Düsseldorf is particularly European here

Düsseldorf is not only at the heart of Europe on the map: Europe shaped the city centuries ago and still shapes its character today. International togetherness can be felt as you walk through the old town and - soon again - at the big festivals. We have collected the places in Düsseldorf where Europe is particularly present:

Europe's great river

Düsseldorfers appreciate their banks of the Rhine and the sweeping views across the water. But they owe much more to their location on the river: long before the European idea, the important waterways brought economic prosperity to the city and fostered good relations with its neighbors. The Rhine flows for 1,230 kilometers through six European countries - and it is particularly beautiful here.

From the father-in-law of Europe

Anyone who visits Düsseldorf quickly gets to know Jan Wellem. This is what the Rhinelanders call Elector Johan-Wilhelm II of Palatinate-Neuburg, who, together with his wife Ana-Maria di Medici, made Düsseldorf what it still is today: a wealthy international city with lots of art. Jan Wellem's network was strong throughout Europe thanks to 13 siblings married across the continent. His father Philipp-Wilhelm is also known as "the father-in-law of Europe". As a result, Jan Wellem had great influence and made his residential city of Düsseldorf an important location on the European stage at an early stage.

Vive la France - a celebration of friendship

Living like God in Düsseldorf - the France Festival has long been one of the favorites in Düsseldorf's calendar: around the French national holiday on July 14, benches and wine stands line the Rhine promenade, there is the finest food and plenty of practice for real savoir vivre.

Napoleon and the "Retematäng"

Napoleon came to Düsseldorf in 1811 and coined several legends including the description of Düsseldorf as "Little Paris" and the creation of the Kö. One of the most enduring creations lies behind the Altstadt. Ratinger Straße, still an important nightlife street between the Rhine and Hofgarten, was named "Street of the Morning" by French soldiers thanks to its generous opening hours - Rue du Matin. For Rhinelanders, it has been onomatopoeically known as "Retematäng" ever since. There is now another pub with the same name on the same street. Cheers.

Revolution, Romanticism and Heinrich Heine

The university is not just named after the city's most famous son. Heine also left his mark on the "Street of Romanticism and Revolution" in the middle of Carlstadt: the Heinrich Heine Institute is located here on Bilker Straße, and he went to school around the corner. As one of Europe's great intellectuals and visionaries, he did just as much to promote intercultural understanding as he did to promote an affectionate view of his homeland with a famous quote: "The city of Düsseldorf is very beautiful, and if you think of it from afar and happen to have been born there, it makes you wonder."

Art city forever

Düsseldorf's great name for art also goes back to Mrs. Ana-Maria di Medici, Jan Wellem's wife. As lovers, the couple brought art and artists to their city of residence. In 1709, the picture gallery was built as one of the first pure museum buildings in Europe. When it was moved to Munich almost 100 years later, the Kunsthalle was built to replace it. Later, the Prussian government founded the Academy of Art, which has enjoyed an excellent international reputation from the "Düsseldorf School of Painting" to Beuys and the present day.

Düsseldorf usually celebrates Europe Day in May - this year there is more information and European experiences online: City of Düsseldorf.