Is that already gourmet hiking? The urban hiking tour that Silke and Hannah undertook through Düsseldorf could almost be described as a culinary hike. Because it takes you through trendy neighbourhoods with hip cafés and restaurants, for an Altbier in rustic breweries and, to top it all off, to Little Tokyo: here you have the choice between ramen, sushi and everything the Japanese culinary heart desires. In addition to savoury highlights, we discover the home of Fortuna, lose ourselves in Kiefernstraße and become aware of our time in the Volksgarten. A day that is definitely worth savouring.
Strolling in Flingern
It's almost a tradition to start our urban hiking tours with a second breakfast or at least a second coffee. And the Flingern district, which we have chosen for the start of our Düsseldorf tour, is perfect for this. We meet at the Wehrhahn S-Bahn station. From there, we stroll around Hermannplatz, along Ackerstraße and make our first stop at Café Hüftgold. Here, cups hang upside down from the ceiling as lamps and historic teapots are collected in a quaint wall cupboard. We order fresh mint tea with orange and tomato and mozzarella toast for refreshment. It's a shame that our tour doesn't take us back here in the afternoon, as the cakes at the counter look extremely tempting. The Flingern district is known for its cute cafés, concept stores and restaurants. It's a great place to spend a few hours shopping and exploring ... but today we want to make a little more distance and set off in the direction of the Paul Janes Stadium. Because Flingern also has a soft spot for football, or more precisely for the club Fortuna Düsseldorf.
Football stadium and world art room
"Fortuna per sempre" stickers on street lamps, "Alles aus Liebe" lettering on a railway bridge and the club pub "Fortuna Eck", which is still closed, can be seen on the way to the Paul Janes Stadium. Fortuna is obviously at home in Flingern. Unfortunately, the stadium, which used to be Fortuna's home ground and where the U23 and youth teams still play their matches, cannot be visited. A small consolation: the "Bar 95", Fortuna's clubhouse, brings fans together on the stadium grounds. Ideal for a short stop with a football atmosphere.
However, we decide to carry on, as there is still so much to see. On the way towards Kiefernstraße, we discover the Weltkunstzimmer by chance. A trendy place that showcases the cultural facet of the city. Small concerts and exhibitions by young artists regularly take place on the site of the former baking factory. Fascinated by the unique industrial charm, we explore every corner of the site.
Oh, you colourful, cheerful Pine Street!
An elderly Portuguese cook shows us the way to Kiefernstraße. She is a work of art, painted on the wall of the "Club Portugues" restaurant. We quickly realise that Kiefernstraße is a small world of its own. Colourful and autonomous. We take our time here because there is so much to see on the walls of the houses. Plaques on the impressively painted façades tell the story of the street. It became famous for its left-wing alternative squatter scene. And even though it is legal to live here today, a breeze from the left-wing scene blows through the colourful street. "Spielekiste" is written on a painted caravan, posters with political demands hang in the windows and on the corner we discover the underground club AK47 - a legendary punk pub. We can only imagine what it's like to live here and visualise a small parallel society with a great sense of community.
Visit to Bilk
We now leave the Flingern district and walk towards Bilk until we reach the Volksgarten. The early bloomers are already starting to appear, but the real spring mood has yet to materialise. It's simply still too cold. However, we can well imagine how nice it must be to stroll through the Südpark in mild temperatures and sunshine - with its winding paths, elegant avenues and romantic pond. As we almost leave the park again, we pass the "Zeitfeld" installation by artist Klaus Rinke. A total of 24 railway station clocks stand here on a meadow. A rather surreal scene, which is probably intended to remind viewers of the finite nature of their lives. In any case, we enjoy the wondrous sight, which is dotted with purple crocuses at this time of year.
Our feet are slowly starting to make themselves felt. That means it's time for a little break. And the Bilk district with its numerous cafés is the ideal place. We still have a little way to go along the Düssel before we reach Brunnenstraße. Here we are spoilt for choice. Or rather: the pleasure of the numerous offers. We pop into one or two cafés, but then decide in favour of Pure Note. A café and unpackaged shop in one. There's a particularly chocolaty chocolate cake and an apple and cinnamon waffle. Plus two cappuccinos. That brings us back to the front. We take a seat in the window in the truest sense of the word. With a view of the lively Brunnenstraße. The ideal place for a break.
We could now walk the rest of the way towards the Medienhafen - along Bilker Allee to the Loretto district, which is also worth a visit with its small shops, bars and restaurants, but a glance at the clock tells us to take the S-Bahn to Völklinger Straße and then walk through the Medienhafen and along the Rhine towards the old town. Before we enter the S-Bahn station, we take a quick look back. Opposite Restaurant Tigges, with its cosy beer garden, is a huge, colourful mural bearing the name "Wirtschaftswunder" (economic miracle). The background is the booming economy and the simultaneous astonishment at the increasing poverty in the neighbourhood and worldwide.
Old town, Altbier & Japanese delicacies
We get off at Völklinger Straße station and walk towards the Media Harbour. The architecturally unique buildings are particularly impressive here. The "Neue Zollhof" by star architect Frank O. Gehry has become the city's landmark. We stroll along the Rhine promenade past numerous restaurants, the harbour basin and the Rhine Tower (from up here you have a great view over the city). At the "Old Harbour" we turn into the old town. Tuesday lunchtime. Cloudy. Not much going on here at the moment. We walk past the "Uerige" brewery towards Wallstraße. A record shop, second-hand shops ... that's just our thing. We browse a bit, buy a souvenir or two and then head on to the Schumachers brewery. Because at least one Altbier is a must when visiting Düsseldorf. But be careful: if you want to keep it to one round, you have to put a beer mat on your glass as soon as your beer is almost empty. Otherwise it will be automatically topped up. Admittedly, we slept a little after the first round. But after the second, it worked. Because as quaint and cosy as it is here, we still have one last item on our list: Little Tokyo. In the Japanese neighbourhood around Immermannstraße, you'll find excellent restaurants, ramen snack bars, supermarkets and bars - because Düsseldorf is home to the third-largest Japanese community in Europe. So if you fancy a little holiday in Japan, this is the place for you. We pay a little visit to Nari Sushi - they serve sushi on a conveyor belt. Delicious. And just the right end to our Düsseldorf tour.
Hiking hacks for Düsseldorf
Our tips for your experience
- Leave your sandwich at home... Because you're guaranteed not to go hungry on a hiking tour through Düsseldorf. So leave the unnecessary ballast at home and savour the delicacies along the way.
- Plan art and culture stops... Whether high culture or subculture - Düsseldorf is there. So plan stops here and there in museums and galleries or round off the day with a visit to the opera or a concert.
- Altbier in a brewery... A stop at a brewery is a must and won't spoil your day of walking. Brauhaus Uerige, for example, also serves non-alcoholic Altbier.
