Now could not be a more perfect time to make the best out of local adventures and day trips, and I bet you didn’t know that all 25 of these amazing towns are less than a 1,5-hour drive from Düsseldorf!
Consider taking a couple of weekends a month to explore more than just your surroundings. Pack a day bag and a picnic and get out exploring.
Experience the Middle Ages in Zons
Just around the corner from Düsseldorf is the beautiful little medieval town of Zons (next to Dormagen). You can take the ferry from Urdenbach by car/foot/bike if you’d like to make it a full adventure. Going to Zons feels like you’ve stepped back into the Middle Ages. You can roam the perimeter of the city fortification, you can walk the tiny cobblestone streets, and you can visit the still-active wooden windmill.
How long does it take to get there? 30 minutes*
Spend a romantic day in Monschau
Monschau is located in the hills of Northern Eifel. This little town is covered with romantic half-timbered houses, narrow alleys, and the beautiful River Rur running through the center, much of which hasn’t been changed for over 300 years. You can take a short 10-minute hike up to the castle for a picture-perfect panoramic view, or you can explore the little alleyways and timbered houses up close.
How long does it take to get there? 1 hour and 30 minutes*
Ride the Schwebebahn in Wüppertal
Wüppertal is a place I always say is heavily underrated. If you have the time, I’d take the Schwebebahn around the city and make a pit stop at the Wuppertal Zoo which is one of the most beloved zoos around Germany.
How long does it take to get there? 35 minutes*
Check Out the Old Windmill of Xanten
Once you’ve visited, you’ll ask yourself how you haven’t made the visit to Xanten before. The old town is actually quite small which means you’ll definitely manage to explore the whole town in less than a day. There are some amazing restaurants in the market square, and if you walk the perimeter of the old town walls, you’ll find some incredible towers and a beautiful windmill.
How long does it take to get there? 1 hour and 5 minutes*
Climb the hilly village of Kettwig
Kettwig is a stunning little village right outside of Essen which sits along the Ruhr River. The charm of this village comes from its preservation. Kettwig was one of few villages that didn’t take a hard hit from the second world war, thus leaving us some incredible aged architecture to admire. It is a hilly little down with a lot of charm, amazing restaurants, and beautiful nature.
How long does it take to get there? 35 minutes*
Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler
You may have heard people talk about the Ahr valley and the amazing selection of wines they offer in this incredible wine region. Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler is in the heart of the Ahr Valley and an incredible place to visit for the day (or weekend). From up in the valley, you can get some beautiful views of the old town below. If you walk the cobblestone streets around the old town, you’ll find plenty of traditional German restaurants, gorgeous half-timbered houses, and completely preserved medieval town walls.
How long does it take to get there? 1 hour and 20 minutes*
Landschaftspark + Tiger & Turtle in Duisburg
Duisburg is an easy tram ride away and still falls under the Düsseldorf transit system. While you may have heard in the past that Duisburg is none other than a place to live and work, it’s much more than that, I promise. For photographers and adventurers, Duisburg is absolutely incredible. Some of the must-visits include Landschaftspark and the Tiger & Turtle.
How long does it take to get there? 40 minutes*
Be a tourist in Cologne for the day
If you haven’t been to Cologne yet, you haven’t explored at all. Cologne is usually everyone’s first stop to introduce themselves to their surroundings. You’re a Düsseldorfer now, so the least you can do is make a stopover for a little visit to compare the Kölsch to our Altbier and then check out their beautiful Kölner Dom.
How long does it take to get there? 50 minutes*
Neanderthal Valley and the Neanderthal Museum
The Neanderthal Valley is just outside of the city limits, some may actually say it’s in Düsseldorf, but technically, it’s not. The Neanderthal Valley is an incredible place to be if you have a passion for nature. You’ll find some of the best hikes here, and of course, one of my favorite museums in the world, the Neanderthal Museum.
How long does it take to get there? 25 minutes*
Roam the Old Town of Aachen
Aachen is a city with thousands of years of history and the former place of residence of Charlemagne. This city has much to offer, from thermal baths to the oldest Cathedral in Germany which makes it a perfect destination for a day trip from Düsseldorf.
How long does it take to get there? 1 hour and 10 minutes*
Hike Around the Baldeney Lake in Essen
You might have recognized that in this particular post we stayed away from mentioning some of the major cities that we assume many of you have already visited, and instead, have focused on some beautiful hidden gems. Baldeney Lake in Essen is no secret, yet there are still so many people living in Düsseldorf who haven’t taken the time to hike around the lake. If you’re not up for a hike, you can also join a boat cruise, kayak around the river, or hang out at one of the city beaches.
How long does it take to get there? 45 minutes*
Zeche Zollverein in Essen
The Zeche Zollverein is an old coal mine industrial complex that they now use as an entertainment space and educational center for the public. Depending on the season, you’ll find live concerts, art exhibitions, an illuminated skating rink, a swimming pool, festivals, fairs, and tons of other cultural events.
