If you have visions of Germany winding down like clockwork and getting back to the business of, well, business, once the last slice of Christmas stollen's been eaten, jet off to the city on the Rhine, where the celebrations are only just kicking off - with the annual Karneval parades - and the shopping is among Europe's most glam. Dusseldorf has long shed its image as an industrial hub, and is now Germany's number one fashion city, boasting the most exclusive kilometre of shopping in Europe, the "longest bar in the world", and intriguing architecture to boot. So, if you only have 24 hours to take it all in, make sure you sample everything from the chicest shopping spots to coffee and cake at the palace and the coziest pubs in town.

As the city, where supermodel Claudia Schiffer was born and ‘discovered', it would be a fashion crime not to strut your stuff down Königsallee (King's Avenue). Referred to as the "Kö" by those in the know, it's a boulevard of designer dreams, bearing the motto: "To see and be seen", but you can come back down to earth on the old cobbled streets of the Altstadt. Home to boutiques and buzzing nightspots, the old town's 260-plus restaurants, bars and ale houses have earned it the title of the "longest bar in the world", with spots like Zum Schlussel, which dates back three centuries, serving up calorific, yet comforting German specialties.

And you can walk off those Kartoffelklösse (potato dumplings) and sauerkraut with a stroll down to one of the city's fave meeting spots, Burgplatz, for great views of the Rhine and city skyline, before cocktail hour kicks in at the Jase Livingsbar.

While you're there...

Go officially "mad"
Head to Dusseldorf in February and you may be whisked along by the masked masses as the city's Karneval, which runs from November until Easter, reaches its high point. Germany's equivalent of Mardi Gras, it's also known as the "time of official madness".

Be seen
Checker's, the bar where Claudia Schiffer's been spotted, may have had its day, but if you want to be ‘discovered' yourself, head to the exotic Asian-style Buddha Bay, unwind with the trendy professionals on Banker's Boulevard, or meet up at the uber-trendy Bar am Kaiserteich, part of the K21 gallery, where the cocktails rule and the bar's cool interior leaves you feeling as though you've fallen into a giant glass of bubbly.

Royal treatment
Take a trip to Schloss Benrath, the 18th-century palace of Elector Carl Theodor, and finish off your walk through its famed gardens and baroque walls (right) with coffee and cake (an afternoon tradition) at Schlosscafe Benrath. hhot shops From the Kö Gallerie to Sevens, and all the boutiques in between, the "Kö" is the choice for those with cash to splash. But if you're looking to be less lavish on your spree, sneak through the Kö's Schadow Arkaden into Schadowstrasse, Germany's busiest shopping area, for high street bargains.

Hot shops
From the Kö Gallerie to Sevens, and all the boutiques in between, the "Kö" is the choice for those with cash to splash. But if you're looking to be less lavish on your spree, sneak through the Kö's Schadow Arkaden into Schadowstrasse, Germany's busiest shopping area, for high street bargains.

Where to stay
Ahlan! stayed at the Hotel Nikko (Rihanna's choice during the Bambi Awards) - just 10 minutes from Königsallee, the old quarter and the Rhine River Promenade, where the hotel's Benkay sushi restaurant is such a firm fave of Mick Jagger, the rock'n'roller has the sushi rolls sent to him wherever he is in town! Go to www.nikko-hotel.de. Tom Cruise booked out the entire Steigenberger Hotel in the Altstadt for his stay. Check out www.steigenberger.eu

Getting there

Ahlan! flew to Dusseldorf with Emirates Airlines. Book your break to Dusseldorf with Emirates Holidays until March 2008, from just Dhs4,739 per person - this includes a return economy flight and a three-night stay at the four-star Holiday Inn Düsseldorf City Centre, Königsallee. Alternatively, enjoy business-class flights and three nights at the five-star Hotel Nikko for Dhs14,154 per person. For more info, visit www.emirates-holidays.com