditional scissors being made using forging machines and hammers that were still in place from the time.

You can purchase Solingen-made knives at the attached shop. The "Windmill Knife" by Robert Herder, which is made using traditional methods, is popular in Japan and is recommended as a souvenir.

Gesenkschmiede Hendrich

The Grefrath district, with scenery reminiscent of a storybook

Next, we'll visit the opposite world of cutlery in Solingen, a place completely different from the world of knives. Let's visit the charming half-timbered houses.

The Grefrath district, which can be reached in just over 30 minutes by bus from the LVR Museum of Industry, is a historic district where buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries have been preserved. The area around Marktplatz in the middle of the district, and the monastery church on a hilltop that can be reached by climbing 72 steps, are protected as cultural assets, with around 120 buildings in total.

When you think of half-timbered houses, you might imagine colorful ones, but the one in Solingen has a rare monochrome landscape and a somewhat mysterious atmosphere. Take a stroll around and feel as if you have wandered into another world.

Grafrath

Burg Castle: a fairytale castle on a hill

If you're having lunch in Solingen, I recommend "Burg Castle." It takes about 40 minutes by bus from the Grefrath district mentioned earlier, but when you see the old castle that looks like it came out of a Grimm fairy tale, you'll be glad you came! It was the main castle of Count von Berg, who once ruled this area.

The castle itself is worth seeing, but you can't miss the restaurant "Zur Schönen Aussicht," where you can enjoy both fine food and beautiful views.

As the restaurant name suggests, which means "to a beautiful view" in German, it boasts the best view in the Bergisches Land. Enjoy an elegant lunch with local dishes and homemade cakes.

In the dark

The Mungstenerbrücke, Germany's highest railway bridge in the forest

After enjoying your lunch, why not take a bus from Burg Castle to enjoy nature?

Located in the nature conservation area of the Bergisches Land, the Müngstener Viaduct is the highest railway bridge in Germany. It is an impressive sight, with a height of 107 meters and a length of 465 meters, appearing suddenly in the middle of the forest.

There are three ways to enjoy this bridge. The first is to look at it from below. The second is to take a train across the bridge. If you're lucky, you can catch a special steam locomotive service. The third is to climb up the bridge. You can actually climb the bridge.

After listening to a guide's lecture and putting on safety gear, we head up the bridge. You'll never forget the spectacular view from the top of the bridge.

Mungstener Brücke

The world's oldest aerial tram still runs through the city "Wuppertal"

The last stop is Wuppertal, a city where you can enjoy the history and present of Germany, one of the world's leading technological powers. It takes about 30 minutes by train from Düsseldorf Central Station to Wuppertal Central Station.

It is an industrial city located along the Wupper River, a tributary of the Rhine, and people in Japan who know this name are probably people who are interested in trains. The Wuppertal Suspension Railway, which opened in 1901, is the world's oldest suspended monorail. It connects 20 stations between Vowinkel Station in the west and Wuppertal-Oberbarmen Station in the east in about 30 minutes, and is still in active use as a means of transportation for the city's residents.

Schwebebahn

Europe's biggest projection show

When you arrive at Wuppertal-Oberbarmen station on the Wuppertal Skytrain, you will see a huge gasometer (gas tank). After the gas tank stopped operating, it was decided to preserve it as a historical building. The interior was renovated while keeping its original appearance, and it was reborn as a five-story building that includes a fitness gym and restaurant.

One of the most popular attractions is the projection show space "Visiodrom" on the top floor. Making use of the spherical ceiling and walls of the gas tank, projection shows with various themes are held, and visitors can even lie down to watch.
The show on the 6,500m2 360-degree screen, the largest in Europe, is very impressive and fantastical. The show content changes from time to time, so you can enjoy it no matter how many times you visit.

Visiodrom

Dusseldorf and the surrounding towns are full of fun things to do, including spectacular views, gourmet food, shopping, and museums. How about making "European Japan" your next travel destination?

Düsseldorf Tourist Board

Interview and photography: Yumiko Tsuboi

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