Six picnic spots for your spring love

Finally out in the countryside again!

Spring awakening! With the first balmy days, both the desire to fall in love and the desire to dine in the fresh air reliably return. And what could be more romantic than a picnic together? Whether you're sharing a picnic blanket with a long-time love that needs to be warmed up after the winter or with a date who still wants to be conquered - Düsseldorf offers many green oases where you can make yourself comfortable in the grass. In the following six places, the likelihood of returning with butterflies in your stomach is particularly high. We have put together a few tips for you on which dishes you can serve on the blanket. The tiny rest is up to you.

Little Hawaii

Even the nickname that the locals have found for this place hints at its beauty. The Rhine beach below the Lörick outdoor pool attracts visitors with the finest white sand and countless pretty shady spots under the trees. Although these are not palm trees, but riverside willows, and your feet will be lapped by the Rhine rather than the Pacific, a Hawaiian Poké Bowl in your picnic basket could possibly make up for this small difference. We recommend getting there by bike. Coming from Oberkassel, turn right before the outdoor pool towards the Rhine and then follow the sandy paths along the banks until you find a suitable spot. 

Volksgarten

The Volksgarten in the south of Düsseldorf is the green lung of the city. And in the middle of this green lung, surrounded by ancient beech, oak and maple trees, there is a large meadow. In summer, students from the nearby university and sun worshippers from the surrounding area gather here. So it's not exactly secluded, but in spring you'll have the spot almost to yourself during the day. Either way, the meadow behind the boathouse is an ideal picnic spot with a view of the TV tower and is also sheltered from the wind for a game of badminton. If you don't like cooking, stop by the Byblos restaurant on Markenstraße in Oberbilk first: they serve delicious snacks such as falafel, hummus, tabouleh and labneh with zatar. Ambitious diners can create the Levantine touch that suits Oberbilk so well themselves - preferably with the help of Yotam Ottolenghi's cookbooks.

Japanese garden in Nordpark

You probably already know that Düsseldorf has the third largest Japanese community in Europe after Paris and London. More than 8000 Japanese live and work here. So it's no wonder that it's not just Düsseldorf's gastronomy scene that is influenced by the land of the rising sun. Japanese garden culture has also found its way to the Rhine. In the most north-western corner of the Nordpark, where the park is at its quietest and most tranquil, you will find a special kind of jewel - 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. Is there a better place for a declaration of love? Hardly. Our culinary recommendation: sushi and sake.

Rhine Park

The meadows of the Rheinpark, which adjoin the Rheinterrassen to the north, offer picnickers what is probably the most beautiful bridge panorama. From the Rheinknie Bridge on the left, the view sweeps across the Oberkassel Bridge to the Theodor Heuss Bridge on the right, next to which the sun sinks into the horizon in summer. Even though Frisbee and soccer are played here, the area between Cecilienallee and Robert-Lehr-Ufer is 24 hectares in size and also offers enough space for an intimate tête-à-tête. The makers of the Three Little Birds beer garden, which opened at the Rheinterrassen in 2020, have recognized this. The three birds will pack you picnic baskets and even lend you blankets. So it's ideal for those who don't get organized and those who make last-minute decisions.  

Vis-à-vis the media harbor

Another spot on the Rhine with a panoramic view that has it all. If you cross under the Rheinkniebrücke bridge on the Oberkassl side and walk down the embankment towards Rhine kilometer 743, you have a fantastic view of the Rhine Tower and the architecture of the Medienhafen. As the sun sinks lower, the mirrored part of the Gehry buildings glows with it. The meadow is extensive. However, as it is often frequented by flocks of sheep, it is best to choose your seats carefully. Culinary tip: The vegan restaurant Sattgrün in the harbor also offers all dishes to take away. 

Benrath Castle

The pleasure palace in the south of the city, which often serves as a photo backdrop for wedding couples, is also the ideal setting for a romantic picnic. In the extensive park surrounding the pink confectioner's palace, many benches and secluded spots invite you to take a seat. Elector Karl Theodor and his wife Elisabeth, who had the palace built by Nicolas de Pigage between 1755 and 1773, couldn't actually smell each other. But you shouldn't let this discourage you. On the contrary, after all, the lives of the illustrious high nobility offer plenty to talk about to overcome any initial nervousness. A fun fact to get you started, for example, is that Karl Theodor never visited his summer retreat throughout his life. And Elisabeth was only here once - but without her husband. On a guided tour of the palace, you can see for yourself how cleverly the magnificent Baroque building was planned. Secret corridors connect the bathrooms and bedrooms.

Cover picture: Düsseldorf Tourismus