Düsseldorf in the North West of Germany is a great spot for a long weekend away
I was fortunate enough a couple of years ago of getting a summer internship at Henkel in Dusseldorf. During the four months I worked there, I was able to really explore the town and get a taste of the North-Rhein Westfalen (NRW). Coming directly from Montpelier in the South of France where I had spent my Erasmus year, I did not really know what to expect. I was also concerned that my yet non existent German would be a major obstacle. However, I was pleasantly surprised that Dusseldorf turned out to be a real European metropolitan city. This was a far cry from the stereotypes I heard about the region being covered in ash from the coal mines and incomprehensible English from the locals.
It does tend to be a stereotype that all Germans speak good English, but I was surprised to find most people were friendly and able to communicate quite well in English. Even though if you say this to them, they tend to refute this straight away in a “no this is not possible” kind of way. Luckily enough though after a few weeks I learnt a few essential survival phrases such as how to order a coffee and ask where things are in a supermarket. But if you are just going for a weekend and you don’t speak any German this will not be a problem. it only gets more difficult once you venture out of Dusseldorf into surrounding cities such as Bochum, Dortmund and Essen.
Dusseldorf in this region is viewed as rather posh and slightly snobbish by the surrounding cities, which is true in part due to significant amount of industry that exists in the city compared to others. There is a particularly strong rivalry between Cologne and Dusseldorf, particularly concerning local beers. One thing I love about Germany is that each region produces its own beers , as opposed to England where you are forced to choose between the same weak tasting lagers that dominate pub chains (another thing I dislike about England). A word of caution, don’t try to order a Kolsch (beer from Cologne) in Dusseldorf and likewise in Cologne if you are looking to make friends with the locals.
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