Art is one of the real reasons to come here. Kunstpalast at the Ehrenhof holds around 130,000 objects spanning 11 centuries, of which roughly 800 hang in a chronological route through 49 rooms, and its glass collection is among the most important anywhere, with more than 1,500 exhibits on show.

Kunstsammlung NRW is split across two buildings. K20 at Grabbeplatz covers the twentieth century, including a comprehensive Paul Klee group alongside German Expressionism, Cubism, and Surrealism, while K21 in the Ständehaus shows contemporary work. The collection began in 1961 with the purchase of 88 Klee paintings. The Kunstakademie sits close by.

Almost 15,000 Japanese residents live in and around Dusseldorf, the largest Japanese community in Germany and the third largest in Europe after London and Paris, with around 410 Japanese companies based here.

The result sits between the main station and the city center, along Immermannstraße and its side streets. Ramen bars, izakaya, bakeries, supermarkets, and bookshops fill a compact few blocks. West of the center, the EKŌ-Haus of Japanese Culture carries the same thread, and the Japanese Garden in Nordpark was a gift from the city's Japanese community in 1975. Japan-Tag brings fireworks over the Rhine each year.

Dusseldorf is manageable with children because distances stay short and parks are everywhere. The Aquazoo Löbbecke Museum in Nordpark combines a zoo, an aquarium, and a natural history museum under one roof, with around 500 animal species.

Nordpark adds three playgrounds and the Japanese Garden next door. Kunstpalast keeps rooms designed for children, and the Rheinkirmes funfair takes over the Oberkassel Rhine meadows for 10 days each July with free admission and closing fireworks. Between those, the riverfront walk gives everyone space to move.