The River Boyne may look peaceful today, but things were rather different on 1 July 1690. On that day, two rivals to the British throne — William III and James II — clashed with their armies in the largest gathering of troops ever on Irish soil. This bloody conflict is vividly evoked at the Battle of the Boyne Visitor Centre, where audio-visual displays, original weaponry and free battlefield walkways are on display. In summer, watch costumed actors come to life in historical re-enactments.

Aberdeen Art Gallery has comprehensive collections with works from the 17th-20th centuries. Both Scottish and international artists are represented, including famous impressionists like Monet and Renoir, as well as local painters like George Jameson, William Dyce, John Philip and Charles Rennie MacKintosh.

Burgplatz is where the little River Düssel, which gave the town its name, flows into the Rhine. In the background is the former collegiate church, St. Lambertus, with the shrine of St. Apolinaris. Next to the bridge over the Düssel, the monument to Düsseldorf being granted the privileges of a town demonstrates impressively more than 725 years of town history (town status granted in 1288). The square is dominated by Alter Schlossturm, the old palace tower (now the Schifffahrt-Museum navigation museum) and last testimony to the princely palace from the 13th century that fell victim to flames in 1872. The generously proportioned Rhine embankment promenade is considered one of the most beautiful on the Rhine. Upriver, the Medien Hafen is characterised by outstanding architectural creations, and the elegant district of Oberkassel on the opposite bank by art-nouveau facades.