Claire Edmonds, the owner of Your Happy Paws, has graciously offered her expert advice on the best places for dog walking (or ferrets, or cats, or however you roll) around the city of Düsseldorf.
When the good weather returns one thing that all dog owners love to do is take a long walk with their dogs. But where are the best places for dog walking in Düsseldorf?
Whether you’d adopted a pet in Düsseldorf or gone through the vigorous process of bringing your pets from abroad, the same rules apply. As in many German cities, Düsseldorf also has a „Leinenzwang“ for dogs, which means that we have to keep our four-legged friends on a leash in public places. Düsseldorf does offer a lot of doggy play areas though within the city parks. You can recognize these spaces by the sign.
PS: Life in Düsseldorf has a list of the best pet supply shops in Düsseldorf in case you need to pick up some items
Some of these doggy play areas are quite small enclosed spaces – more just for a small outing and a stretch of the legs like within in the Zoopark in Düsseltal. There are also a few that can be quite big, but that’s for another blog post. If you’re more interested in finding wide-open fields in Düsseldorf for your pups to run around in, then this post will come in particularly handy.
Here are my top 5 spots for dog walking in Düsseldorf:
Theodor-Heuss-Brücke / Rheinpark
This is quite a big enclosed space close to the Rhine. It’s easy to get to and even though it is fenced in, the space is quite large for a good run around.
Lantz’scher Park Lohausen (Lohauser Dorfstraße)
I really love this park. It is like a secret walled-in garden that very few people know about. It boasts a deserted manor house and a small chapel. I just really like the atmosphere of this place. Although it is not a designated dog walking area, and you are not allowed to take your dog off the leash, I do think it is worth a visit.
Grafenberger Wald
If you prefer a walk in some cool, shady woodland, then the Grafenberger Wald is for you. Here you can let your dog roam freely. There is also a dog-friendly restaurant called Walfgasthof Gut Wolfsaap with a beer garden for refreshments along the way. They allow dogs in the restaurant.
Rheinwiesen Kaiserswerth
This is another lovely place to walk your dogs along the Rhine in the north of Düsseldorf. There is grass to run around on and a pebble beach for the dogs who like a swim. It’s easily accessible as there is a large car park nearby (Niederrheinstr./ An St. Swidbert).
Rheinwiesen Oberkassel / Heerdt
This is the place to meet other dogs and dog walkers. Here you can let your dog run freely along the banks of the Rhine. An absolute doggy paradise! As it is close to the center of Düsseldorf you can take your dog here during weekdays and do not have to reserve it for a special outing at the weekend.
Practical Tip: Do you have pet insurance yet? If not, you should consider paying the extra 30 – 50 Euros per year for safety measures as many people in Germany are not comfortable around pets, and can be very quick to press charges if anything happens. It also covers the costs of medical bills The price of your insurance will depend on the type of breed, if they’ve had any charges in the past, how many pets you have, etc. It’s actually much like buying car insurance ?. You can compare your insurance options and pricing on TarifCheck or you can go with a popular choice like GetSafe (it’s in English!) and AXA (not in English, but very reputable).
