Dusseldorf vs. Cologne
 

I will be spending one night in Dusseldorf/Cologne. My flights are using DUS airport. For such a quick trip, which of the two cities would you recommend staying in for some nice sightseeing and good eats? This will be mid-week travel.

On a related note, are there any particular hotels you recommend?

(I did a search, but these questions don't seem to get any threads).

you can take the train (www.db.de) directly from dus airport to cologne main station (hauptbanhof) in 40 minutes

dus is a commercial city, the most interesting things are the konigsalee (main shopping street-but you can see similar things in other large cities) and the altstadt- old city, with restaurants and boutique-y shops. fine museums, too

the hotel scene is poor- the steigenberger is old and ratty

the crowne plaza is, i think, the best in downtown and walkable everywhere

there is a maritim at the airport which is convenient if you have an early flite

cologne is an old roman city- ruins, history, and a giant cathedral- more interesting, i think, than dus

but beware the hotel ernst- in the shadows of the cathedral- the bonging of the gongs will keep you up all nite

each city has its local brands and types of beer- like kolsch or weissbier - just ask what the locals drink

and beware of schweinhaxe!- it's a platter of a huge pigs foot with sauerkraut and stuff- it sits in your stomach for days- not good for traveling

whatever you do, make sure you are not in either city when there is a "messe" or trade fair- the cities will be jammed

Cologne gets my vote.

Definately Cologne.

Köln is the place. Definitely.

Don't try to order Kölsch in Düsseldorf or Alt in Köln, though. (Kölsch is the special beer in Köln and it tastes like Bud. Alt is a dark lager.)

Don't be afraid to try the Schweinehaxe for god's sake. It's one of my favorite dishes.

The best hotel in Köln is Im Wasserturm.

Best

Dusseldorf for the beer
Cologne for everything else

The definitive answer is Koeln. Try the Koelsch in its cute little glasses (no time for it to get warm) and take a long walk (or walks) through the old city. Eat anything german that you can find (a) to see whether it is to your liking or (b) to be able to complain about the food....

All the best in Germany.


Bodo ^

Koeln gets my vote. It is a nice city with lots to see and do. The cathedral is excellent and so are museums.
For food, just do a little exploring. If it is Saturday they might have an outdoor market where you could get a bratwurst and beer.
Enjoy your time there. It is a fun city to visit.
Gajules

Nonsense. Dusseldorf is much better. It's a party town, and is full of great looking women, many of whom are fashion models.

M8

For your purposes, I suppose either will do - however, Cologne does have the cathedral, so that alone would determine it for me (if you've never been). They are both party towns, with TONS of bars/pubs, and you can get any type of food anywhere. Keep in mind though that Cologne was completely destroyed in WWII, so that what remains of the old city is nice, but the rest is u g l y.

the beer is much better in Dusseldorf, and I think that walking in the old town and by the river is nicer. The cathedral in koln is pretty spectacular. dusseldorf has much better night life, and a better resterount area - more better places in a smaller area.

koln has a world class archeological museum and a very good art museum. dusseldorf has 3 or 4 very good art museums - if you like german art of the early 20th century, dusseldorf is the place. if you like antiquities, koln.

Dusseldorf also has a classy, cosmopolitan feeling.

Cologne/Koln for all the reasons stated by posters above.

The cathedral is nice, and there is a lot of lore on how it survived the bombing. Kinda like St. Paul's in London. Dusseldorf has a nice cathedral also, but it is not as magnificent. Nevertheless, I would still choose Dusseldorf, overall I just prefer the ambience there.

M8

Thanks, everyone, for such helpful responses. The first few all voted for Cologne, so I thought, "Well, that's an easy decision, then!" But then I saw the responses in favor of Dusseldorf. Darn you all for being so knowledgeable! ;)

If I decide to go to Cologne, would you recommend the Four Points Sheraton? I found a rate of 97 Euros per night, including taxes and breakfast.

cologne for the beer and for the rest