Dazzling mango meets sober earth tones in the winter collection from German womenswear label St Emile. There are flashes of retro too, so expect a little 1960s spirit alongside '20s-style flapper dresses (17 Grabenstrasse, tel: 0211 2107 2071).

Add spring to your sightseeing step with a pair of the most famously comfortable shoes in the world from Birkenstock (29 Wallstrasse; tel: 0211 828 55 83, Birkenstock.de) in the heart of Düsseldorf's Altstadt.

Buttery soft leather bags, shoes and accessories in subtle shades of taupe, olive or grey are the draw at Liebeskind Berlin (6 Grabenstrasse, tel: 0211 2005 4290, liebeskind-berlin.com) - but look closer and there are bolder alternatives in vibrant yet still tasteful colours.

Right in the heart of Düsseldorf's Altstadt, classy chocolatier Gut & Gerne (Burgplatz 3-5, tel: 0211 8639 9696, schokoladenfachgesellschaeft.de) tempts visiting chocoholics with its chocolate fountain, chocolate-flavoured pasta and chilli or ginger-flavoured hot chocolate.