Cultural Quarter
Akademie
Anyone looking to enjoy an Altbier (dark, top-fermented beer) will sooner or later find themselves in the Altstadt (Old Town). But Düsseldorf’s second-smallest district has far more to offer than just the world’s longest bar. Here, the city becomes a colourful treasure trove of global art history and local charm – opening itself up anew each day: in narrow alleyways and legendary bars, in renowned galleries and exhibition spaces, or in the many studios surrounding the world-famous Kunstakademie.
Pub culture
Artists and free spirits
In the shadow of Kunstakademie, the art scene has long intersected with everyday city life. In pubs such as the legendary Kreuzherreneck, Zur Uel and Zum Goldenen Einhorn or the Im Füchschen brewery, art, music, design, literature – and the “real Düsseldorf” – blend into a unique atmosphere. When the sun is out, this creative energy spills onto Ratinger Straße, turning it into a vibrant meeting place for Düsseldorf’s cultural scene in the heart of the Altstadt (Old Town).
Museums
Around Grabbeplatz
The area around Grabbeplatz boasts an unusually high concentration of cultural institutions. The K20 Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen is dedicated to 20th-century art – featuring works by artists ranging from Picasso to Beuys. Directly opposite are Kunstverein für die Rheinlande und Westfalen, and the municipal Kunsthalle. Emerging from the façade of Kunsthalle is Joseph Beuys’ installation Loch (“Hole”): a simple stove pipe, symbolising the exchange between art and the environment. It’s no surprise, then, that some of Düsseldorf’s most renowned galleries are located just around the corner.
Music history
The sound of the city
You can't talk about Kraftwerk without mentioning Ratinger Hof. Without the “Hof” – the heart of Germany’s underground music culture – bands like DAF, ZK, Die Toten Hosen, Die Krupps, Fehlfarben and Propaganda might never have come into being as they did. Ratinger Hof remains a live music venue to this day – and is still very much a vibrant part of Düsseldorf’s music scene, which continues in legendary clubs like the Salon des Amateurs and in the music bars along Mertensgasse.
Good to know
About the Cultural Quarter Akademie
A baroque princely couple, passionate about the arts, created a world-renowned collection featuring the superstar artists of the time – including Rubens, van Dyck, Raphael, Titian, Michelangelo and da Vinci. But political upheavals and the dynastic succession led to this treasure being “relocated” to Munich and Florence – much to the regret of the city of Düsseldorf.
In 1910, Johanna Ey opened a small café near Kunstakademie – a place that quickly became a meeting point for the local bohemian scene. The often penniless art students used to pay with their artworks. Thus, the former baker became a gallerist, rose to become one of the most painted women of her time, and was considered the “godmother” of the artists' association “Junges Rheinland”, which included Otto Dix and Max Ernst, in addition to many other renowned figures.
Standing in front of the Shipping Museum in the Castle Tower on Burgplatz in the Altstadt (Old Town) – now a popular meeting point – can only imagine how magnificent the baroque palace once was. Built on the foundations of a medieval castle, it served as a grand residence and housed an important art collection. In 1872, a major fire destroyed almost the entire complex. Only the castle tower was spared that still stands today.
Standing on Grabbeplatz, you can take in three distinct architectural styles at once: the brutalism (béton brut) of Kunsthalle, the baroque elegance of St. Andreas Church, and the minimalist modern granite façade of the museum K20 Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen.
