I’d heard mixed reviews about Dusseldorf before I actually went there. It didn’t seem to be much of a tourist destination and my friends who had been there had gone for work-related reasons. They said that it was quite industrial and they weren’t big fans. My experience of Dusseldorf was quite different. I might have been there for work but I found some beautiful areas and some great people. Apparently, the city is a great base from which to visit other places in the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen, due to its handy train links. I didn’t get the chance to take advantage of that but the city had enough to keep me occupied. I’ll admit that Dusseldorf may not be the ultimate holiday destination, but if you’re looking for stop-offs on a Europe trip or a destination for a weekend break it is definitely a city you shouldn’t write-off. Continue reading “Six reasons to go to Dusseldorf”

23rd-30th August 2014

I was reliably informed that Dusseldorf is a great base to visit other places in the state. Sadly, I only had one weekend in the city so I decided to stay put. Instead of skipping town, I started my Saturday morning on a hunt for Marmite. I should explain. Earlier in the week I had met the Australian, who was also interning at the firm. One thing led to another and before I knew it, the Marmite-Vegemite debate had reared its head. He had Vegemite, I therefore needed Marmite so that we could place them side-by-side in the kitchen for a mite-off. Continue reading “Dusseldorf Part Three: the Königsallee, Old Town and a Kunstsammlung”

20th-29th August 2014

My stay in Dusseldorf quickly settled into a routine and I loved my time at the company I was working at. It was friendly and sociable, not to mention it had fantastic views of the River Rhine and the surrounding city. Although I spent my days working, the company also put on some out-of-office activities which meant I got the chance to visit the Landtag (i.e. the state parliament) and local courts. Everything was held in German but between my fellow interns kindly helping me to translate and my basic knowledge of the language, I managed to get a general gist of what was going on and my listening slowly improved. Continue reading “Dusseldorf Part Two: the Landtag and the Medienhafen”

18-19 August 2014

Despite having travelled quite a bit, before my trip to Dusseldorf, I’d never travelled alone. Sure I’d flown alone, I’d stayed in hostels alone and I’d spent time off by myself but I always had a friendly face close by.

Continue reading “Dusseldorf Part One: Hotel Living”