Six wonderful autumn walks

Our favorite tracks with warm-up guarantee

Even if it is already sometimes wet and cold, there is hardly anything better now than to go for a spin in the fresh air and enjoy the colorful autumn world. Düsseldorf offers so many small and large parks, forests and beautiful corners that it's hard to choose.On these routes it's especially beautiful. And if it does get too cold, we have the right tip to get warm again.

Zoopark with kiosk 

One of the largest and most versatile green spaces in Düsseldorf is the Zoopark, which is regularly visited not only by ice hockey fans because of the local stadium. Joggers dash along the northern Düssel, while others steel themselves on the sports equipment not far from Faunastraße (house number 1). Families with children are drawn to one of two playgrounds, the basketball court or the football pitch, where hundreds of girls and boys play on a sunny Sunday - if they are not dueling in table tennis right next door. Older guests try their hand at several boules lanes. Those who want to, take a mulled wine with them, which the kiosk at the entrance Graf-Recke-Straße/Brehmstraße sells - or warm themselves afterwards, when the cool air turns their cheeks rosy (which could of course also be due to the sight of the naked man, a sculpture by sculptor Kurt-Wolf von Borries...). 

Courtyard Garden and Kö-Bogen Cafés 

What could be better than shopping and walking together? You'll find the perfect place in the middle of Düsseldorf's city center: Not only can you stroll from one boutique or department store to the next not far from the Hofgarten, which covers a total area of 27 hectares (the size of almost 40 football pitches!). A café at the "Poccino Espresso" will also give you enough energy to examine every piece of the new fall collection in the stores. And once your bags are full, take a stroll through the Hofgarten and explore some of the many sights that make this place so special: the war memorial, the Golden Bridge or the fairytale fountain. Art fans will also get their money's worth: Henry Moore's sculpture "Reclining Figure in Two Parts" can be studied, as can Manolo Valdés' "Las Meninas" ("The Court Maidens"). Shopping and walking = win-win in autumn! 

People's garden with boathouse 

"Uitwaaien" is what our Dutch neighbors call a walk in wind and weather. In Düsseldorf, this goes particularly well in the Volksgarten. In the park, which was already laid out in 1896, whole days can be spent (the "time field" with 24 station clocks by Klaus Rinke at the entrance does not help with orientation here). Young and young-at-heart Düsseldorfers and guests celebrate birthdays here, barbecue (even well into October), try out the ropes course or play badminton on one of the many meadows. Amateur gardeners are drawn to the gingko meadow for a little inspiration. Dachshunds, Great Danes & Co. let their owners run around in the specially prepared dog run. Warm up in the boathouse on the western shore of the Volksgartensee on Sundays from 12 to 6:30 p.m. - the smell of freshly baked waffles wafts through half the park. You should definitely not say no to the changing Rhenish specialties. A Uerige or Killepitsch is a great accompaniment. Or a hot chocolate afterwards.  

Botanical Garden and Café Südpark 

Studying mathematics in the 43rd semester? That can happen quickly. If you're blessed with a botanical garden right next to your university, complete with a first-class domed building, you'll be happy to stay in the lecture hall for a year or two longer. There are around 6,000 plant species to discover in the botanical garden. Guided tours are also offered to coincide with the season, for example during the autumn blossoms. Those who wish can learn which plants prefer the Asian region, what makes heath, fruit meadow and moor, or which species grow in an apothecary garden. Conifers from the Mediterranean region, but also from Australia and South Africa, spend the winter in the orangery. In Café Südpark, homemade cakes and hearty snacks await you right next to the sheep pasture and farm.  

Through Oberkassel with a stop at the "Röstmeister 

Oberkassel proves that a stroll not only in the countryside, but also in the middle of the city is a great way to relax. In Düsseldorf's "in" district on the left bank of the Rhine, for example, you can stroll from Belsenplatz and walk along Luegallee past various owner-operated stores - such as "Oro" with special jewelry or "Maison La Mesa" with a selection of decorative items from the Mediterranean region. In Arnulfstraße, a few minutes' walk away, treat yourself to some delicious, if not entirely inexpensive, nougat heart cookies at "Isabella's Gluten-Free Pâtisserie," and then pack up some fresh flowers at Barbarossaplatz or visit the market (always on Tuesdays and Fridays). If you are motivated enough, continue along Luegallee to the banks of the Rhine. Alternatively, turn from Barbarossaplatz into Dominikanerstraße, where a detour to the fashion boutique "Tuxedo" is worthwhile. Return through Cheruskerstrasse with its stately buildings, at the end of which you can admire works by artists such as Joseph Beuys and Andy Warhol in the Kellermann Gallery and, if you have enough change, also buy them. Right next door, "Helmus" offers excellent sausages and meat products. At "Röstmeister" diagonally opposite, on the corner of Quirinstraße, a coffee crowns the afternoon.  

Grafenberg Forest and "Orange - Finest Coffee 

Take a deep breath and leave the big city behind - the best place to do that in Düsseldorf is the Grafenberg Forest. If you allow yourself a free morning during the week, you sometimes think you are all alone among the ash trees, chestnuts, birches and beeches. Even on weekends, joggers, walkers and horseback riding fans meet at a polite distance, so that everyone can enjoy the soothing tranquility to the fullest. If you are hoping for an encounter with a deer or a wild boar, but are not lucky this time: In the game park, you can get up close to the animals during feeding. At the "Orange - Finest Coffee" (Neusser Tor 17a), the reward for 10,000 steps and more awaits you later. Our tip: The caramel latte tastes delicious and the "Golden Tumeric" with oat milk is also perfect for the season. Or would you prefer the "Cascara" coffee-cherry tea? 

Title image: Düsseldorf Tourism