On our recent trip to Germany we spent one day in Düsseldorf, visiting breweries and sampling Düsseldorf's offering in the Beer vs Beer competition. The thing is, we visited Düsseldorf on a Sunday and the only thing that was open was the breweries. So that pretty much decided our itinerary in Düsseldorf.

We also did a self-guided walking tour. The route was provided by the local tourist information centre (which was open luckily). Here are some photos from our walk. I think Düsseldorf is prettier than Cologne, but that might have something to do with the fact that the sun was out while we were there. (No sunshine, only grey skies while we were in Cologne).





More photos on Flickr.

Why did we decide to visit Cologne and Düsseldorf? A while ago I read an article in the TNT about Cologne and Düsseldorf and their intercity rivalry. Not a sporting rivalry (although I'm sure football matches between the two cities would be hotly contested) but a beer rivalry. Cologne and Düsseldorf both brew a special version of beer and both cities think that theirs is best. I filed the TNT tip away for future travel inspiration. A weekend away which focuses on beer (and a schnitzel or two); it sounded like fun.

And it was fun. In Cologne we visited 4 breweries (Peters Brauhaus, Früh, Gaffel Haus and Brauhaus Sion). In Düsseldorf we visited 3 breweries (Uerige, Brauerei im Füchschen and Zum Schlüssel). We ate schnitzel, spätzle and apple strudel. We played Fluxx (Andrew cheated). It was fun.


Beers are served in small glasses, only 200ml, called Stange (poles). Because the glasses are so small they are also jokingly referred to as test tubes or thimbles. I really liked the small glasses. It was much more manageable than the litre steins that beer is served in at Oktoberfest. It also means that you can have a few glasses without getting too tipsy. It was amusing to see big burly German men drinking from dainty 200ml glasses.


So which beer is better?

Cologne produces a lager-style light-coloured beer called Kölsch. It is less bitter than a standard lager.


Düsseldorf is known for its Altbier. A dark ale. Apprently it's made with malts used for pale lagers but with a technique for brewing ale.


The verdict? Andrew (and BigToe) liked the Altbier from Düsseldorf and I liked Kölsch from Cologne best. We both liked the schnitzel.