Head indoors in bad weather: The best indoor experiences in Düsseldorf

Let the rain pour down!

When umbrellas and boots become the accessories of the season, it's hard to find anything good about the weather. Running around completely soaked while the wind whips rain into your face from the front? Yes, there really are more pleasant things. But the uncomfortable weather does have one advantage: Finally, there's every reason to spend the whole day indoors! And as comfortable as it may seem to lounge on the sofa for hours on end, it's just as much fun to discover Düsseldorf's diverse range of indoor entertainment. What are you waiting for?

Sport 

Staying in an even darker hall during the dark season? But yes! At 3D mini golf. In Flingern (Kettwiger Straße 6), you can play under black light across all 18 holes. Whether this makes it easier to hit the tiny ball into the right hole remains to be seen. But it certainly provides an extra dose of thrills! In one of the many climbing gyms - such as "Move" (Diepenstraße 83), "Monkeyspot" (Schiessstraße 52) and "Superblock" (Fichtenstraße 53) - you will not only forget the time, but also the drizzle that was just causing a bad mood. The trampoline parks "Jump Galaxy" (Willstätterstraße 12) and "Superfly" (Kappeler Str. 126) are a little less up in the air. Losing the ground beneath your feet? A truly welcome phenomenon here. And if you're weatherproof (the whole stadium is covered, by the way), head to the soccer stadium to give Fortuna all the support they need with passionate chants.

Art and culture

If you ask people all over the world what they know Düsseldorf for, the keyword art is sure to come up. As one of Germany's leading locations for the trade in paintings, sculptures and other works of art, the city boasts numerous world-class museums. In addition to K20 and K21, the Kunstpalast and the Kunsthalle - to name just the largest museums - you will be amazed by the delicate brushstrokes, unprecedented objects and one riot of color after another in numerous galleries. Perhaps the sight will inspire you to create your own work? Once a year, the Night of the Museums also attracts visitors, with institutions such as the Aquazoo (incidentally the most visited museum in Düsseldorf) opening their doors late into the night. Walking/riding from one cultural institution to the next at a late hour while bats are already fluttering high above your head? The best possible night walk, we think. If you're more interested in ceramic art, historical events or variety shows, that's no problem either. After all, Düsseldorf offers a wide variety of events all year round. 

Hobby and craft 

Of course, there are exceptions to the rule, but many adults complain that, unlike in their childhood, they no longer have any hobbies. It's high time to change that! On days when the sun takes a break, try your hand at making your own ceramics in the studios of "Manufattura" (Schwerinstraße 7), "Eigenlob" (Hüttenstraße 61) and "DüsselLiebe" (Flurstraße 34). The next birthday is sure to come. Especially as it sometimes simply feels good to knead a piece of clay instead of typing on a keyboard day in, day out, as many employers and employees do. Being able to snuggle up in a warm woolen scarf when the first snowflakes fall is possible after taking part in a knitting course. You can take part in these in various stores, such as the "Atelier der Kaiserswerther Paramente" (Zeppenheimer Weg 20) or "Utlindes Wohlbefinden" (Viersener Straße 13). The VHS will also show you how to use knitting needles properly without losing your eyesight. 

Cafés/Breweries

A glass of hot apple juice, cinnamon stick and clove leaf? Sure, bring it on! Nothing says rainy weather like a visit to your favorite café. When ordering two or even three pieces of cake, for example at social media star Dritan Alsela (Schlüterstraße 3a), which is followed by more than 3.7 million users on Facebook alone, at "La Corte" (Cäcilienstr. 4, great cakes!) or "David's Café" (Regenbergastraße 2a, huge selection of even more unusual desserts) becomes an absolute matter of course, because the alternative - namely encountering snowflakes the size of table tennis balls - is simply not an option. If you're in the mood for something a little more hearty, why not take part in one of the many brewery tours? You will have to scurry from place to place. However, the reward is extra fresh and has a fine head of foam. 

Sauna/Wellness

Even those who only have to dash a few minutes from the car to the front door often long for just one thing for many months: to finally get into the warm (or dry, depending on when the shower "overtakes" you). One way to literally fulfill this wish is to visit a wellness oasis. In the "Vabali" (Schalbruch 210) or the "Momentum Spa" (Am Bonneshof 30), for example, you can soak in the whirlpool or, in the best case scenario, prevent all colds in the saunas. You can also watch the rain streaming down the window from the pools of Düsseldorf's numerous public pools. Spending an entire Sunday in nothing but swimwear and a bathrobe at the most, taking one lane after the next and then taking a nap on the deckchair afterwards. With a plan like this, no day off is guaranteed to fall through.

This article is funded by REACT-EU.

Pictures: Düsseldorf Tourism