The little village (dorf) on the tiny river Düssel, a tributary of the mighty Rhine, has grown to become the economic powerhouse of the region and one of the three wealthiest cities in Germany.

Since the terrible destruction of WWII, which left 85% of Düsseldorf in ruins, it has become ‘the office of the Ruhr,' acting as the administrative and financial centre for Germany's famous heavy engineering district, growing wealthy while keeping itself free from industrial blight. The large number of banks and international head offices sited here means Düsseldorf is a very cosmopolitan city with around 100,000 foreigners - one in six of the total population.

With prosperity has come patronage of the arts and fashion world, reflected in the ultra-trendy shopping street Konigsallee and the city's many galleries and art museums. Both the quantity and quality of dining options is also witness to how affluent and cosmopolitan the city is.

Visitors will spend most of their time in the Altstadt (Old Town), a warren of cobbled streets huddled by the river, where alongside vestiges of the past, there are over 200 very well patronised bars, restaurants and nightspots. Uniquely in Germany, the Altstadt opens directly onto the Rhine, a recent initiative that has ‘reclaimed' the riverfront to the delight of locals and visitors.