Home » Travel Diary: 48 Hours in Düsseldorf

Travel Diary: 48 Hours in Düsseldorf

With September now over and gone I can take a moment back to reflect on what a busy month it’s been! With London Fashion Week and Vogue Fashion Night Out in Dusseldorf, Germany earlier in the month it’s been a month of couture, darling. And since I kicked off the month in Dusseldorf with all things fashion I can’t wait to tell you what I got up to!

So earlier this month I was invited by the Dusseldorf Tourism Board to spend 48 hours in Dusseldorf for Vogue Fashion Night Out. If you don’t know about Vogue Fashion Night Out it’s basically a massive shopping event that takes place in the city centre of major cities such as London, New York and Hong Kong. Stores open their doors and throw parties all night, there are fashion shows to attend and drinks galore. In other words, it’s fashion frenzy.

So who could say no to such an invitation? I packed up my bags to head out on my adventure packing the essentials such as my new Ray-Ban Clubmaster 3016 Sunglasses, my beauty essentials such as my Illuminage sleep mask, Ouai Dry Shampoo Foam and my fashion must-haves such as a leather jacket, sweater and my Tissot watch.

Ray-Ban Clubmaster 3016 Sunglasses

I headed out to Heathrow to catch my flight but not first without stopping and getting a bit of pre-flight pampering at Duty Free at the Estee Lauder counter with their Fatigue Fighter ritual which only took 3 minutes to revive, brighten and energise the eyes. I was then off to Bobbi Brown for a make-up refresh as they also do a fatigue fighting retouch which is all about how to look less tired in under 10 minutes! Honestly if you are ever in Heathrow you can just get a make-up refresh or a touch up on-the-go and it’s brilliant (you can also pre-book in as well).

Duty Free at the Estee Lauder counter with their Fatigue Fighter ritual

And because the girls at Estee Lauder had me feeling like a million bucks (literally), I went straight to Gucci and bought the Gucci Marmont handbag of my DREAMS that I had been wanting to buy for weeks! I blame it on the fact that I had extra time in the airport (okay it was actually my birthday and I had been saving for that bag).

So after getting my make-up on point and the bag of my dreams it was time to GO! I grabbed my Eurowings flight which went straight to Dusseldorf in about an hour and half – super easy to get there and the plane was nice and new-looking which was great. The flight was on time and I arrived in Dusseldorf Airport which also looks very modern and new-looking around 7pm. You can fly from London to a wide range of German destinations both cheaply and easily with Eurowings. Definitely worth checking out some flight options! 

Eurowings flight which went straight to Dusseldorf

Düsseldorf is on the Rhine river, about 30 miles north of Cologne and is known for fashion and art. It’s a wealthy city and is a mix of old and new. I couldn’t wait to explore it.

I hopped in a taxi from the airport and headed to Hotel Indigo in Victoriaplatz which was going to be my home for the next 48 hours in Dusseldorf. The hotel has a lovely boutique feel to it with fashion murals on the walls and brightly coloured accessories in the room. I liked that the room was super cosy but had a fun feel to it and a young one at that with the latest issue of Vogue magazine (German of course with Claudia Schiffer on the front), indie guides to the city and maps.

I had never stayed in a Hotel Indigo before but really liked it – they are super cute and modern with a cosy feel to them. The bed is also so soft and comfy – could have slept in that bed forever!

 Hotel Indigo in Victoriaplatz - 48 hours in Dusseldorf  Hotel Indigo in Victoriaplatz - 48 hours in Dusseldorf  Hotel Indigo in Victoriaplatz - 48 hours in Dusseldorf

Once I checked in and settled into the room it was time to go out and explore! My first night in Dusseldorf would be on my own as I wasn’t meeting the rest of the group until the next morning. I asked the hotel for their recommendations and then ended up eating a traditional dish at Himmel un Ääd which was just around the corner. The dish was right down my alley – mashed potatoes and sauerkraut topped with fried onions and sausages on the top. German soul food for sure! 

Himmel un Ääd - 48 Hours in Dusseldorf

I also ordered a local beer on draft and it was delicious. Now the funny tradition in Dusseldorf is that when your beer gets low they bring you another one without having to ask! I mean, when in Germany right? I had three beers before I had to physically stop the flow or else I wasn’t going to be able to get up in the morning. Full of delicious food and beer, I went back to the hotel to get ready for bed.

