DÜSSELDORF without barriers www.duesseldorf-barrierefrei.de reha team West RememberWir bringen Hilfen the Smiley... ...when physical limitations or medical complaints lead to a situation in which aids are required for coping with day-to-day life or when a loved one becomes in need of care, you can be sure that we will be there for you. With a large range of different products, we improve quality of life. High-performance service and competent counselling ensure a barrier-free and autonomous life. We would be happy to assist you in handling the required formalities. rreehhaa tteeaamm WWeesstt WWeWirir Providebringenbringen Help HilfenHilfen In der Steele 25-45 · 40599 Düsseldorf Also in Krefeld, Mönchengladbach, Jüchen, Duisburg and Kempen Switchboard number 0800/0091420 · www.rtwest.de Your strong team of specialists DÜSSELDORF without barriers Information on the barrier-free contents Welcome 2 of this brochure: Arrival The symbols used aim to give an overview and help with 4 orientation. They do not constitute a valuation nor do Central station 5 they stand for officially certified barrier-free accessibility according to DIN norms or other standards. Airport 6 Apart from the descriptions of the individual facilities, Public transport 8 there are symbols referring to other information relevant to your accessibility requirements. The side transfer area Parking 10 stated in the text indicates free space in cm (width x Tourist Information Offices depth) available beside the objects (e.g. toilets). Direc- 13 tions such as “right” or “left” are given from the perspec- Accommodation 14 tive of looking towards the object. ”Public transport” al- ways discribes the distance to the nearest accessible Site plan of Accommodation 15 metro, bus or tram station. Eating & drinking 22 More information: www.duesseldorf-barrierefrei.de City tours & boat tours 26 Tourist attractions 28 Tip: Offers of outstanding quality with regard to Old Town, Rhine embankment promenade, accessibility, or that promise an extraordinary Königsallee 29 experience, are marked with a cartwheeler. MedienHafen, Kaiserswerth, Rhine Tower 30 State Parliament, Carlstadt 31 Churches in the Old Town 32 Inner city map 34 Persons with a Wheelchair users walking impairment Culture 36 Museums 37 Benrath Palace 43 Theatres & stages 44 Visually impaired Blind persons persons Shopping 50 Leisure 56 Events 59 Hearing-impaired Deaf persons Annual events 59 persons Event locations 61 Messe Düsseldorf trade fair 62 Service 64 Persons with learning Imprint 68 difficulties Ladies and Gentlemen, dear readers, Düsseldorf stands for well-being, discoveries and experiences – a city that has something to offer to everyone. It is elegant, hospitable, with the joie de vivre typical of the Rhineland, a city with traditions that are lovingly upheld. Messe Düsseldorf, the trade fair, has been organising specialised fairs on the topics of medical care and rehabilitation for decades. MEDICA, now the world’s biggest medical fair, and REHACARE, the international specialised fair for disabled persons and those in need of care, are currently the two leading events in this sector. The growing importance of being able to travel without barriers is an important issue at and beyond the fair. Making Düsseldorf accessible and a tangible experience for all is the ambitious long-term objective of the North Rhine-Westphalian state capital. On the initiative of Düsseldorf Marketing & Tourismus GmbH, a big step ahead has been made with this brochure: “Düsseldorf without barriers” is a comprehensive factual appraisal on barrier-free travel in the Rhine metropolis. This second, up- dated edition contains information on hotels, on transport and the gastronomy in the Altstadt (Old Town) as well as on accessibility of museums and other attractions and leisure facilities – of which Düsseldorf has a wide choice. Our beautiful city is famous and loved particularly for its fashion, shopping and culture. The big international designers present their labels on Königsallee, the shopping boulevard lined by chestnut trees – one of the most luxurious in Europe. Just a few metres from there is the historic Altstadt (Old Town) with more than 260 pubs and restaurants and well known for its Altbier (dark, top- fermented beer). At the Rathaus (city hall) in the Altstadt, a tactile map of the city centre is available for people with visual impairments to help find their way to the sites of countless cultural attrac- tions. More than two dozen museums, almost twenty theatres, many concert halls and around a hundred galleries make Düsseldorf an international metropolis of art and culture. The architectural highlight is the MedienHafen, with the prominent Rhine Tower and the Gehry buildings. As you can see, Düsseldorf has a lot to offer. We trust you will