Ideas for inclement weather – Düsseldorf’s best indoor activities

What to do when it rains

On a day when raincoats and umbrellas are a must, it can be easy to let the weather spoil your plans. There are certainly better things to do than getting soaked while the wind drives the rain into your face.
But the advantage of bad weather is that it provides a great excuse to spend the whole day indoors! And while it may be tempting to spend hours lounging on the sofa, you’ll have much more fun if you explore what Düsseldorf has to offer by way of indoor entertainment. What are you waiting for?

Sport 

When the days are short and gloomy, hanging out in a dark hall doesn’t sound much fun, unless you’re playing a round of 3D minigolf of course! In Flingern (Kettwiger Strasse 6), you play all 18 holes under blacklight. Whether this helps you to get the tiny little ball into the tiny little hole is another question, but it certainly adds to the drama. You’re also bound to forget the time – and the bad-mood-inducing drizzle outdoors – if you head for one of the many indoor climbing centres, such as Move (Diepenstrasse 83), Monkeyspot (Schiessstrasse 52) and Superblock (Fichtenstrasse 53). You won’t reach quite the same heights at the trampoline parks Jump Galaxy (Willstätterstrasse 12) and Superfly (Kappeler Strasse 126) but you’re sure to get your bounce back! Finally, as long as you’re wrapped up well (although the entire stadium is covered), you should go along to the football stadium to add your voice to the crowds lustily singing their support for local team Fortuna.

Art & culture

Ask anywhere in the world what Düsseldorf is known for and people are bound to say art. The city is one of the leading places in Germany for trading in paintings, sculptures and other works of art, plus it boasts numerous world-class museums. The biggest art museums are K20, K21, the Kunstpalast and the Kunsthalle, but you can also admire delicate brushstrokes, never-before-seen objects and every colour under the sun at the many smaller galleries. Perhaps you’ll be inspired to get creative yourself? Once a year, museums such as Aquazoo (the most-visited museum in Düsseldorf) stay open until late into the evening, giving you the chance to visit multiple cultural institutions at a nocturnal hour. The perfect night walk, in our opinion. All year round, Düsseldorf also has plenty to offer in terms of ceramics, traditional events and cabaret if museums aren't really your thing. 

Hobbies and handicrafts 

Of course this isn’t true for everyone, but many adults complain that, unlike when they were a child, they don’t have any hobbies. Now’s the time to put that right! A day when the sun remains firmly out of sight is the ideal opportunity to channel your inner ceramicist at a local studio, such as Manufattura (Schwerinstrasse 7), Eigenlob (Hüttenstrasse 61) or DüsselLiebe (Flurstrasse 34). A great idea if there’s a birthday coming up. Painting or manipulating clay makes a welcome change from hours spent tapping away at a keyboard, which is what many jobs involve these days. Or try a knitting course so that you can snuggle up in a warm woolly scarf when the first snowflakes start to fall. Courses are held at various shops, including Atelier der Kaiserswerther Paramente (Zeppenheimer Weg 20) and Utlindes Wollbefinden (Viersener Strasse 13). The adult education centre (Volkshochschule) will also help you get to grips with wool and needles. 

Cafés and breweries

A mug of hot apple juice garnished with a cinnamon stick and cloves is just the thing when the weather is wet and miserable and you just want to relax in your favourite café. Ordering a slice of cake (or more) – such as at social media sensation Dritan Alsela (Schlüterstrasse 3a), which has more than 3.7 million followers on Facebook alone, La Corte (Cäcilienstrasse 4, fantastic tartlets!) or David’s Café (Regenbergastrasse 2a, huge choice of unusual desserts) – is a must when there’s simply no alternative due to the seemingly table tennis ball-sized snowflakes falling outside. If you don’t really have a sweet tooth, then you may prefer to go on one of the many brewery tours. You may have to travel a bit to reach the venues, but you’ll be rewarded with a brew topped with a fresh head of foam! 

Saunas and spas

Even a quick sprint from the car to the front door can leave you desperate to be warm and cosy (or dry, depending on whether you were caught by a shower). And one way to achieve this is to visit a spa. At Vabali (Schalbruch 210) or Momentum Spa (Am Bonneshof 30), for example, the bubbles of the jacuzzi and the heat of the sauna are sure to ward off any colds that may be lurking around the corner. Or a swim at one of Düsseldorf’s many public pools will keep you fit as the rain beats down outside. You can easily spend a good part of a Sunday swimming length after length, stopping for a well-deserved nap on the sunbeds of course! With a day like that, you won’t care about the weather outside.

This article is supported by REACT-EU.

Images: Düsseldorf Tourism