Bilk is the most populous district of Düsseldorf – and also one of the most interesting. This is because Bilk is much older than Düsseldorf itself; a place called "Bilici" appears as early as the Carolingian period (around 750 AD).

On the other hand, it is now a popular place to live for students, ever since the former Medical Academy in Bilk was expanded into a university (now with approximately 24,000 students) at the end of the 1960s. The traces of student life are unmistakable: a vibrant pub scene permeates the district.

There are excellent shopping opportunities and an international range of restaurants. Places like the "Metropol" art house cinema on Brunnenstraße or the Salzmannbau on Himmelgeister Straße, a former industrial complex that now houses cultural institutions such as the Jazz-Schmiede, contribute to a remarkably diverse neighborhood culture.

Bilk is also popular because of its beautiful old buildings along tree-lined avenues. The university is just a short walk away, and the Botanical Garden on the university's edge is always worth a stroll. On the outskirts of Bilk, and in the immediate vicinity of the university, lies the old settlement of Stoffeln. The more than 300-year-old Stoffeln Chapel on Christophstrasse is a reminder of quieter times. Things are quite different at Aachener Platz, where a well-known flea market takes place every week.t.