City of Art and Fashion on the Rhine

The capital of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, one of the wealthiest cities in Germany, is rich in Rhenish joie de vivre and fashion, art and architecture. The city on the Rhine devoted itself to the fine arts early on. Artists such as Joseph Beuys and Gerhard Richter studied at the art academy, which was founded in 1773. The former seat of the state parliament is now the K21 museum of modern art. In the mid-20th century, Düsseldorf became a fashion center. Major designers are represented on Königsallee, Düsseldorf's luxury boulevard. Düsseldorf's own creative scene is in the district around Lorettostrasse and in the renovated port area, which has been a showplace for modern architecture since 2001. Buildings designed by Helmut Jahn, Frank Gehry and David Chipperfield are located here.