In der Meer

Cologne and Düsseldorf don't like one another. The rivalry goes back centuries. Cologne is a Roman city, and hence Catholic. While Düsseldorf grew later; organically as a trading and secular city. The rivalry has maintained itself to the present day, with every difference highlighted and squabbled over. Football, of course, is one of the source of rivalries. As is the fact that Cologne is bigger, but Düsseldorf richer. Cologne is more relaxed, easy going, Düsseldorf is corporate and arrogant. Cologne claims to be on the 'right side of the river', which Düsseldorf refutes and responds with, 'no, we're the ones on the right side of the river'. Basically, they argue about everything.

Cologne is, mostly, on the left bank of the river, and Düsseldorf is on the right bank of the river. Mostly, that is. There is one specific neighbourhood of Düsseldorf -- Oberkassel -- which betrays the 'right side of the river' mantra, and joins Cologne on the left bank of the Rhein. Yesterday, I crossed over and visited it.

Oberkassel is where those with money in Düsseldorf live - and there are many people with money here. The buildings in the pictures are not apartments, but houses. A lot of people drive Porsches, or find other superfluous ways to display their wealth. You can't deny, though, that it would be a nice place to live. The air is clean and so are the leafy streets. The view across the river to the Altstadt is beautiful, and the large meadows (floodplains?) at the side of the Rhein are, I assume, prefect for dog walking. In short, Oberkassel is the Chelsea of Düsseldorf.

One last thing that divides Cologne and Düsseldorf is the beer. In Cologne they brew and drink Kölsch; in Düsseldorf they brew and drink Altbier. Which leads me on to my next blog entry: Altbier.Read more