Kaiserswerth

Kaiserswerth is a riverside village district in the north of Düsseldorf, centred on Kaiserswerther Markt, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was an independent town for centuries, and its character is still that of a small Rhine settlement, with narrow lanes, half-timbered and brick houses, a market square and a quiet riverbank. The main historic sight is the ruin of the Kaiserpfalz, an imperial palace founded in the 12th century under Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, whose red-brick walls stand beside the Rhine and give wide views over the river. A short walk away stands the Basilica St. Suitbertus, a Romanesque and later church that holds the shrine of Saint Suitbertus, the missionary associated with the early settlement here. Kaiserswerth is also known for the Fliedner institutions, founded in 1836 by Theodor Fliedner, a pastor who trained deaconesses there; Florence Nightingale received nursing training at the institution in the 1850s, which gives the village a notable place in the history of modern nursing. Visitors usually come for a relaxed half-day, walking from the market to the ruins, along the river, and to a cafe or beer garden. The best photos are of the ruins against the Rhine at low evening light. The village is quietest on weekday mornings, while sunny weekends bring walkers, cyclists and diners to the riverfront. The district is reached by public transport from the city centre, and the walk from the Markt to the ruins takes about ten minutes. Many sights can be seen from outside at no cost, though individual museums and churches keep their own hours.