Barcelona, Bavaria, and Belfast: Dusseldorf im Deutschland

Beer drinker weather vane in
Dussledorf's Altstadt

We were sad to leave Barcelona; it has become a favorite place that we will revisit again someday. But Deutschland and its famous beerhalls were calling our names. We flew from Barcelona to Dusseldorf, Germany on an airline we had never heard of before: “Germanwings”, Lufthansa’s low cost carrier. Germanwings wants to be the high quality low cost carrier, and from what we experienced, they are really on to something.

Our brand new Airbus had simple seats that looked thinly padded but were very comfortable. Even better was the nice width of the seats and the generous legroom. Rather than nickel and dime you for every little amenity like Easy jet does (those bastards even charge you to sit together!), Germanwings offers three levels of fares. We had the comfort fare which gave us a decent checked baggage weight limit and a nice breakfast snack. The crew could not have been friendlier. This flight was light years ahead of that United flight we took over here!

Love that Altbier!

Dusseldorf was a nice, relaxed place to chill out in between Barcelona and our next stop, Oktoberfest. And a great place to get into the German lifestyle – we’re talking seriously good beer and hearty German cuisine. The Altstadt (old city) of Dusseldorf is known as “the longest bar in the world” because of its extremely high concentration of bars and restaurants. The city is also famous for its special beer, called Altbier that is still made fresh in the brauerei (breweries) of the city. We felt it was our civic duty as temporary residents to drink as much Altbier as possible!

Promenade along the Rhine

In between the beer drinking, we managed to fit in some sightseeing. Dusseldorf sits right along the Rhine, and the promenade by the river is perfect for strolling. A walking tour of the Altstadt provided a history of this city that was devastated during WWII (90% of the buildings were destroyed during the war). Today, the old city has been rebuilt using the original materials, and the new city is a modern version of the Dusseldorf of the past, and a prosperous place popular with international trade fairs.

The twisted steeple of Lambertuskirche

The Lambertuskirche (church) is famous for its twisted steeple. Legend has it that a less than virginal bride was married here, and the tower twisted in shame. Our humorous tour guide added the “fact” that the tower would fix itself if a real virgin was ever married in the church but that hasn’t happened yet, and it’s been many years in the waiting!

Even Anne loved this tasty darker brew

The Altbier really is delicious, a dark beer with excellent flavor and only a touch of bitterness. The breweries are fun places to visit, but the servers are much more interested in serving beer than in bringing out the food. They are very good at refills and will continually replace your empty glass with a full one unless you place your coaster on top of your glass! If you ask for a glass of water, you may get a smart alecky reply like, “Why? Did you want to brush your teeth? Or maybe you need it for some flowers you bought?” In Bavaria, water is not for drinking!

The incomparable Schweinehaxe

The favorite food to accompany this beer is a ridiculously large hunk of pork called Schweinehaxe. It really is delicious and much of it is bone (so it is not as gluttonous as it looks).

Schweinehaxe on the spit at
Schweine Janes

We especially enjoyed this meaty specialty at Schweine Janes where we could watch the pork roasting and turning on vertical spits next to a large open roaster. The Eisbein (another pork knuckle dish) and the Apfelstrudel mit Vanillen Sauce and Vanilla Eis are sooooo good too!!

Golden bottles of Killepitsch

Another specialty of Dusseldorf is the 42% alcohol liquor called Killepitsch. Killepitsch was concocted by two guys who dreamed up the idea while sitting in a bomb shelter during WWII. They decided that if they survived the war, they would create the greatest liquor ever, a real “lip smacker.” The drink is made with over 100 fruits and herbs, and the name comes from that night in the bomb shelter where the two founders wanted one more “pitsch” before they were killed!!

Walking along the Dussel River that runs right
through and often beneath the city

Dusseldorf was so named because it is located along the Dussel River, at the intersection of the Dussel and the Rhine. The word “dorf” in German is just a small village; hence the name - “Dussel – dorf”. The city of Cologne is located about 25 miles south of Dusseldorf along the Rhine. These two cities, Dusseldorf and Cologne, as you may have guessed are often locked in rivalry – sports, politics, arts, etc. And, even war!

Statue of Jan Wellam in front of the
well-restored City Hall

Nothing earthshattering seems to happen in Dusseldorf that we noted; it is quite the sedate town whose big claim to fame is its cobblestone Altstat ambiance, its great food items, and, of course, its magnificent beer. It’s a very “artsy” city thanks to the Italian wife of famed Dusseldorf politician Jan Wellem; while Jan governed the city, his wife brought art to Dusseldorf in the form of paintings, music, and others.

Carving of Taylor Wiebel observing his own funeral

To establish an air of interest, we found that Dusseldorfers tend to embellish on legends to prop up the fun and importance of the city. One tale we were told was the story of Taylor Wiebel. Wiebel was badmouthing Napoleon when Napoleon occupied the city, so Napoleon sent him to prison for several months. Wiebel ducked out of the sentence, by sending his butler in his stead. Well, seems the butler died in prison while serving the sentence for his boss. Napoleon gave him a funeral, and the funeral wagon passed along the alley by Wiebel’s house. Well, Wiebel (who was actually still very much alive) watched from his window above, and his words as he looked down – “what a great looking corpse I am” are recited over and over by all Dusseldorfers who know the story. They even erected a sculpted rendition of Wiebel’s face on the building where he lived.

More pics of Dusseldorf: