Germans

Often suspicious, edgy and reserved, urban Germans can be hard to meet, except perhaps at work. Avoiding eye contact in the street and on the tram and rushing straight home after work often to an empty flat, perhaps unsurprisingly, some 40% of Germans live in single-person households.

Unlike the Japanese, say, they rarely socialize with their colleagues after work hours, and barring a pipe burst, generally have little to do with their neighbours.

How, then, do people manage to connect, make friends and even get married in this city? Amazing Dusseldorf’s tip on breaking the ice? In all the  bistros, cafés and bars around town just ignore first impressions and connect. Nearly everyone speaks English.