DUEsseldorf as a Student City: Leisure and Entertainment
Take a guided tour around the city, wander through the old parts of Duesseldorf, dating back to the 16th century or have a look at the new and exciting architecture in the redevelopment area around the old harbour (Medienhafen). Take a boat trip up or down the Rhine, or have a picnic on the beach by the Rhine.
Highlights of Duesseldorf life are the highly traditional seasonal events. There is Carnival around February/March, a celebration that has the whole of the city out and about in the streets. The open-air season of outdoor markets, fairs and cinema shows culminates in a huge fun fair (Kirmes) on the banks of the Rhine in July. Towards the end of the year the Christmas Market (Weihnachtsmarkt) with all its lights and stalls makes the colder and darker season more than bearable.
The Tourist Information Centre at the main station offers a range of leaflets and brochures to help you find your way around Duesseldorf and the many attractions it has to offer.
To find out what is happening in and around Duesseldorf, have a look in one of the local daily newspapers (Rheinische Post, Westdeutsche Zeitung, Neue Rhein Zeitung – also on-line).
General information on events is also listed at:
duesseldorf-tourismus.de
wdr.de
wdr.de/studio
antenneduesseldorf.de
einslive.de
There are also posters and pamphlets around the campus, especially in the Mensa. In the foyer of the HHU-AStA are free magazines with daily listings, articles and cinema programs, such as "coolibri", "smag" (for the Rhine-Ruhr region), and "Uberblick - Uni-Special".
The monthly magazines "Prinz", "Duesseldorf im Uberblick" and the "Duesseldorfer Hefte" provide a guide to interesting events, concerts, plays and shows.
Campus news is brought to you by the campus radio station on 91.1 MHz live every day from 8.00 to 12.00 and again in the evening.
hochschulradio.de
Music
Classical music is played at the Tonhalle and the Oper, big rock and pop concerts at the PhilipsHalle and the Zakk. There are also lots of smaller venues where all kinds of music is performed.
Museums and Exhibitions
The "museum kunst palast" consists of several art museums offering renowned and interesting collections of old and modern art as well as special exhibitions. The Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, for example, has a collection of 20th century art which is one of the best in Germany.
Films
There are several cinemas in Duesseldorf - some are large, mainstream ones (UFA-Palast and UCI), while some smaller ones offer a sophisticated choice of films, in particular the Black Box with interesting retrospectives. Program information is provided by the free magazine "Biograph" and at biograph-online.de
Theatres
Duesseldorf's municipal theatres, the Oper and the Schauspielhaus, are complemented by a variety of independent theatres and comedy clubs.
Sports
There is a wide choice of activities offered during the semester and most of them are free for students. A brochure is available at the Sportreferat on the ground floor of Building 23.31, giving details of what is happening where and when.
Also Hochschulsport
Join the crowds at the Rheinstadion to watch soccer or American Football games. Ice hockey, tennis and golf are also very popular in Duesseldorf.
Shopping
There are plenty of small, exclusive and expensive shops in Duesseldorf, catering for every taste and whim, but definitely the larger purse. Elegant shopping complexes attract shoppers from the region and beyond. There are bargains to be had as well, and looking for them can be as much fun as window shopping on one of the most expensive avenues in Germany, the Konigsallee, usually shortened to "Kop". Visiting the many flea markets is definitely one of Duesseldorf's leisure activities.
For your general food shopping larger and cheaper supermarket stores, such as "Aldi", "Plus", "minimal" and "real" (tram 707 to Bilk S-Bahnhof) may be a better choice. Fresh fruit and vegetables are on offer at the open-air market on Carlsplatz.
Duesseldorf has many international food stores, such as Turkish, Asian and African shops, as well as general delicatessens, where you can buy prepared food as well as cooking ingredients.
Shopping on weekends needs to be accomplished by 18.00 on Saturdays, because most shops then close until Monday. Some stay open until 20.00 on Saturdays.
Pubs and Bars
The old part of town is famous not only for its historical buildings but also for the number of bars or pubs concentrated in this area. They sell the traditional Duesseldorf beer, Alt, but also beers from around the world. Pubs and bars are situated not only in the Altstadt, but all over Duesseldorf. You will soon find the one that you feel most at home in.
