Experience

15 Reasons to Move to Düsseldorf

Posted on November 16, 2018 by Ankia Wolf | Share this post on

The 6th highest living standard in the world, a super accessible location, an emerging tech culture, affordable living, a multicultural foodie scene, lazy cruises on the Rhine and day trips to the winelands ─ this is just a glimpse of the perks that life in Düsseldorf offers its inhabitants! Whether you’re an expat looking for a new country and city to call home, or you’re a German debating whether to move to another city, we’ve compiled a nifty list of reasons to prove to you that relocating to the capital of North Rhine-Westphalia will be worth your while.

1. Rhine River

There’s a reason why so much German literature is based on the Rhine river and its mystical presence. Enjoy a view over the river from the iconic Burgplatz with a beer in hand, visit the hidden Paradiesstrand (Paradise Beach) on a sunny day, cycle along the promenade from the historic Altstadt to the modern Medienhafen, or book a river cruise to the quaint neighbourhood of Kaiserswerth ─ and you’ll see why! Since the river winds past Düsseldorf’s most central sights and suburbs, it quite literally forms the heart of the city.

2. High living standard

Did you know Düsseldorf has a higher living standard than Berlin? A recent Mercer survey about the best cities in the world to live in, proved Düsseldorf to have the 6th highest standard of living in the world ─ ranking it above many other more high profile cities. Some criteria included public transportation, health, recreation, education, crime rates, housing and natural environment. Plus, the actual living cost is lower than in many other European cities, so you literally and figuratively get more out of life if you decide to settle down here!

3. Family

The high living standard is part of what makes the city so family friendly. The variety of kindergartens, playgroups and even international schools, as well as the efficient German health system make it easier for families to move to Düsseldorf, whether it’s from within Europe or from abroad. There are also loads of family-friendly activities and attractions in and around the city, from the Grafenberger Wildpark and the Phantasialand Themepark, to museums and theaters offering special guided tours for kids. Best of all, you can get a family discount for basically everything, including transport!

 

4. Transport

On that note, the city has a ton of public transport options that will take you anywhere you need to go ─ both within the city centre (metro, tram and bus) and beyond to neighbouring cities (commuter train) like Cologne, Duisburg, Essen, Wuppertal and Dortmund. Rheinbahn, the local public transport provider, offers various tickets for regular and occasional travellers to help you save, whether you’re commuting or simply exploring the city and its surroundings. If the weather allows it, the city is also super bike-friendly and you’ll see many people cycling to work along the Rhine. If all else fails, you can check out the local MyTaxi app or simply use Uber to get around.

 

5. Size

For a city with such an extensive transport network, Düsseldorf is relatively small compared to other major cities in Germany. Many of our talents actually mention the city’s size as one of the main perks of living here, mostly because everything is so central and there is a peaceful lack of the exhausting rush that is typical of larger cities. Still, it has everything you need and more, and what you don’t find here, you’ll find in the sister city, Cologne, just a few kilometres down the Rhine.

6. Diverse neighbourhoods

Overrated as it might sound, Düsseldorf’s diverse neighbourhoods really do offer something for everyone. The city is divided into 10 districts consisting of various neighbourhoods that each has its own charm ─ there’s Düsseltal for families, Flingern for foodies, Oberkassel for the upper class, Bilk for the younger crowd… the list goes on. If staying close to the office is your first priority, we recommend looking for apartments in Hafen, Unterbilk, Bilk and Friedrichstadt. Check out this great guide by Life in Düsseldorf for more info on every hood!

7. Multicultural cuisine

Since Düsseldorf is so popular among expats and because of its cosmopolitan culture, the city is dotted with restaurants serving all kinds of cuisine. Besides the usual European options, you’ll find döners on every second street corner and you can even dig into Georgian, Ghanian and Brazilian food at selected restaurants across the city. Most noteworthy though is the city’s range of excellent Japanese restaurants, of which the majority can be found in the Japanese Quarter around Oststraße. Fun fact: Today the Japanese community in Düsseldorf is the third-largest in Europe after London and Paris! Read more about the best restaurants for international food and some of our favourite lunch spots in Düsseldorf.

8. Nightlife

Not only is the city famous for its variety of restaurants, but also for “the longest bar in the world” ─ all this really means is that the Old Town has more than 300 bars and discos of which most has a door leading to the one next door! Over weekends the Altstadt is a crazy blur of old and young enjoying local brews, birthday celebrations, and bachelor and hen parties. During the week it’s distinctly quieter, but it still has a lively vibe that makes it the ideal place to grab a drink after a busy day at work. If you prefer a classier setting, the Medienhafen’s sky bars and riverside restaurants might be more to your taste.

