This weekend wasn't exactly the weekend of my life. I flew to Düsseldorf to visit my aunt and uncle, who live about an hour's drive south of Düsseldorf. I spent Friday and Saturday morning there. So far, so good.

But then I return my rental car to the airport, and the employee finds a scratch that I did not cause (!!) and that was simply impossible to see in the poorly lit garage, despite a thorough inspection. And that's in addition to the fact that I booked ‘without excess’ online through a cheap broker, but then still had to sign for an 800 euro excess with the car rental company.
In summary: Everything turned out well in the sense that I have to pay for the damage to the car rental company, which I did not cause but unfortunately was not noted beforehand, but the car broker will reimburse me for this amount. Who knows how long that will take, but the main thing is that it will happen.

But: My mood on Saturday morning was at rock bottom. The rainy weather in Düsseldorf didn't help matters either. So I rushed to the Lufthansa counter with my flight booking and wanted to rebook my flight and fly home immediately.

Note: If you book a cheap, non-refundable flight, it cannot be rebooked. Apparently, my pained expression made the employee at the counter feel sorry for me, but there was nothing she could do. I would have to book a new flight. I quickly checked the prices – definitely not.

So I put my annoyance aside and made my way to Düsseldorf Central Station with my suitcase. And I decided one thing: if my time in Düsseldorf was going to start off so annoyingly, then I would forego my planned sightseeing and just enjoy myself for 24 hours. As compensation, so to speak. And THAT is perfectly possible in this city, which I had only visited once briefly many years ago.

24h self-treatment in Dusseldorf

Hotel Lady Astor

Since I was travelling alone, I looked for a hotel that

• attractive due to its location,
• offers the most affordable single rooms possible
• and at the same time has something special about it.

And with the Hotel Lady Astor, I hit the jackpot! Only a 7-minute walk from Düsseldorf Central Station, it is very easy to reach. It takes a good 10 minutes to walk to the city centre, but you can also use public transport.

The hotel itself is located on a quiet side street and is quite inconspicuous from the outside. I rang the bell at the Lady Astor Hotel, but was directed across the street to the Sir Astor Hotel, where my room was located. The staff was very friendly, and since I was too early to check into my room, I was able to leave my suitcase in storage.

My single room was small but perfectly adequate and delightfully furnished. I felt as if I were moving into a cottage in England. The bathroom was stocked with shampoo, shower gel, cotton pads and cotton buds for free use, there was a small piece of cake under a miniature cake dome on the desk, and a piece of chocolate lay on the bed, along with a nice card from the maid.
In short: I immediately feel welcome.

I skipped breakfast in favour of exploring Düsseldorf's breakfast cafés. But it smelled delicious. The surcharge for this is €9 per person.

After checking out at 9:00 the next day, it was again no problem to leave my suitcase at the hotel until I departed.

The only minor drawback is that the pipes are completely uninsulated. So if someone in the room next door or above you takes a shower or flushes the toilet, it's really loud. If you're sensitive to noise, you should pack earplugs.

Otherwise, I highly recommend it. I would gladly stay here again anytime.

On to the highlight: the market at Carlsplatz

As you already know from my articles about Berlin, Venice and London I am a total market freak. When I discover a great market in a foreign city, I don't need any more sights. And that's how I felt about the market at Düsseldorf's Carlsplatz. Under one roof, market stalls are packed tightly together, offering fresh vegetables, brightly coloured flowers, fresh meat, sausages, cheese and restaurants, from wine bars to steak houses to patisseries. You can easily spend hours here, and that's exactly what I did. I ate my way through a glass of Riesling, oysters, a perfectly cooked ribeye steak and beautiful mirror-glazed pralines, taking photo after photo in between. And to add to this enjoyable time, the people of Dusseldorf are not only very nice, but also very funny. The frequently asked question ‘Are you from Austria?’ was always answered with a friendly smile and stories from their last holiday in Austria.

Note: We Austrians could learn a lot from this friendliness towards German tourists in Austria.

Carlsplatz is located right next to Dusseldorf's old town and is therefore a must-see for visitors to Düsseldorf from Monday to Saturday.

