Garrison Keillor once said “A lovely thing about Christmas is that it’s compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together” and while some people avoid Christmas others embrace it and go wild like a Christmas Tornado and I fall into this category. A trip to Germany is a must do for me each year just so I can visit the Christmas Markets.
I booked in to stay at the Intercontinental Hotel in Dusseldorf which was just stunning however it is located on the most dangerous street in Dusseldorf – Koningsallee; where every luxury branded shop is located on!
Through the Ambassador programme we were upgraded to a lovely suite, this particular hotel offers their Ambassadors a two room upgrade which is pretty nice perk. That shower was just pure bliss!
The suite included a balcony which gave us a great view of a Dusseldorf icon.
The hotel is very modernistic in design which fits in well with the city itself. The lobby is bright and airy with the Club Lounge located on the second floor which was a lovely area to relax in.
We decided to head out for dinner on the Friday however the many recommendations made by the Concierge were fully booked (a sign of great recommendations) so we decided to eat at hotel restaurant where they made sure I had great gluten free food.
G said he had the best ice cream, he announced this as he was shoving the last spoonful into his mouth much to my horror!
Located at Konigsallee 44, Leysieffer makes the most delicious looking cakes and chocolates however if you are gluten free then the cake choices are extremely limited, almost nil however I did find a particularly yummy chocolate Mousse which was incredible. No photo was taken as I was scoffing it while taking photos of G’s cake.
The reason we were in Germany for was the Christmas markets; I decided to go the last weekend in November as when I tend to go in December I get stuck in Germany due to bad weather. The Christmas Markets in Germany are the best way to get in the Christmas spirit.
There is so much on offer at the markets including gorgeous candles,
Gigantic biscuits,
Traditional German decorations,
Fun Fairs,
and then comes the food….gluten free wise there is not a great selection available except for Pomme Frites (hey I love pomme frites so I’m not complaining!). I’m missing my Stollen, so if anyone can recommend where I can find a gluten free stollen please let me know.
And it wouldn’t be a Christmas Market without a Nativity scene.
Dusseldorf has the most incredible shopping with Konigsallee being the biggest draw card, set on a beautiful canal with every luxury branded shop a woman could ever dream of. While G was shopping in the Mont Blanc shop we bumped into Paul and Emma and we couldn’t stop playing with them, they were super cute.
The canal on Konigsallee is super pretty and I loved the bridge decorations.
We ended up visiting Licht Im Raum which was a very cool light shop however it did feel more like an art gallery. Guess which one I want?
If you love unique jewellery then Galerie Cebra should definitely be on your must visit list when in Dusseldorf. The designs are stylish and there is something for everyone. I may have possibly left with a pair of earrings.
Each day I walked passed this Lady and child; they were always wearing something new.
On my walk around the Christmas Markets I bumped into the Rhine as you do! Hey Rhine!
Shoe wise, I didn’t buy any however I did go crazy in Käthe Wohlfahrt instead. A good old pair of Converse sneakers were perfect for walking around the Christmas Markets and then I found the perfect way to keep my tootsies warm during winter – duvet slippers!
Dusseldorf Airport Lounge was unfortunately a huge let down, the food was still partly frozen (G pointed this out) and there was no gluten free food items except for a handful of Haribos. Not sure if anyone else finds the airports in Europe a gluten free disaster zone.
xx
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