Dusseldorf

Traditionally, Dusseldorf is considered to be a trade destination with a smattering of classy joints in which to entertain the business world. But for the last decade, the city has been pouring hard-earned capital into modernising its image and reinventing itself as a chic designer capital.

Amongst the old warehouses beside the Rhine have emerged futuristic structures, with architect Frank Gehry - of Bilbao's Guggenheim museum fame - adding unshakeable kudos to an area now referred to as the new media harbour.

Gehry's block of offices - Der Neue Zollhof - is known locally as 'the dancing towers' due to its wildly asymmetrical form. In Dusseldorf, big business has a wacky side too, apparently.

In the Alstadt - the old town - most of the churches and 18th century inns have been restored or rebuilt from scratch after WWII, and even the cobbles have been re-laid. The effect is convincing, especially at night when the bars and restaurants along the Bolkerstrasse merge into one continuous altar to indulgence.

Not surprisingly, with all this surfeit cash floating around, Dusseldorf is renowned for its luxury goods. On the east side of the Königsallee are the city's highest concentration of designer clothes labels, particularly in the flagrantly expensive boutiques along the Kö Galerie arcade.

If you want a one-stop-shop, then head for the Galeria Kaufhof, a department store whose moderate prices won't have your wallet on hunger strike.

If you are considering a visit purely for recreational purposes, then the February carnival is 96-hours of untrammelled excess when even Dusseldorf's chief executives are tempted to wear red noses during their lunch break.