Strolling & shopping in the old town

On 10 November, it was already feeling very Christmassy in Dusseldorf. Although the Christmas lights weren't yet shining above the streets, the huge shopping centres such as Kaufhof, Karstadt and Schadow Galerien & Co more than made up for it. One shop after another that I would have loved to buy out. Luckily, I'm moving to Thailand for several months in two weeks, so my self-control is at its peak right now. Why buy winter clothes and shoes when I'll soon be enjoying 35°C every day?

But I did treat myself to one thing: a bright red lipstick and lip liner from MAC Cosmetics in Galeria Kaufhof. I should mention that I never wear lipstick. Never, ever. Although I would love to. I have always admired women who wear this gorgeous colour on their even more gorgeous lips. But the time was right and the day had come, and the lovely make-up artist at MAC not only gave me excellent advice, but also did my make-up beautifully (if the stuff wasn't so expensive, I would have bought the foundation and that gorgeous blush too). And even though I felt like I had a bright arrow pointing at me, no one looked at me funny. I enjoyed it. And now I'm a fan of red lips. I hope I dare to do it again!
(And I hope I get it back: I left my suitcase on the train on the way home from Vienna Airport.)

Manicure: super cheap & super good

With my chic red lips, I frowned at my severely neglected nails. And after a quick Google search, I discovered that Düsseldorf city centre not only has plenty of nail salons, but they are also super cheap! I can totally recommend American Nails & Spa, where I got an appointment for a manicure + nail polish right after calling, and that for an unbelievable €17. Since then, I've been walking around with perfect nails and wish I had the same shop in my hometown.

Asian dinner

In the evening, I was really in the mood for Asian food. And as I saw on my way from the hotel to the city centre, there is one Asian restaurant after another on Klosterstraße. So I made my way to the hotel and noticed that there were long queues in front of the restaurants! Here, people wait outside until the next table is free. Perfect for solo travellers, by the way: a single person can be seated quickly and easily.

By chance, I decided on Takumi No. 3, a Japanese ramen restaurant. Incidentally, I learned that Düsseldorf is home to Germany's largest Japanese community. That's definitely a good reason to visit a Japanese restaurant.
And it was so delicious! My huge ramen was not only excellent value for money due to its size, but it was also simply delicious. I had a beer with it, because we are in Düsseldorf, after all. Afterwards, I dragged my well-filled belly back to the hotel after visiting the market and restaurant.

Healthy breakfast in a hipster café

Even though the smell of fresh pastries woke me up in my room on Sunday, I bravely resisted the temptation and the receptionist's serious attempts to persuade me, and after checking out, I made my way to Café Greentrees in Unterbilk. On the one hand, I really love these healthy and fresh hipster breakfast options, and on the other hand, they are so photogenic!

The Greentrees did not disappoint me in any way. Ultra-photogenic, healthy and delicious breakfast. Fortunately, I wasn't the only one taking photos of my cappuccino, homemade buckwheat granola with yoghurt and fruit, and freshly squeezed ‘Yolo with Yellow’ juice from every angle.

Incidentally, the restaurant is self-service, at least when it comes to ordering and paying. It took me quite a while to figure that out. Across from me, another visitor was sitting alone at her table, and she hadn't understood either. A sign or some information for first-time visitors would have been helpful. But luckily, I didn't instantly die of starvation. 🙂

Minimal-Sightseeing

Even if you don't want to go sightseeing, you will (fortunately) automatically pass by the most important landmarks. Thanks to my visit to Greentrees, I ended up right at the foot of the Rhine Tower after a five-minute walk and took photos of myself walking back to the old town along the Rhine promenade.

People look at me strangely when I take out my lens ball (aka crystal ball). I don't think they can quite figure out whether I'm a clairvoyant or just crazy. And that I also take photos through it. Who cares, I think to myself, and I also unpack my tripod, which looks like a selfie stick when folded up. True to the motto: I'm a tourist, think what you want of me.

The Rhine promenade with its view of three bridges, the Rhine Tower, the Ferris wheel and the castle tower is definitely highly recommended, not least because the nearest restaurant is never far away. From my last short visit to Düsseldorf, I remember that in summer, everyone who likes to soak up the sun gathers here on the lawns. It was too cold and wet for that in November, but it's definitely a reason to visit this pretty and friendly city again when the weather is warm. Maybe then I'll manage to write a ‘real’ city report, and not just another one about food, drink and cosmetics. 😄