Nordpark and Japanese Garden
Nordpark is the pride of Dusseldorf, and with good reason. This 36.6-hectare (90.4-acre) park is packed with all the right elements of a bustling city’s green lungs. The park boasts wide pathways that spell paradise for walkers and bikers, immaculate flower-beds bursting with colourful blooms, ponds shaded by dense trees, beautiful fountains and theme gardens. Nordpark’s northwest edge is bordered by the Japanese Garden; designed by Japanese landscape artist Iwaki Ishiguro, it’s a little slice of traditional Japan, with its maples and black pines, gravel-bordered ponds, Japanese sculptures and traditional lighting and seating.
Nordpark, Kaiserswerther Strasse, Dusseldorf, Germany, +49 157 809 6736 1
Hofgarten
Hofgarten, Dusseldorf’s oldest public park, is synonymous with relaxation and rejuvenation. Sprawling across 27.73 hectares (68.5 acres), the Hofgarten surprises visitors with its sharply contrasting landscape. While a section of the garden boasts of impeccably manicured flowerbeds and formal rows of trees, the rest of it reflects designer Maximilian Weyhe’s love for untamed natural beauty. Here, looming trees stand as testimony to nearly 200 years of history while the Düssel tributary flows lazily, mallards merrily quack in the lake and tiny pond and stretches of green openness please the eyes.
On the east end of the gardens sits Schloss Jägerhof, a hunting lodge dating back to the 17th century, steeped in the history of wars, plunders and restorations. Today, it houses an impressive collection of exhibits pertaining to the life and works of the legendary German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
Hofgarten, Pempelfort/Hofgartenstrasse, Dusseldorf, Germany, +49 211 899 4800
Benrath Park
The Benrath Park beautifully accentuates the majestic 200-year-old Benrath Palace, designed to be the residence and hunting lodge for Elector Carl Theodor. In tune with its history, the park has a formal, strictly geometric design. Its English Garden boasts of rare foreign trees while the French Garden is adorned with a wide variety of beautiful flowers, shrubs and fountains. Flowers, vegetables, fruits and herbs are grown lovingly in the kitchen garden. The park, offering green canopies, lakes and fountains, has the right ingredients for a romantic, peaceful time away from the stress of the city.
Schlosspark Benrath, Benrather Schlossallee 102, Dusseldorf, Germany, +49 211 899 3832
Südpark
Südpark, Dusseldorf’s biggest park, is a huge green swathe covering 70 hectares (173 acres). The southern edge of the park, known as the Vor dem Deich, is an oasis of greenery and water, consisting of dense trees, ponds and colourful flowers – an invitation to relax in the lap of beautiful nature. Meanwhile, the In den Gärten section entices visitors with as many as 16 theme gardens designed around a 600-metre (1968.5-ft) water axis. The Volksgarden, possibly the most beloved section of the park, is designed to evoke the feeling of natural woods, with its broad paths flanked by towering trees, thick vegetation and small water bodies. Plus, a field of 24 clocks by Klaus Rinke (Zeitfeld), unique steel structures, and the petting farm ensure that there is something for every visitor.
Südpark, Werstener Strass, Dusseldorf, Germany, +49 211 899 4800
Rheinpark Bilk
Though small, this 7.6-hectare (18.8-acre) park is a welcome stretch of green nestling between the mighty River Rhine on one side and towering commercial and public buildings on the other. Boasting avenues shaded by rows of tall trees, this park is ideal for walking, biking and enjoying the refreshing river breeze. Rheinpark Bilk offers unobstructed views of the Rhine, the busy harbour and yachts, and the attractive skyline on the horizon.