Six beautiful hikes

We reveal our six insider tips

Hiking in a big city? Yes of course, at least if the city is Düsseldorf. Because despite all the urbanity, the Rhine metropolis offers great opportunities for long walks in the countryside in its forests and nature reserves. Here are our six favorites.

Aaper Forest

Despite its proximity to the city, the Aaper Forest, which belongs to Rath, is a habitat for deer, foxes and stone martens. You can find out more about the animal inhabitants and the old trees on the educational forest trail marked A2 (approx. 3.8 km, walking time just under an hour). The circular trail leads past the Frauensteinen called "Witte Wiewerkes". According to legend, these are seven women who were turned to stone after a court case.

Elbe Lake

Once a gravel quarry, the quarry pond between Düsseldorf and Hilden is now a paradise for water birds. A walk around the lake takes about two hours at a leisurely pace. Information boards along the route tell short stories about the lake from the perspective of animals, plants and people.

Grafenberg Forest

Gentle foothills of the Bergisches Land can be felt in the east of Düsseldorf, including the Grafenberg Forest. The urban forest offers hiking and jogging trails of varying lengths. What they have in common are the inclines, which get the pulse racing in the otherwise rather flat Düsseldorf. Close to Ernst-Poensgen-Allee, the "Schöne Aussicht" offers a fantastic view of the city.

Himmelgeister Rhine bend

Old pollard willows and rows of poplars, lush meadows and farmland - and a castle. The Himmelgeister Rheinbogen is a well-preserved example of the typical Lower Rhine cultural landscape. At the same time, the protected area is a haven for rare plants and endangered birds. You can start the approximately 8-kilometre circular route from the hiking parking lot near Mickeln Castle, for example. 

Lake Unterbach

The Unterbacher See, which borders the Eller Forest, is part of a local recreation area between Düsseldorf, Erkrath and Hilden. You can choose the route that suits you best from the 15 km network of hiking and cycling trails. We particularly recommend the almost six-kilometer loop along the lakeshore. And if you're still not tired afterwards, you can go boating, swimming, surfing, minigolfing or high ropes climbing at the lake.

Urdenbacher Kämpe

There is hardly any other place in NRW where you can explore so many different types of landscape in such a small area as in the Urdenbacher Kämpe. On the approximately 10-kilometre circular trail, you will come across orchards, banks of the Rhine, protected wet meadows, a hardwood floodplain, an alluvial forest as well as ponds and pools. Numerous (water) birds feel at home here, including the rare night heron and white storks.

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