Six tips for the perfect recreation in the North Park

On the area of 50 football pitches, the North Park attracts for a feeling of short vacation. 

If you're looking for relaxation away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Düsseldorf, you don't have to drive a quarter of an hour: In the Nordpark in Stockum you can relax all year round - even though crocodiles live on the 36-hectare site...

Attracts thousands: the cherry blossom

Düsseldorf has one of the largest Japanese communities outside Asia. And the Nordpark has a particularly Japanese feel in the spring. That's when the cherry blossoms transform the park into a landscape that could easily serve as a film set. Or as the backdrop for a photo shoot, so aesthetically pleasing is the area during the "Hanami". In Japanese, the term stands for "blossom show" - and this is precisely what thousands of visitors do not want to miss spring after spring. 

A highlight: the Japanese Garden

The cherry trees line the path to the Japanese Garden, which is considered a highlight in the Gesamtkunstwerk Nordpark. The Japanese landscape architects Iwakii and Shojiro Ishiguro laid it out in the 1970s as a "garden of contemplation". Covering 5000 square meters, everyone can find a place here to watch the color carp (whose ancestors come from the temple in Nara!), listen to the wind in the pine or fan maple, or marvel at the costumes of the cosplay community that gathers on Sundays in this northern part of the park. The park, by the way, is a gift from Japanese companies and the Japanese community in Düsseldorf to the people of the city - as a sign of the special bond. 

The Ballhaus with new café

Waffles, tarte flambée and currywurst - as classically delicious as the Ballhaus café's menu reads, its atmosphere is just as special. Surrounded by centuries-old trees, guests enjoy spending relaxing hours away from any big-city hustle and bustle after visiting the neoclassical garden hall with local art. Afterward, stroll past Düsseldorf's largest water features, positioned in a 170-meter-long pool. Just around the corner, the youngest visitors are likely to enjoy a detour to the playground with slides, rope ladders and balancing course.

A visit to the Aquazoo

A truly unique spectacle awaits right at the beginning of the North Park: the Aquazoo! Opened in 1987 and also known as the "Löbbecke Museum", it is a combination of natural history museum, aquarium and zoo. In more than 25 themed rooms and 140 aquariums, terrariums and large facilities, young and old visitors learn all the details about the origin, evolution and diversity of life in the water and on land. With every visit, a new inhabitant can be discovered - from the blacktip reef shark to the yellow sailfin surgeonfish and the Madagascar boa. Oh, not to forget mentioned crocodiles!

The Rhine right next door

Another plus point of Nordpark: It is particularly easy to reach, and not only by public transport (Nordpark/Aquazoo subway station) or by car. There is plenty of parking space at the Kaiserswerther Straße entrance. The second entrance on Rotterdamer Straße borders on the Rhine, so that walkers and cyclists can make a detour to the grounds at any time. It takes about 30 minutes to reach the old town on foot - if you don't let the contemporary works of art by sculptors such as André Bloc, Hans Breker or George Rickey, the pergola made of bamboo wood or a round of football on the "Englishman's Meadow" stop you. The latter was named after the British troops who claimed the park for themselves after World War II.

A detour to the Ghirloni ice cream factory

Not directly in the Nordpark, but a tip for the way home: Ghirloni ice cream is one of the most popular in the city; the dessert has even made it onto the shelves of supermarkets. This is just a hint for all those who don't like to wait in line in front of the ice cream parlor in Stockumer Kirchstraße on weekends - even though it's definitely worth it. Particularly recommended: the varieties Granny Smith with apple pieces, plain, which vegans can also look forward to, and - liverwurst ice cream especially for four-legged friends. 

Title image: Düsseldorf Tourism