Let Romance Run Its Course | The Sunset at Tonhalle / Ehrenhof

They say Düsseldorf is among the safer cities in Germany — fewer drifters than in Frankfurt, at least. Still, around the train station or along Königsallee, you can often spot a few cops keeping watch. But Tonhalle and Ehrenhof are different. Step out of the station, and from the steel truss of the Oberkasseler Bridge, the city’s skyline stretches elegantly along the Rhine, open and uncluttered. The breeze from the western bank carries laughter and fragments of conversation, brushing against your cheeks, stirring that quiet, restless freedom within.

From time to time, a small market unfolds, filling the air with the scent of food and the warmth of chatter — a feast for the eyes and the senses alike. To the north, under that green dome, the building itself seems to beat like a heart, its rhythm turning the city’s pulse into music. On the banners fluttering nearby, the face of Christoph Eschenbach — the renowned German conductor and pianist, his bald head gleaming under the lights — swings his baton mid-motion, announcing the opening concert of the new season at Tonhalle Düsseldorf. The program: Piano Concerto No. 5 and Symphony “The Harmony of the World.” It’s hard not to feel tempted to go.

A few more steps lead you into the plaza of Ehrenhof. The buildings here rise like pages of stone, each one heavy with time and meaning. The Kunstpalast and the exhibition hall stand quietly, unpretentious yet saturated with culture’s weight. At dusk, when the sun spills its last gold across the façade, the light feels almost medicinal — a balm for the day’s fatigue, a reminder that beauty still lingers in the ordinary. The current exhibition at the Kunstpalast is fascinating — I’ll touch on it later — and if you look closely at my photos, some of you might spot hints of something rather thrilling that I’d better not spoil here.

What I love most about this place is how it distills the world into just three things: music, art, and the river. Turn around, and there’s the Rhine again, its rippling light playing across the water. When the breeze moves, it feels as though the whole city breathes with it — softly, tenderly, alive.