Düsseldorf Altstadt (Old Town)

Düsseldorf's Altstadt occupies a compact grid of cobbled lanes between the Rhine and the Königsallee, and its density of traditional Altbier brewpubs has earned it the nickname 'the longest bar in the world'. Visitors can move between historic breweries such as Im Füchschen and Zum Uerige, sampling the dark, top-fermented Altbier served in small glasses and continually refilled until a coaster is placed on top. The neo-Gothic St Lambertus Church, with its distinctively twisted spire, anchors the northern end of the district, while the Marktplatz features the Renaissance-era town hall and an equestrian statue of Elector Johann Wilhelm II. A walk through the Altstadt combined with a stop at the Kunsthalle Düsseldorf for contemporary art and a stretch of the Rheinuferpromenade takes roughly two to four hours. Afternoons and evenings are the liveliest times, when brewpub terraces fill with locals and visitors, particularly on weekends when the district becomes a focal point for nightlife across the city. Daytime crowds are lighter and better suited to viewing the architecture and browsing the small galleries tucked into side streets. Photographers find the best material along the promenade at sunset, when the Rhine reflects the lights of the Altstadt and the Medienhafen skyline beyond, or from the narrow lanes themselves where half-timbered facades and brewery signage create classic Düsseldorf street scenes.