Heading to Dusseldorf for a business trip. Want to add a few days somewhere else
 

Hi All
My wife and I are heading to Dusseldorf for a quick business trip at the end of May. We'll be there for three days and then want to head somewhere else before heading back the next Saturday or Sunday and we are looking for recommendations please
We are happy to fly (Amsterdam or Paris), train or rent a car to explore more local places (Cologne, Aachen, etc)

We would be most grateful for some informed opinions please.
Thank you
Alan

Bremen?


https://flic.kr/s/aHsm1KHtSX

Will add it to
 

Thanks, Michael. We will add it to the list

Aachen and Maastricht maybe?

You can get a train to Aachen, and another to Maastricht, then bus or train back to Dusseldorf if your flight leaves from there, or train to Schiphol or Brussels.

Alternatively head down the Rhine to the Mosel valley and send a few days exploring that. A car would be good, but also think of hiring a couple of bikes to explore that way. There is an excellent bike route.

If you decide on Amsterdam, again take the train, it is faster than flying.

Koblenz, Rhine wine villages or even time on the Mosel

Well, really you could go anywhere - you have already mentioned most of the places I thought of instantly (Cologne, Bonn, Aachen, all of which get plus marks in my book). If you wanted to keep it local, you could also look at the industrial tourism in Essen and Bottrop - the former coal mine in Essen is now UNESCO world heritage. There is also nearby Monschau near the border, which is a small village whose hotels are constantly booked up at Christmas because it is so picturesque (everyone likes the Christmas market there). Further afield, Münster is quite pretty, and this might take you on the way to Bremen; before you get there, Cloppenburg has an open air museum with old farmhouses from all over north Germany. In Bremen, if you grasp the legs of the statue of the four musicians (a fairy tale), it means you will return to Bremen some day.

My daughter and I spent two days in Cologne last year (although I get to Germany about every two years for work). We especially liked the perfume museum - there are two, but we saw Farina, and the chocolate museum. Had I been with my husband we probably would have visited one of the brew pubs, but that's for next time. And if you end up doing Aachen, then yes, Maastricht also (my favourite city in the Netherlands), as a counterpoint to the German cities you will have seen.

Lavandula

thank you

thank you so much. really appreciate the detail you shared.

We lived in the Ruhr Valley (Langendreer) for a while and have relatives there. We really enjoyed Dusseldorf itself and the NRW region. A few recommendations for sightseeing in the area that are off the usual tourist radar: for a day trip, Hattingen. It's a beautiful small town dating back to the Middle Ages and one of the few spots in the region not badly damaged during WW II. https://www.hattingen-tourismus.de/e...out-hattingen/ About 90 minutes from Dusseldorf by bus and s-bahn.

If you're considering renting a car, the Munsterland water castle route is lovely, esp in late spring; it has been called the Loire Valley of Germany. You can also bike it (mostly flat or near flat terrain). https://www.nrw-tourism.com/region-
muensterland#historicalmuenster Places to visit along the route include the rose garden in Seppenrade; our fav castles were Nordkirchen and Vischering.

A third option would be Detmold in the Teutoburgerwald. The small city itself is attractive; has one of Germany's top music schools, so you're likely to hear lots of music as you stroll through town. Has a wonderful Freilichtmuseum (open air museum). https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-...Vacations.html

If you head up as far as Bremen, would suggest going a little farther to spend some time in Luebeck. https://www.visit-luebeck.com/