That's right...I went bowling in Duisburg, Germany. Since this is a FTR it sounds like not a lot of…read morepeople do this. I went here with my Akademie class and XXL is quite a complex. It has tennis, bowling, a cafe, a biergarten, and an upstairs level with sauna, massage and hair/cosmetic services. Their motto is "not just sports" and they mean it. You could spend all day or evening here. Bowling was fun, with the requisite black lights, disco Lady Gaga music and liquor frames. Drinks are pretty reasonable at about €2.75 for .5L of Kolsch. There's even a bar for the smokers. So, you'll want to know how I bowled, right? After all, I am from Milwaukee the home of the American Bowling Congress..... I bowled a 32....that's right....a 32. I was by far the worst bowler in our group of 20. Still, I had a good time. If you're planning on a visit, know that it's about 15-20 minutes south of the center so you'll have to drive or call a cab.

From the owner: Das XXL ist eine multifunktionale Sportanlage im Duisburger Süden, die alle Trendsportarten unter…read moreeinem Dach vereint. Neben den Racketsportarten wie Squash, Tennis Indoor und Badminton finden Sie bei uns auch ein Fitness- und Wellnesszentrum, um Ihren Körper mit Krafttraining, Aerobic, Spinning und mit Kosmetik und Saunen fit zu halten. Für die lieben Kleinen, die nicht beim Sport sind, während Mami und Papi sich sportlich betätigen, haben wir einen eigenen Kindergarten mit Betreuung. Freunde des Bowlingsports können sich im XXL-Sportcenter auf 16 hochmodernen, vollelektronisch ausgestatteten Brunswick Bowlingbahnen ihrem Feierabendsport widmen. Nach dem Sport das "kühle Bierchen"! Und hier wird es gemütlich: In unseren zwei Restaurants bieten wir Ihnen die Möglichkeit Ihren Abend entweder im rustikalen, gutbürgerlichem Stil - im Restaurant Angerstübchen - oder im typisch amerikanischen Stil mit "Hamburger, Spare Ribs und Chicken Wings" - im Restaurant "28 Süd" - zu genießen.

From the owner: Bei uns wird Unterhaltung groß geschrieben, Sie finden neben Bowling, Billard, Kicker und Airhockey…read moreauch ein eigenes Restaurant mit frisch zubereiteten Speisen. Erleben Sie Spaß mit der Familie am Sonntag zum günstigen Familienbowling oder feiern Sie Ihre Feste (Geburtstag,Firmenevent,Kinderkommunion usw.) in unserem freundlichen Ambiente. Auch der Bowlingsport kann in unseren Hobbyligen erlernt und verbessert werden. Wir freuen uns über Ihren Besuch.

From the owner: Die CB City-Bowling in Köln bietet alles rund um Bowling, Spaß und Party. Egal, ob Sie einfach ein…read morepaar Runden entspannt bowlen möchten, oder mit Freunden und einem Pittermännchen einen schönen Abend bei uns verbringen möchten; egal, ob Sie den Geburtstag Ihrer Kleinen oder eine Firmenfeier organisieren. Wir bieten neben dem eigentlichen Bowling jegliche Art von Getränken inklusive Cocktails sowie Pizza und Flammkuchen. Bei größeren Gruppen können wir auch ein hochwertiges Buffett über unseren Caterer organisieren.

The Brauerei zum Schiffchen is a real institution in the Düsseldorf food scene, with a long…read morehistory. It's located in the heart of the Altstadt (Old Town) and its decor reflects its glorious and long past. Over the years, it has become more and more touristic but it's also still a place loved by many locals. They serve a lot of local beers, in particular the bitter, dark Alt which is typical from this area. Their menu offers a lot of dishes from the regional German cuisine including the renowned Rheinischer Sauerbraten (roast beef), Mettfleish (raw pork) and a lot of various wurst (sausages). The service is fast and prices are fair. It can get quite packed so it's always good to book well in advance.

Our last meal in Düsseldorf was at Brauerei zum Schiffchen. They're located in the old part of…read moretown. We dropped in on a Monday (around 12:30pm). The weather was a bit dreary so everyone was sitting inside for once. Our server spoke perfect English but he was a bit rough around the edges. This was the only restaurant we went to where English was already on the menu. The menu consisted of starters & soups, house specialties, fish and dessert. There also was a seasonal sheet and a few daily specials including a business set menu (€15,50). - Alsterwasser (€3,20 for 0.30L) - light beer with lemonade. This was a mix of pilsner with a splash of lemonade. - Himmel & ähd (€12,50) - blutwurst (fried black pudding), mashed potatoes, fried onions and stewed apples. Not sure why but their fried onions don't come hot nor crispy. The blutwurst was interesting; lightly crisped and the filling was tasty. Mashed potatoes were buttery. - Metzgers leibgericht (€14,50) - three sausages (mettwurst, thüringer art bratwurst and krakauer) with sauerkraut and homemade mashed potatoes. Mettwurst was a thicker, meatier, minced pork sausage. Krakauer (similar to a a Polish kielbasa) was slightly salty but had a good bite. Bratwurst was our favourite of the bunch; easily the tastiest and most flavourful. Sauerkraut was hot and well balanced in acidity. Mashed potatoes were the same (wish they would let you choose other sides to try). An enjoyable last German meal (and for once, not too heavy). 3.5 stars.