Altstadt and Bolkerstraße

The Altstadt, or Old Town, is the compact heart of Düsseldorf in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and is often nicknamed "the longest bar in the world" for its density of pubs. Bolkerstraße is its main artery, running from the Rhine side towards Heinrich-Heine-Allee, with side streets such as Flinger Straße, Hunsrückenstraße and Kurze Straße adding more restaurants, galleries and shops. By day the area is a pleasant, walkable quarter of narrow lanes, cobbled squares and gabled façades, with the Marktplatz and the Rathaus at its centre and the Rhine promenade a few steps west. Visitors typically spend 1.5 to 3 hours here, longer if they plan a full Brauhaus round. The defining local experience is Altbier, the copper-coloured top-fermented beer served in small 0.25-litre glasses by blue-aproned waiters called Köbes, who keep refilling until a beer mat is placed on top of the glass. Traditional Brauhäuser such as Uerige, Schumacher, Füchschen and Schlüssel each brew their own version and serve hearty Rhenish food, including Rheinischer Sauerbraten, Himmel un Ähd and Haxe. A glass costs roughly EUR 2.50 to 3.50. Photo angles worth seeking out include the Bolkerstraße façades at dusk when the neon signs come on, the view down Mertensgasse, and the Rhine embankment at sunset. Crowds are lightest on weekday afternoons, when the lanes feel local and tables are easy to find. From Thursday evening to Saturday night the quarter fills with students, office parties and stag groups, and standing room at the Brauhäuser can be the only option. During Karneval in February and at the Rheinkirmes in July the Altstadt becomes extremely crowded. Because the quarter is a mix of tourist-oriented bars and long-established local houses, visitors who want the traditional experience usually head for the older breweries rather than the busiest strip of Bolkerstraße. Pickpocketing is an occasional issue in packed bars, so bags should be kept close.