A thriving cultural center in North Rhine-Westphalia, Düsseldorf is a lively uni-versity town that’s renowned for its artistry and fashion. It’s home to excellent museums and art galleries, as well as a sumptuous Baroque palace and one of Germany’s most exclusive shopping strips.

Wander along the elegant shopping strip of the Königsallee that is lined with de-signer boutiques and luxury shopping arcades, as well as upmarket restaurants and cafes. It stretches along the edge of Düsseldorf’s Old Town moat, extending from the Graf-Adolf-Platz to the magnificent Triton Fountain.

Another beautiful spot to wander is along the Embankment Promenade, a tree-lined pedestrian and cycle path that follows the Rhine River. It connects Düssel-dorf’s Parliament buildings with the atmospheric Old Town, which centers around the Marktplatz and its imposing Town Hall. Admire the Schlossturm, which is all that remains from the castle that once dominated the city, with the tower now housing one of Germany’s oldest maritime museums.

Explore Düsseldorf’s vibrant artistic culture at the Museum Kunstpalast, which boasts works dating from the 3rd century BC all the way through to modern masterpieces. Rare Italian Baroque pieces and Helmut Hentrich glassworks are on display, together with prominent paintings by Salvador Dali and Andy War-hol.

Also of note is the North Rhine-Westphalia Art Collection, which is spread across three different locations in the city. Step inside the polished black granite architecture of K20 in Grabbeplatz where the modern art collection is housed, then admire the installations, sculpture and film works on display in the 19th-century Ständehaus.

For some of the best views of Düsseldorf, head to the 240-meter-tall Rheinturm Tower that stands near the Frank O. Gehry-designed office buildings of Media Harbor. These modern marvels are juxtaposed against beautifully restored ware-houses of the city’s old river port and freight yards, as well as rail tracks that have been protected as historical monuments.