I'd just bought myself a gimbal for my phone, so I wanted to go somewhere to test it out and start to see if I could incorporate some video into my travels. I decided I'd try Düsseldorf so I jumped on a plane ready to explore.
After landing in Düsseldorf Google Maps told me to take a train from the airport to my hotel. When I got off the train though, I was quite surprised by what I saw. I was in the middle of what looked like an industrial wasteland. There were derelict factories for miles and huge chimneys with plumes of smoke pouring out. In the UK these buildings would be monitored by CCTV and they'd me fenced off so you couldn't get close. Düsseldorf seem slightly more relaxed about it though and it seemed that anyone was free explore.
Being a bit of a wuss, I didn't venture too far in but I was really taken by the area, I thought it was really cool and found I had an untapped fascination in crumbling buildings.
My hotel was in the Düsseldorf-Hafen area of the city, just outside of the centre where the old town is. Düsseldorf-Hafen couldn't be more different to the old town. The architects have been given free reign to do as they please and it's led to a really interesting set of modern buildings. While the TV Tower dominates the skyline, the Gehry buildings are the most famous with their undulating shapes and crazy windows. The central Gehry building is also clad in chrome, so it really stands out.
There's a ton of building work going on in this area and I'm guessing it's going to be the headquarters to a lot of start-ups in the coming years.
If you're looking for a place to stay in Düsseldorf, this is the place I'd recommend.
The Rhine Tower can be seen from pretty much anywhere in Düsseldorf, which is lucky for me because I bloody love this type of architecture. Very similar to the TV Tower in Berlin, the Rhine Tower looks like some sort of rocket about to take off. You can head up to the restaurant at the top and viewing gallery but sadly it was closed while I was there :-(
The Rhine is another dominating feature of the city. During the day it's pretty busy with ships transporting their cargo and the river banks are lined with bars and restaurants, making for a lively atmosphere.
This huge river also means they've created some pretty impressive bridges to help people get across. As with space towers, I also love a bridge and the leading lines they create so I was snap happy as I explored.
The sun had gone down so I headed out to find myself some grub and a few drinks. The city looked really beautiful during the blue hour, just after the sun had disappeared.
The next morning I got up early to explore the centre during first light when the sunshine is at it's most beautiful. Düsseldorf was pretty much destroyed during World War II so the buildings are relatively new compared to other cities across Europe, but that means it has a huge array of architectural styles.
One strange thing you'll notice if you ever visit Düsseldorf are the very realistic statues of people on plinths scattered around the city. I think I spotted 3 while walking around, a mum and child, a commuter and a girl ready for a night out. No idea what they were supposed to symbolise, but the first time I saw the mum and child I thought they were real.
I'd read about the beautiful stately home of Schloss Benrath before I got to Düsseldorf but I had assumed I wouldn't have time to visit it. However, the city is so well connected with trams and trains I was able to get there within 30 mins. It's a beautifully opulent building set in acres of gardens and surrounded by 2 separate lakes.
There was a sweet old man playing an accordion right next to the house, which made me feel like I was in 1930's Paris and had me playing Midnight in Paris for the rest of the day :-)
I try my best to visit the local football stadium on every trip and I had just about enough time to see where Düsseldorf play, the Esprit arena. Bearing in mind they're a second tier club and they have been for a long time, it's amazing to see they've got a 55,000 seater stadium.
Sadly, it was now time to make my way back to the airport to catch my flight back to London. Cheers Düsseldorf.
I'll leave you with a video highlights package of my weekend. I'm new to this video malarkey so bear with me as I learn about how to do it best :-)
© 2026 Michael Wilson
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