Six places where you can indulge in cherry blossoms

Hanami on the Rhine

"Sakura" is the name of the Japanese cherry blossom - and "hanami" is the name given to its viewing. Did you already know that? Then we assume that we're dealing with proven cherry blossom fans. But did you also realize that you can experience this wonderful natural spectacle not only in the Land of the Rising Sun, but also in Düsseldorf, one of the world's largest Japanese communities outside Japan? Depending on the weather, the cherries bloom in this country between mid-March and mid-April. We have put together a list of six places where you can do as the Japanese do and bathe in a sea of white and pink blossoms. And another tip: Equipped with a picnic blanket and a bento box with Japanese delicacies, your hanami will be as authentic as possible.  

South Park 

Pink in all shades as far as the eye can see. At Deichsee lake in Südpark, a half-alley of cherry trees attracts visitors to the city's largest green lung in spring. Sixteen trees stand here in rows, shaded benches with a view of the reflecting water from their pale pink branches invite you to enjoy a hanami. Orientation point for those unfamiliar with the area: If you enter the park from Kölner Landstraße at the brick Franz von Sales Church and walk straight ahead, you will come across the dyke lake. Once you reach the shore, you will be greeted by a large weeping willow. From here, the Kirschbaumweg branches off to the left. The most beautiful time is in the afternoon, when the sun illuminates the row of blossoming trees from the opposite bank. This is also where you will find Café Südpark, where coffee and crumble cake await you after a short walk along the water.  

EKŌ-House of Japanese Culture 

Everything is harmonious here. The Buddhist temple complex built in the Jōdo Shinshū style, the surrounding Japanese garden and the spirit that surrounds this place. The EKŌ-Haus in Düsseldorf's Niederkassel district was created as a place of cultural exchange and contemplation. So you can't get any closer to the Japanese folk soul than here, and of course cherry trees are the most beautiful mediators. The blossoming highlights of the grounds are the weeping cherry standing in front of the temple's main hall and the avenue of Yoshino cherry trees in front of the garden entrance. In spring, they display their pastel palette of colors. How about enjoying this feast for the eyes during a tea ceremony? Or even take part in an introductory course in traditional Japanese arts? Whether you want to learn the secrets of ink painting, calligraphy, ikebana, playing instruments, traditional cooking or dancing - it's all possible at the EKŌ-Haus. You should come back in autumn at the latest, when the leaves start to change color and the garden seems to be on fire on sunny days.  

Japanese garden on the Rhine 

Beauty, new beginnings and the impermanence of all perfection. This is what the cherry blossom stands for in the Japanese tradition. Another place where you can breathe in this spirit is the Japanese Garden on the Rhine in the north-western corner of the Nordpark. Here, where the park is at its quietest and most tranquil, you will find the more than 5,000 square meter garden, which also attracts visitors with its blossoming cherry trees. If you follow Japanese teachings, then every tree and pond, every stone and every spring has a deeper symbolic meaning. The trees - in addition to the flowering cherries, the Japanese garden also features pines and Japanese fan maples - are pruned in a special way. Topiary, for example, gives the black pines a delicate, cloud-like structure. Would you like some more insider knowledge? The garden was planned and created in the 1970s by Japanese garden and landscape architect Iwakii Ishiguro and his son Shojiro. 

Kö-Bogen I 

A symbol of German-Japanese friendship: in October 2013, the then Lord Mayor Dirk Elbers, together with the Japanese Consul General in Düsseldorf, Kaoru Shimazaki, planted 13 Tokyo cherry trees in the area of Jan-Wellem-Platz and the Hofgartenterrassen. Since then, the terraces in front of the curved façade of Kö-Bogen I, designed by New York architect Daniel Libeskind, have been a popular meeting place. Of course, this is especially true during the flowering season. This is when the hanami is celebrated together. People meet on the steps and admire the pretty trees, which grow in splendor every year. In Düsseldorf, it doesn't matter whether Altbier or sake is served. The main thing is to be together and have fun.  

Swan mirror 

Schwanenspiegel, Kaiserteich and Kirschblüte - the vocabulary alone reveals that this is a particularly picturesque triad. The double pond, which is bordered by Elisabethstraße to the east and Wasserstraße to the west and fed by the southern Düssel, is connected by a narrow, bridged waterway and surrounded by a park modeled on an English landscape garden. In spring, when the cherries are in full bloom, the place is hard to beat in terms of romance. Reason enough to include it in our top ten list of places that are perfect for a first date. A picnic under the cherry trees could be followed by a visit to the K21, housed in the Ständehaus, part of the Kunstsammlung NRW and now home to the Museum of Contemporary Art. The huge spatial installation 'in orbit' by artist Tomás Saraceno has been hovering over the K21 piazza at a height of more than 25 meters since 2013. The walk-in artwork is a construction of almost transparent steel nets stretched out on three levels under the enormous glass dome. Until July 1, 2022, you can get wobbly knees while exploring the construction together - or feel like you're in 7th heaven. Want to bet that this day will be unforgettable?   

The Büdericher Allee in Meerbusch 

You want to celebrate Hanami but are running late? No problem. Just as the cherry blossom moves from southwest to northeast in Japan, there are also places in Düsseldorf and the surrounding area where the cherries blossom earlier or later. The trees on Büdericher Allee in Meerbusch are among the late bloomers. With their double blossoms, they make for a particularly impressive sight. Incidentally, the cherry blossom has been celebrated in Meerbusch since 2019 with its own festival including culinary specialties, ikebana, cosplay and drum and dance performances - another opportunity to get as close as possible to the Japanese way of life. The best way to get to Büdericher Allee is to take the subway lines U70, U74 and U76 and get off at the 'Büderich Landsknecht' stop. From there it is about a ten-minute walk to the avenue. 

Cover picture: Düsseldorf Tourismus