Himmel un Ääd - 48 Hours in Dusseldorf

The next morning after breakfast I met Sandra from the tourism board and Sella, a talented fashion illustrator from The Netherlands to head out to meet some other members of the team and also to have an early lunch at Sansibar, located within the luxe department store Breuninger.

Sansibar is a dream for meat eaters with delicious steaks and even North American Bison on the menu (this is what I chose!). YUM!

Sansibar, located within the luxe department store Breuninger Sansibar, located within the luxe department store Breuninger Sansibar, located within the luxe department store Breuninger

After a delicious lunch we had a quick walk through the Königsallee (main shopping area) despite the heavy rain. Dusseldorf is quite a wealthy city with lots and lots of shopping options from luxe high-end to your everyday high street shops. We were told that a lot of wealthy Middle Eastern people shopped there to avoid the crowds of London and Paris.

It was then off to Blush Hour in Dusseldorf which is a salon that does everything from hair to make-up so they could get us ready for Vogue Fashion Night Out. I had my hair done in bedhead style waves and then a smoky eye using Blush Hour’s very own make-up line. And to attest to the power of their long-lasting matte liquid lipstick it did not budge for the next 8 hours and through dinner! I even tried to find this at Jade’s (a really cool boutique in Dusseldorf) later but it wasn’t available. This stuff needs to be made available in the UK!

Blush Hour in Dusseldorf Blush Hour in Dusseldorf Blush Hour in Dusseldorf Blush Hour in Dusseldorf Blush Hour in Dusseldorf Blush Hour in Dusseldorf

Once ready we headed out in style and stopped by the Frank Gehry buildings in Dusseldorf to take a photo – definitely a sight worth seeing with what looks like a building made out of mirrors.

Frank Gehry buildings in DusseldorfFrank Gehry buildings in Dusseldorf

Dinner later was at Victorian in the Königstraße and we were met by the lovely Vanessa Basanta from Spain. We enjoyed tapas and drinks and then it was time to set out on the town for Vogue Fashion Night Out!

Victorian in the Königstraße Victorian in the Königstraße Victorian in the Königstraße

We headed first back to the luxe department store Breuninger Düsseldorf for a fashion show that showcased a different brand every hour. Mini champagne bottles were getting passed around and people really looked like they were enjoying themselves out on the town. If you are shopping for brands like Chanel, Gucci and other high-end retailers then Breuninger is for you!

Breuninger Düsseldorf

Next up we headed to the Karl Lagerfeld store. Now as you may know, Karl Lagerfeld is the creative director of Chanel and he is indeed German. Karl Lagerfeld is Karl’s own brand with funky designs and his beloved cat Choupette popping up on bags and accessories throughout his collections. We were given a new pair of amazing sunglasses as well which I will be wearing non-stop going forward!

Next up it was off to the InterContinental for a vertical fashion show which was really cool and quite a performance with people walking vertically up and down the walls of the Intercontinental. It was like an acrobatics show except with fashion!

InterContinental for a vertical fashion show InterContinental for a vertical fashion show

Our final stop for the night was back to Breuninger for a drink – I couldn’t help but thinking how much shopping I would do if given the time to wander up and down the Königsallee!

The next morning I met Sella and Vanessa after breakfast to head out into the city with our guide for a city tour. We headed first to Carlsplatz which is an open-air market where you can pick up some delicious German bread and pastries (delicious!) or a bouquet of fresh flowers. I would highly recommend having a wander around this cute area and stopping in at one of the cute cafes dotted around the market. We then wandered down to the Rathaus which is the town hall and surrounded by lots of streets with lots of shopping.

Carlsplatz Carlsplatz Carlsplatz Carlsplatz Things to see and do in Dusseldorf, Germany Things to see and do in Dusseldorf, Germany Things to see and do in Dusseldorf, Germany Things to see and do in Dusseldorf, Germany Things to see and do in Dusseldorf, Germany

However, I think if you really want to see some local flavor you should head to the Flingern district for cool boutiques, art galleries and cafes. There is a lovely relaxed feel about Flingern and it’s good to think of it as the creative hub of Dusseldorf. Sella and I were lucky to explore this place, stop in a few art galleries and have lunch outside in the sun.

If you do decide to head to Dusseldorf my recommendations are to enjoy the local cuisine which I like to call ‘German soul food’, head out to the Carlsplatz market, do some shopping on the Königsallee and don’t forget the art galleries and cool cafes of Flingern! It’s definitely worth a visit for the weekend and not far from London either!

For more information on Dusseldorf visit HERE.

Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @beautyrocksblog for all my travel adventures!  

Follow:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *