Dusseldorf

Dusseldorf was, I'll admit it, not at the top of my list of European citybreaks, but when my work decided to send me there, who was I to say no? And it was in fact a very pleasant surprise.

Located on the edges of The Rhine (and the Dussel river, from where it gets its name), it's a mere half an hour away from Cologne and less than two hours to Amsterdam. Our flight from London took less than an hour, almost too short for an avid in-flight magazine reader!

Dusseldorf, on the Rhine taken from the Aldstadt

Our itinerary started with an incredibly informative tour guide leading us on a tour from our brand new hotel in the Medienhafen along the (very fast-flowing) river, to the quaint Aldsadt (old town), culminating in some german fare at the oldest restaurant in town. And what is a traditional German meal without a taste of the local alcohol? A dark and quite bitter beer and 'Killerpitsch' a herbal and belly-warming spirit reminiscent of Jagermeister later, we were more than ready for some light shopping in the Konigsallee.

Frank Gehry Buildings

Large parts of Dusseldorf were razed during the wars and so one of the personal highlights for me was the resulting skyline; Gehry, Chipperfield, Foster & Partners and William Alsop,  have all had a hand in this forward-thinking city. New and odd-shaped buildings quibble for space, alongside - and sometimes incorporating - the traditional baroque buildings.

Another highlight of the trip was without doubt the huge amounts of exquisite food we devoured. A five course taster menu at INNSIDE Derendorf introduced us to the concept of 'Cuisine Vitale' where food is fresh, bio, light and stripped back to basics, bringing out the best tastes. The culinary delights continued the following night with four courses of succulent and freshly caught fish at Patrick's Seafood, a pared-back venue where the focus is the food, and only the food.

Having spent a quick 48 hours there, it's not surprise to me that Dusseldorf ranks sixth in Mercer's 'Best Cities in the World to live in'. I would certainly be happy to live there.

Hotel rooms at INNSIDE Hafen.

Views from the hotel into the Medienhafen.