9. Events and Festivals

Düsseldorf has become quite a hub for major events and regular festivals taking place throughout the year. The highlight, Karneval, is one of the biggest and most spectacular carnivals in Europe and is such a big deal that many companies, trivago included, give their employees the day off to celebrate! Besides Carnival there’s always an occasion to celebrate something, whether it’s cultural, gastronomical or seasonal ─ from Christmas markets and gourmet food fairs, to Japanese (Japan Day) and French (France Festival) themed festivals! The Düsseldorf Messe (trade fair grounds) also attracts thousands of visitors from all over the globe for trade fairs related to art, medical tech, beauty, wine, food and travel, to mention a few. There really is just no excuse to be bored over a weekend or even during the week!

10. Art and Architecture

Art you an art or history buff? Then you’ll feel right at home! Düsseldorf has 26 museums and more than 100 galleries that include the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen (Art Collection North Rhine-Westphalia), the Museum Kunstpalast and the NRW-Forum (North Rhine-Westphalia Forum for Culture and Business) ─ top sightings here include artworks from well-known artists such as Matisse, Picasso and Warhol! If you plan on regularly visiting art galleries and museums in and around Düsseldorf, consider investing in a so-called Art Card that you can buy at online or at the tourism office. Lastly, the city’s Medienhafen also boasts some impressive post-modern architecture of which Neuer Zollhof, designed by Frank Gehry (famous for designing the Walt Disney Concert Hall in LA, Dancing House in Prague and Guggenheim in Spain), is most notable.

11. Shopping

Known as the ‘fashion’ capital of Germany, Düsseldorf is often called a shopper’s paradise that offers all kinds of diverse shopping experiences. There’s the exclusive Königsallee with its luxury brands, Schadowstraße with its variety of mid-range and department stores, Carlstadt’s jewellery, fashion, home furnishing and antique shops, and the Altstadt with its specialized boutiques. On the other hand, if you just want to browse around in a more suburban setting, try shopping in the Flingern district and on Loretto Quarter in Unterbilk. Thanks to the city’s many malls, shopping is the perfect way to kill some time when the weather is bad. On a sunny day, stop by the Carlsplatz market for fresh produce, flowers and all kinds of local delicacies.

12. Emerging tech culture

Ever wondered why Düsseldorf is home to our trivago headquarters? It’s actually a little known fact that the city is emerging as a hub of entrepreneurial innovation and tech ─ many large brands and technology companies have offices here now and innovative tech start-ups are popping up all over the place. There is even a week-long event dedicated to startups called Startup-Woche where entrepreneurs can network with experts, potential investors and other companies to drive their business ideas forward. Besides that, many local companies host meetups to bring tech talents, from data scientists to software engineers, together to share their knowledge and be inspired. Read more about our tech camp, hackathons and contributions to other tech events!

13. Sports

Located right in the middle of the sport-obsessed Rhein-Ruhr region, Düsseldorfers flock not only to the football, but also the Ice Hockey, Handball and Basketball. The 55,000 capacity Merkur Spiel-Arena is home to the mighty Fortuna Düsseldorf. Promoted back to the first tier of German football in 2018, Fortuna have a loyal fanbase who can be found in full voice, draped in red and white at every home game. The Merkur Spiel-Arena also hosts multiple events throughout the year, and even held the Eurovision in 2011! Fortuna not playing at home this week? Not to worry, there are a handful of world-class football teams all under an hour train ride away!

14. Winelands

Another perk of the city’s setting along the Rhine is its proximity to the scenic German winelands. Within a few hours’ drive you can reach the Pfalz and Rheinhessen regions’ most popular wine-producing towns where you can compare Riesling from the banks of the Rhine river to that of the Moselle river ─ either on a day trip or a quick weekend getaway! Even if you’re not an avid wine lover, these regions are still worth the visit, since every single town either has its own castle or is surrounded by scenery that will make you feel like you jumped straight into the fairytale books from your childhood.

15. Location

Do you suffer from serious wanderlust? Then you’re in luck! Düsseldorf also has a convenient location in the middle of Western Europe ─ think weekend getaways to Amsterdam, London, Brussels and Paris, or roadtrips to Poland, Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland! If you’re keen to explore more of Europe, the city is the perfect base to travel from. The airport, which is the third biggest in Germany, offers budget flights to most destinations and the local train system will help you get all around Western Europe within a few hours. Check out our guide to the best day trips from Düsseldorf and our top tips for travelling within Germany.

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All in all, Düsseldorf really is a city worth coming home to. Not convinced yet? Check out our video below!

Feature image: © davis / Fotolia