The Goethe Institute in London held a conference to discuss how Germany could be rebranded in the face of opinion polls that show the British still believe Germans to be rude, humourless and dull.

Ulrich Sacker, director of the Institute, said that there is a need to emphasise “current aspects of German life which are ignored.” Additionally, Germans are now being portrayed in adverts across Europe as hedonistic, with-it, athletic sexpots. Think Claudia Schiffer, not Helmut Kohl.

I can’t speak for Claudia but I can vouch for the vigour and vibrancy of Germany’s regional cities. Germany has unrivalled collections of art and some of the best beer in Europe — and the cities are now ridiculously easy to reach, thanks to several new, low-cost German airlines flying direct to London airports.

As the journey time to a stein diminishes, so it’s time to shed your prejudices. Who knows, a weekend break in Germany just may be a laugh.

CITY GUIDES

DÜSSELDORF

Why go?

The Altstadt (old town) contains 300-odd beer halls, bars and pubs all staying open as long as you’re still standing. In-house brewing is popular.

For the sober or artistic there is a fantastic Paul Klee collection at the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen art gallery. The collection of the Expressionist artist has been built up since the 1960s by local government as a penance for Klee’s expulsion from the city during the Nazi period.

Düsseldorf is a major centre of fashion, filled with chic boutiques that border on the vulgar. The apotheosis of this is the Königsallee, the main drag, referred to as the “Kö” — a kilometre of conspicuous excess that also hosts the annual cartwheeling tournament.

For a broad perspective of the city, take a trip up the Rheinturm, Düsseldorf’s highest building, with immense views of the surrounding skyscrapers and the Rhein. Most striking of all the buildings in Düsseldorf is Frank Gehry’s Dancing Towers, a clutch of wobbly buildings.

Where to stay:

Villa Viktoria (00 49 211 469 000, www.villaviktoria.com). Named after the wife of King William II of Germany, the Villa Viktoria is an all-suite hotel with a cool but comfortable design. From £110.

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