Six places that will take you on a trip around the world

Through space and time with a clear conscience 

Do you also get wanderlust at regular intervals? Although the airport in Düsseldorf is very close by, some of the places you long to visit seem so far away. But there is land in sight. Because Düsseldorf knows an incredible number of places that will whisk you away to all corners of the world in no time at all. The advantages are obvious. Firstly, you travel climate-neutrally, on foot or by bike. Secondly, you can visit several continents in one day and, thirdly, without any jet lag. Fourthly, you not only cross space, but also overcome time. Because some of the international locations still exude the charm of days gone by. But let's get going. You will experience a blue miracle. I promise. 

Ilha Formosa  

Portuguese sailors called it Ilha Formosa, the beautiful island, when they discovered it. In some European languages, this name has been retained for Taiwan, the island state 180 kilometers east of China. But to be honest, at first glance, the restaurant on Charlottenstrasse looks little like a beautiful island. Its brittle charm is best justified by its much-vaunted authenticity: Lanterns dangle from the eaves, a local radio station is on the television, the furnishings are rather sparse and functional. However, as soon as one of the sumptuous beef soups with broad ribbon noodles and pak choi comes to the table or the aroma of one of the spicy lu rou fan dishes (braised pork with rice) fills the small restaurant, the famous danzaimian rice noodles wander out of the kitchen, followed by a mangguobing, the delicious mango ice cream, you find yourself in a kingdom of culinary delights. And suddenly Ilha Formosa is an island after all. A place of indulgence with like-minded people, including many Taiwanese, surrounded by the traffic of the station district and waiting to be discovered by even more people.  

Cologne street  

Do you miss the hustle and bustle of Marrakech's Djemaa el-Fna, the legendary square of the jugglers? Admittedly, the most famous square in North Africa is inimitably colorful and the public order office in Düsseldorf would probably quickly put a stop to the snake-charming. But Oberbilker Markt, where Ellerstraße merges into Kölner Straße, also has a touch of North Africa about it. The latter in particular is ideal for a stroll: Spice stores alternate with greengrocers, tajines stand next to dried fruit, in between kebab skewers and textile merchants selling scarves and tunics. The people of Düsseldorf affectionately call their multicultural mile the Kö of Oberbilk and even star chef Anthony Sarpong regularly comes by from Meerbusch to get new inspiration.

Japanese garden 

In the most north-western corner of the Nordpark, where the park is at its quietest and most tranquil, you will find a very special gem - the "Japanese Garden on the Rhine". The so-called Garden of Reflection measures over 5,000 square meters, and according to Far Eastern mythology, every tree and pond, every stone and every spring here has a deeper symbolic meaning. The garden was planned and created in the 1970s by Japanese garden and landscape architect Iwakii Ishiguro and his son Shojiro. Since then, the trees, mainly pines and Japanese fan maples, have been pruned in the traditional way. The topiary gives the black pines, for example, a delicate, cloud-like structure. Particularly beautiful: the four stone lanterns, traditional stone carvings made from natural stone. Our tip: A sushi picnic on one of the stone benches by the pond will transport you to the land of the rising sun in no time at all.  

Magazine Ardealul 

No, it's not garlic necklaces that you can buy in Ardealul magazine, the small Transylvanian supermarket. Legend has it that they are supposed to ward off vampires. But here at Färberstraße 104 in Bilk, around 1800 kilometers from Transylvania, the gruesome bloodsuckers are hardly to be expected. And so the Ardealul magazine, whose name can be translated as "Transylvanian store" in German, focuses on a varied selection of foods that are appreciated in this Romanian region. These include: spicy sausage, similar to salami, cured meat and mici, the Romanian version of cevapcici. For the sweet tooth, in addition to cakes with cream filling and chocolate chips, there is a specialty that generations of children in Romania have grown up with: "Eugenia", an elongated double cookie wrapped in colorful foil with a chocolatey filling. After eating, however, adult Romanians prefer to stick to the "Grasă de Cotnari", a sweet white dessert wine. If that's not strong enough for you, you can also find an original Romanian brandy on the shelves in the form of "Alexandrion". 

Takagi 

It is the oldest Japanese bookshop outside Japan: Takagi has been on Immermannstraße since 1974. Before it was founded, Japanese daily newspapers were imported by airmail at great expense. The demand in Düsseldorf was great, the local Japanese community longed for news and literature from their homeland, and so the parents of the current owner, Yurie Takagi, started the bookselling business. In the first decades, Takagi was primarily a meeting place for Japanese people - for example, a Japanese radio station also provided them with daily news. In the second generation, under the management of Yurie Takagi and Stefan Böhm, the store became the place to go for an international fan base of Japanese pop culture, especially anime and manga. Since then, crochet, knitting and origami enthusiasts, kimono and calligraphy hobbyists and enthusiasts of Japanese model making have found what they were looking for here as well as those interested in language and culture. Takagi has been soothing the homesickness of local Japanese people for almost five decades - and your wanderlust too. 

Thai massages  

Even if it's been a while since your last trip to Southeast Asia, there is a way to return there in the blink of an eye. Make your way to one of the relevant Thai massage studios and let yourself be carried away by the aroma of ylang-ylang massage oil, ginger tea or simmering jasmine rice. There are now wellness institutes in every district of Düsseldorf where you can escape the hustle and bustle of Western Europe for an hour or two. Whether with or without oil, with herbal stamps, as a partner experience or in the classic way - from around 40 euros per hour, you can embark on a journey to relaxation. The advantage: once you have found a Thai therapist of your choice, no return flight can thwart your long-term subscription to bliss.

Cover picture: Düsseldorf Tourismus