Six great last-minute Christmas gifts

Great ideas for impulse buyers  

Have you promised yourselves the same? No stress before Christmas this year! But how quickly have the last few weeks flown by? Sure, eating goose, baking cookies and drinking mulled wine was also important. But the fourth Advent has come a bit suddenly. But don't worry - here's a list of wonderful last-minute gifts that are guaranteed to make the eyes of your friends and family light up.    

Voucher for a city tour 

Our top tip, the ultimate zeitgeist gift that promises fun, education and quality time. Because instead of consumption, it's about spending time together and great experiences. And it also makes a wonderfully sustainable gift. With your father in search of beer factories through the old town, with your mother on a guided tour of the star architects in the Medienhafen, with your brother on an urban art walk. Or would you prefer to go to "The Sound of Düsseldorf" with your best friends and return to the roots of the electronic pioneers of Kraftwerk? Booking can be done in no time at all, just choosing from the huge range on offer might take some time. 

Craft market at the town hall 

The last pre-Christmas get-together with friends at the mulled wine stall at the Christmas market is coming up. So why not combine the pleasant with the useful and buy a few great gifts en passant? There is a particularly large selection at the craft market on Rathausplatz: beautiful and useful items made of wood, felt, fabric, rattan, wax and ceramics are on sale around Jan Wellem's proud equestrian monument. From ecological children's toys to handmade candles, from bags made from recycled materials to pretty tea sets - the ideas literally come in passing.  

Subscription for the Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus 

The Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus is one of the most renowned spoken theaters in Germany. It is celebrated in the press for its top-class performances, as its enthusiastic audiences will confirm. So how about an annual subscription to celebrate? After all, a permanent seat at one of the popular premieres is worth its weight in gold. In addition to the subscriptions, there is also cultural enjoyment for a smaller budget: pay once, go to the theater twice or for two - that's the promise of a promotion that is currently running in the run-up to Christmas. Incidentally, the special offer also applies to selected performances in the festive program on Christmas and New Year's Eve. So book quickly! And on top of that, all subscribers can travel for free on buses and trains throughout the VRR region on the day of the performance.  

Voucher 'Support your Local Shop' 

That always works, even at the very last minute! A voucher for your favorite flower store, your favorite fashion store, the hip interior design store, the store with the ultra-cool sunglasses. Friends and relatives are sometimes happier about this than about a gift that may be released for Secret Santa next year with a guilty conscience. Choosing the 'right' store proves that you've put some thought into it. And the fact that you are also supporting local retailers with a gift like this gives you even more karma points. 

Art:card 

A great gift for art lovers! The Art:card is valid in no fewer than 25 museums in and around Düsseldorf. For just 80 euros you get free admission for a whole year. All the major museums participate: the Kunstpalast, the Kunstsammlung, the K20 and K21, as well as the Museumsinsel Hombroich and the Skulpturenhalle in Neuss. Another big plus: the Art:card is also a ticket for the Night of the Museums and even gives you discounted admission to the Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany in Bonn.  

Japanese cooking course  

Düsseldorf is the city with the largest Japanese community in Germany. It's clear that the Japanese way of life permeates everywhere. And true fans of the land of the rising sun don't just enjoy refined Japanese cuisine in restaurants - they want to know how it's done themselves. At the Blu Tokyo Cooking Studio in Oberkassel, interested parties are introduced to home-made Japanese cuisine. There is even a five-day intensive course that delves deep into the secrets of Far Eastern cuisine. All as a gift voucher. Does your loved one like Italian, vegan or only wants to cook with men? You'll find what you're looking for at the Frank Petzchen cooking school or the Friedrichstadt cooking school. A little tip: wait until the first few days of January, as experience shows that even ambitious chefs are still in a festive coma before then.