Episode 1: Königsallee

Welcome to one of the most famous luxury shopping districts in Europe. As the Swiss author, Andrei Kaminski, commented: “The world-famous Königsallee, called "Kö" for short by the natives, which is an ironic abbreviation of the Ruhr metropolis’ Fifth Avenue, is the pulsating main artery. The largest and dirtiest business transactions are carried out here. “Kö” is a dual-headed Janus; the banks are located on one side and the designer shops on the other side. A unity of genders. Men to the left and women to the right. On the left, the gold vaults and, on the right, the most elegant dressing rooms in Germany, where stressed millionaires adorn their trophy women with velvet and silk. The “Stadtgraben” (city burrow) flows through the middle, moss green and ancient: a dream-like anachronism in the city’s witch’s cauldron”.The ambience of this unusually wide, magnificent boulevard is indeed unique. On the left side, the busy transactions of bankers and managers; on the right side, the pulsating shopping-mile; in the middle, the old “Stadtgraben”, framed by more than 200 sycamore and chestnut trees, providing the illusion of breaking up the hectic pace. Take your time and allow yourself to flow through the different atmospheres.“Kö” was previously named “Chestnut Avenue” because of its impressive trees. It was re-named in 1851 as an apology to the Royal House following the legendary “horse manure attack” of 1848, during which the reigning King Friedrich Wilhelm IV was attacked by the citizens of Düsseldorf, who bombarded him with horse manure during a carriage ride.
Photo Koenigsallee okt2004b by Thomas Robbin is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0