benefit from the information and tips in this brochure, in order to be able to discover and wholeheartedly enjoy Düsseldorf’s diversity. We look forward to your visit. Yours, Dirk Elbers Lord Mayor of the State Capital Düsseldorf DÜSSELDORF without barriers 2 Welcome to Düsseldorf! access to those facilities in Düsseldorf that are of relevance to tourists. DMT was In this brochure, we happily give advice supported in the publication of the and encouragement to disabled people on brochure by Messe Düsseldorf, the trade how to stay in our city with as few bar- fair, and by the Department for Economic riers as possible. Part of this, alongside Promo tion of the state capi tal Düsseldorf. the most attractive tourist sights and services, is also information on barrier- Nationale Koordinationsstelle Tourismus free accommodation and public transport. für Alle e.V. (NatKo) – the central contact point for concerns about barrier-free tou- Düsseldorf Marketing & Tourismus GmbH rism for all in Germany – was commissi- (DMT) offers city tours in German sign oned to collect data by DMT. Through ex- language and also has guides who have tensive research, it has compiled all been specifically trained in respect of tours relevant information for barrier-free ac- for blind people, those with walking cess in Düsseldorf with regard to tourist disabilities and wheelchair users. services, and has processed it for its tar- get group. Tourist information at the main train sta tion and in the Altstadt (Old Town) has step- This second edition of the brochure intro- free access and lower-lying counters. In duces only some of the tourist partners addition, DMT staff has been sensitised to and does not claim to speak for all. We the needs of these target groups, through would appreciate any further suggestions attendance at NatKo seminars. of barrier-free offers by our partners, to include in the next edition. The brochure These services have the aim of making has been designed with barrier-free your stay in our city even more pleasant aspects in mind. and exciting. Get our guides to give you Further information can be found online at tips and recommendations and find out www.visitduesseldorf.de why Düsseldorf was recently again voted one of the cities with the highest quality Special offers for barrier-free travel of life worldwide (Mercer Human Resource can be found at Consulting, 2011). www.duesseldorf-barrierefrei.de With “Düsseldorf Without Barriers”, the DMT is offering disabled people a brochure with extensive information about www.duesseldorf-barrierefrei.de 3 DÜSSELDORF without barriers DÜSSELDORF Short distances Düsseldorf lies centrally in the heart of Europe. Boasting an excellent 9 million residents 30 million residents 148 million residents Kurze Wege transport network, the state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia can easily be reached in many ways. A dense network of motorways, Düsseldorf Düsseldorf liegt zentral im Herzen Europas. Die NRW-Landeshauptstadt ist perfekt an die Verkehrsnetze angebunden und auf vielen Wegen erreichbar. Ein dichtes Autobahnnetz, der stadtnahe Flughafen Düsseldorf International als größter Flughafen NRWs und der Hauptbahnhof mit zahlreichen ICE- und internationalen Verbindungen ermöglichen eine angenehme und einfache Anreise. Mit der U-Bahn gelangen Touristen in nur wenigen Minuten vom Hauptbahnhof in die Altstadt und an den Rhein. International as the largest airport in NRW close to the city centre, and the city’s central railway station with numerous ICE and international connections make it convenient and easy to travel to Düsseldorf. The underground only takes a few minutes from the central station to the Altstadt (Old Town) and the river Rhine. 50 km 150 km 500 km 4 Arrival Düsseldorf central station 170 long distance trains and 900 Contact Disabled parking re gion al trains serve Düsseldorf Your arrival and departure by Car park at central station, east central station daily. German Rail side Its main hall is accessible without Mobility service centre of Deutsche Bertha-von-Suttner-Platz 8 steps, the floor and platform have Bahn AG: Level 1: 2 spaces tactile guide strips. Phone 01805 512512* Level 2: 3 spaces Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Level 4: 3 spaces The foremost information Saturday, Sunday and German Headroom 200 cm point is the DB Information nation al holidays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Rear entrance in the entrance hall at Konrad-Ade- Bertha-von-Suttner-Platz nauer-Platz, which is open around Hearing- and speech-impaired per- 3 parking spaces the clock. It offers an induction loop sons may book assistance via fax for hearing-impaired persons and a no. 01805 159357* Disabled toilets barrier-free counter. The DB Reise- (*0.14 €/min. from German land- Passage