Football Away Days: What To Do In Leverkusen

The perfect guide for fans heading to Germany to see their side play Bayer Leverkusen.
Unlike a lot of football stadiums, the BayArena is centrally located within the city. It is situated in a residential area, without masses around to keep fans occupied, but the city center is roughly a 15-minute walk away.

With that in mind, it’s worth noting that the nearest airport to Leverkusen is Cologne, which is one hour away. Cologne is the prettier city, with more going on. Thus, the things listed below are in Cologne, so stay there after you get off your flight and head to Leverkusen closer to game time.

Something to eat:

Haus am Park – Located near the BayArena, this restaurant offers a brilliant example of modern German food. Prices are slightly on the expensive side, but the quality of ingredients and execution is high, and you’re definitely better off ordering traditional meat dishes. Reassuringly the place is popular with locals (always a good sign) and unsurprisingly, the vast majority of the staff speaks excellent English and is happy to guide you through the menu.

Bismarckstraße 186, 51373 Leverkusen, Germany
#sieg im #derby ??? #effzeh #bayer04 #‪fcköln ist aber #lamm #lamb #knoblauch #garlic #brioche #frühling #spring @hausampark #frischeparadies #köln
A photo posted by @hr.kabon on Apr 10, 2016 at 11:50am PDT

Something to drink:

Haus Alkenrath – If you happen to be there during the weekend then you’ll be inundated with every Bundesliga game. If you’re not, there is plenty to keep you occupied. As well as smaller screens there is a four square meter big screen, and on top of that you can choose between two dart machines, a bowling alley and an enormous beer garden. The pub serves up German/Croatian grub, but this is very much a venue for drinks rather than food.

Alkenrather Straße 47, 51377 Leverkusen, Germany

Something to see:

Museum

Chocolate Museum – Covering over 4,000 square meters, the Lindt Chocolate Museum is an independent museum that showcases the finest in German choco manufacturing. Following the journey of the cocoa beans from tropical greenhouses to the factory floor, Hans Imhoff established this story in 1993 as a homage to centuries of the cult of chocolate in Cologne. Expect chocolate fountains and shelves of truffles galore.

Something to do:

Park

Aachener Weiher – One of the most popular beer gardens and a beloved outdoor space in Cologne, the Beer Garden at Aachener Weiher is a complex place that accommodates guests, joggers, cyclists and musicians all at once at its location in the Hiroshima Nagasaki Park. Spread over 1,000 benches covered with umbrellas, the beer garden offers a spectacular panorama of the green recreational space all around, while the food is delicious and includes local favorites such as roasted pork knuckle and frothy pils.
Bismarckstraße 122-124, 51373 Leverkusen, Germany

About the author

Luke Bradshaw

Sports Editor

Luke was born and raised in various parts of south London, before studying Politics and Social Psychology at Loughborough University. His time in the midlands was limited to his study and upon his return to the capital (via the obligatory travelling in between), wrote for a number of different local and national publications, before moving into the editorial side of things. Aside from the obvious interest in sport, he loves food, travel, reading and film, but if any can somehow incorporate sport in the process, then all the better.