How long does it take to get there? 50 minutes*
Go Outlet Shopping in Roermond
Roermond is home to one of the largest shopping centers around Nordrhein Westfalen. You’ll be making a trip over the border into the Netherlands and while you can explore the scenery around, I’ve made the stop here for the sole purpose of shopping.
How long does it take to get there? 45 minutes*
Schloss Drachenburg
The Schloss Drachenburg is a ruined castle built in 1138 and is now known as Drachenfels (dragon’s rock). We managed to get a beautiful view when we headed a little upward following signs for Petersburg. You can spend a day roaming around the castle grounds without getting bored, otherwise, you can continue your journey along to the beautiful Mosel Valley.
How long does it take to get there? 1 hour and 20 minutes*
Solingen – Schloss Burg
It’s not just the visit to Schloss Burg that will make your day trip experience an amazing one. If you park by the Müngsten Bridge and go on a short hike through the forest, you’ll be amazed at what you might have missed had you of headed just to the castle. Once the hiking trail ends, you’ll enter this beautiful little old town. In the old town, you will find the chair lift that takes you up to the top of Schloss Burg.
How long does it take to get there? 45 minutes*
Visit Beethoven’s house in Bonn
Bonn is one of Germany’s oldest cities and is located along the Rhein River. You could spend the day walking along the pathway following the Rhine River, or you can choose to cut your walk short and head onward to the old town to explore some more. It’s worth walking about the old town and taking a look at Ludwig van Beethoven’s birthplace in 1770.
How long does it take to get there? 1 hour*
Wander the Old Town of Thorn
Thorn is one of the few out-of-country towns mentioned in this blog post, and for a good reason! Thorn is a gorgeous little Dutch village that lies on the Witbeek and Meuse Rivers. Many people consider Thorn to be the “white village” because most of the old brick townhouses have been painted white. If you’re a fan of pancakes like I am, they also have one of the best pancake restaurants!
How long does it take to get there? 1 hour*
Freudenberg
Aha! I saved this one for later in the post to keep you scrolling. I found out about Freudenberg a few years ago and fell in love immediately (I mean before I actually even got there). While Freudenberg is quite a small town with not much going on for tourists and visitors, the view alone is worth the visit. This is one of the most beautiful half-timbered villages I have found thus far in Germany.
How long does it take to get there? 1 hour and 30 minutes*
Go for a nature escape in the Eifel National Park
We mentioned that Monschau is located just along the northern hills of the Eifel, but there is so much more to be explored in the Eifel. Besides Monschau, we’ve yet to make the best out of this beautiful destination so close to Düsseldorf. Like many of you, we’ve seen the spectacular Burg Eltz, but there are many more places we’d still like to discover.
How long does it take to get there? 1 hour and 30 minutes*
Movie Park in Bottrop
Bottrop is a city worth visiting on its own, but c’mon, who doesn’t love a day trip to the theme park? Movie Park is a theme park spread across 40 hectares and has 7 different themed areas in the park all based on TV shows and famous movies.
How long does it take to get there? 1 hour*
Explore the University City of Kleve
Kleve is a German city located right along the Dutch border. It is home to an incredible international university (if you don’t decide to go to one of Düsseldorf’s English universities) which also makes it a great place for nightlife during the school semesters.
We haven’t been yet, but there are many places we’re planning on visiting including Schloss Moyland, the Schwanenburg Castle, and the Grenzland-Draisine (which is just outside of Kleve).
When we do manage to visit, we will update this post with new photos!
How long does it take to get there? 1 hour and 20 minutes*
Embrace the Netherlands in Maastricht
Maastricht is also no secret, and conveniently also just a 1,5-hour bus ride away (which is often 5-10 Euros). We’ve booked our bus tickets to Maastricht 3 times but either missed the bus or had something else come up. So, as soon as we manage to make a successful trip there, we will upload some awesome photos. Until then, here are a few places I’d like to visit while I’m there: Basilica of Saint Servatius, Book Store Dominicanen, and Mount Saint Peter.
How long does it take to get there? 1 hour and 20 minutes*
Photo Credit: Caoimhe Gordon
Mönchengladbach
Call me crazy, but I still haven’t been to Mönchengladbach and yet everyone tells me it’s a beautiful city worth exploring and is extremely close to Düsseldorf. There’s Schloss Rheydt, the Abteiberg Museum, Bunter Garten, and Odenkirchen Zoo, all of which I haven’t had the chance to visit yet.
How long does it take to get there? 40 minutes*
Münster
Home of the St. Paulus Dom cathedral and the Prinzipalmarkt square, welcome to Münster. Münster is a beautiful place worth visiting, that I still have yet to make the trip to. When I do get there I will be sure to explore all there is to explore including the St. Lamberti Church, Schloss Münster, and the Picasso Art Museum.
How long does it take to get there? 1 hour and 45 minutes*
Phantasialand in Brühl
Phantasialand is another theme park quite close to Düsseldorf that I’ve heard is worth visiting – still on my bucket list. They have 40 different attractions and multiple different themed parks within the grounds.
How long does it take to get there? 1 hour*
