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The weather is getting chilly and the days are getting shorter… that can only mean one thing… it’s time for the Autumn celebrations! If you’re anything like me, hanging out under a blanket, watching movies, and sipping on Hot Toddy’s might be the best way to celebrate the return of cold weather and falling leaves. However, despite our little city of 600,000 people, there are thousands of ways to celebrate Autumn this season!

Here are 15 awesome ways to make sure that you celebrate Autumn in Düsseldorf properly this season!

 

1 – Go Apple Picking around Düsseldorf

Who doesn’t love a bit of time with the family spent apple picking? Where I’m from, apple picking is a tradition before we celebrate Thanksgiving. We pick apples to make apple crisp, apple pie, and stuffing with! There are tons of apple orchards around Düsseldorf where you can do this, otherwise, there are also a few local apple bushes in the city that you can find on mundraub.org.

 

2 – Celebrate Erntedankfest in Düsseldorf

In early October, the small district of Urdenbach celebrates Erntedankfest with a parade, lots of beer, and delicious baked goods. If you’ve missed it this year, there’s no reason you can’t celebrate on your own! Erntedankfest is similar to Thanksgiving, it is a celebration that gives thanks for the years’ crops and harvest.

 

3 – Go on an Autumn Hike in Neaderthal Valley

Explore the beautiful hiking trails in the Neanderthal Valley! If there’s one season in particular which is the best for hiking, it’s those chilly afternoons in the Fall. While you’re at it, why not make a visit to the Neanderthal Museum as well?

 

4 – Go to a Fortuna Düsseldorf Football Match

The season has just begun, why not head to a Fortuna match this Fall?! There’s nothing better than beer, pretzels, and football during an Autumn evening. If you’re more into playing sports rather than watching… well there’s no better time than now to join a local sports club!

 

5 – Take a Horseback Riding Lesson at Reitpark

You can choose to go in a group or on your own, the Reitpark charges by the session (approx. 90-minutes). Why not try it out? 

 

6 – Spend a Day Gardening

Whether you have a small balcony, a massive garden, or own a Kleingärten, the Fall season is the perfect time to be planting those bulbs for the Spring!

 

7 – Cycle Along the Rhine River

The nature around Düsseldorf is beautiful in the Fall and the cycling paths along the Rhine River are evening more stunning to bike along during the colder months. If you start your journey from the Media Harbour and head towards Zons, you’ll be sure to find a number of photo-worthy spots.

 

8 – Go for a Drive around Düsseldorf’s ‘Country Side’

Smaller areas like Hamm, Himmelgeist, and Zons are all great little places to visit in the Fall. While Düsseldorf might not be a countryside type of city, there are still many little-hidden gems on the outskirts of the city.

 

9 – Have a Fall Baking Party

There’s something nostalgic about baking during the Fall season. Blueberry pie, apple crisp, peach cobblers, pumpkin tarts… I don’t know about you, but I love baking in the Fall.

 

10 – Cozy up and Read a Book

This is something I don’t do nearly enough! Grab a blanket, sit outside or pull up a chair on your balcony and start reading! If you’re looking for a new English book to read, we have an International English Library here in the city where you can rent books.

 

11 – Head to the Movies and Watch a Horror Film

It has to be a horror film, right? We’re nearing Halloween, so it’s time to get into the spirit. This year, the new movie IT (or ‘ES’ in German) is out in theatres. You can find the English versions of movies in Düsseldorf here.

If you’re planning on watching movies from your personal devices in public, learn from my mistakes and make sure you get a VPN first.

Or just order in and binge on Netflix!

 

12 – Warm up to a Bowl of Chili con Carne

You’ll find restaurants all over the city serving up warm Chili con Carne. If you’re exploring the Altstadt, you can stop in at Sausalitos on Bolkerstr. for a bowl of chili (or order from home)! Casita Mexicana, Chidonkey, and Chicos are a few more of our Mexican favorites serving up delicious burritos, wraps, and tortillas with guac.

 

13 – Celebrate Halloween at a Düsseldorf Nightclub

German’s might not celebrate Halloween as we do in North America, but there is still a ton of events taking place on October 31st every year in the city. My recommendation would be to do a pub crawl in the Altstadt and celebrate in multiple different bars – there really are some amazing spots to party in the old town.

If you’re still in need of a halloween costume, Deiters in Düsseldorf has an amazing selection (also online) and thanks to the almighty Karneval season, we also have awesome online shops like the Karneval-MEGASTORE.

 

14 – Explore the Abandoned Buildings of Düsseldorf

Caution: this is not really… legal… so please be aware, you are always entering at your own risk. With that being said, I’ll leave it up to you to find the abandoned buildings rather than encouraging you to visit the ones I know. 

 

15 – Have a BBQ at Rheinpark Golzheim

The evenings might be getting chilly, but that doesn’t mean that a lunchtime BBQ to stay warm isn’t a great idea! Grab your friends and family and spend the day outside surrounded by colorful trees.

 

BONUS ADVENTURE:

Would you add anything else to the list? How will you celebrate the Autumn season this year in Düsseldorf? 

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