Exploring the Best of Oberkassel, Düsseldorf

It’s the district across the Rhein with the beautiful houses and the countless sheep mowing the meadows, but what else is there hiding amidst this beautiful district? Louisa Marks, an English expat and local from the Oberkassel area has generously shared her tips and favorites about living life in Oberkassel.

Best Food in Oberkassel

• Li Beirut: Authentic Lebanese food made with love.
• Muggel: Great food and bar scene. I understand there is a weekday singles night and half-price cocktails on a Wednesday. They also serve an English brunch.
• Saittavini: Great Italian restaurant, is always busy, but the food is great. Slightly more expensive than the other spots listed.
• Brasserie Hulsmann: You cannot book and there is usually a long queue for this large, noisy, and typical German food restaurant.
• Stappen: A la carte restaurant with a variety of dishes. Fantastic service!

Best Sights in Oberkassel

• The Rhine: Laying on the right bank of the Rhine, there is a great river walkway in Oberkassel. Be sure to walk in the morning and afternoon as otherwise, the sun shines on the left bank by the Aldstadt.
• The churches: There are two stunning churches in Oberkassel. The Evangelische Auferstehungskirche on Quirinst./Arnulfst. and was built in 1913/14 by architects Verheyen and SanMar. On the main street, Luegallee you cannot miss the St.Antonius church which was built in 1911.
• Dusseldorf St: The architecture of the homes down this street is amazing. I stayed in a small hotel on this street when I came for my ‘looksie’ and was desperate to live down this tree-lined street, however, no apartments were available.
• Similarly walking through the streets on the left-hand side of Luegallee (with your back to the river), you will see some typical ‘Oberkassel’ style buildings. Most of these are pre-war built sometime after the bridge between the left bank and Oberkassel was opened in 1898. Be warned that there will be some random 1950/60s apartment blocks between the older buildings as some did not survive the Allied bombing raids.
• The 3 bridges: The views of the left bank as you walk from Oberkassel are amazing and varied, from the 1920s Tonhalle to the iconic Ergo building. Watching the barges sail underneath you is also fun. I never tire of the views of the Aldstadt from the Luegallee bridge.

Best Shops in Oberkassel

• Barbarossaplatz market: Held weekly on a Tuesday and Friday. Fresh fish, meat, vegetables, fruit, and dairy products are available, although not at the cheapest prices. Many of the traders prepare their products for you to buy and eat whilst you are there.
• Gregor’s Textilpflege: This is a weird one, but the store with the best customer service is my dry cleaners. One of the ladies speaks English which is helpful. The team is super nice as are the other customers who actually say hello and have also helped with German-to-English translation when it has been needed.
• Boutiques: The shopping in Oberkassel is mostly independent and boutique stores as there is a lot of money in this neighborhood. I have been to most of these and on the whole, found the staff very pleasant and helpful, but the prices are scary!! However, do be warned that I have experienced some staff ‘judging my wealth’ by my appearance and then not paying me any attention. Most of the shops are situated on Luegallee.
• Modeagentur Hamburg: A reasonably priced clothing shop on Luegallee stocking ‘European’ fashion. The staff is always friendly. There is often a sale rail just to the left of the door which is always worth a rummage through!

Best Entertainment in Oberkassel

• Cinestar: Great cinema showing many OV films. The best thing is the ‘English Secret Screening‘ on Wednesdays at 8.30 PM, where you turn up and don’t know what you are going to watch until the film starts. For 5,50 Euro per adult, you get to see a film that is due to be released in Germany in the following weeks…the obvious trade-off is that you may not like the film, but for 5,50 Euro you can just leave.
• Basement Kellerkino: Situated underneath Muggles, this small cinema has German screenings.
• Christmas Market: At the end of November, Oberkassel (along with many other districts) has a very intricate Christmas Market selling predominantly food and drink. A nice place to sip a glass or two and enjoy a Bratwurst. Occasional hymns were sung by local schoolchildren.
• Outdoor pursuits: Get your roller blades on, your bike out, or dust off those trainers and get out along the Rhine Walkway. Sundays are usually very fun with many people out and about. Families of all generations, the dog, and the kids riding the latest gadget to get them from A to B.
• People Watching: Get a coffee and grab a chair in the café and watch the world go by. Good cafes for people-watching include Café de France, Die Rostmeister, and Kaffeeschmiede.

Best Nature in Oberkassel

• The Rheinwiesen: Here, you can fly your kite, visit the sheep, or if you’re lucky, even head to the Kirmes (amusement park) in July
• The pathway starting on Hansallee (just past Aldi Sud) and ending on Niederkasseler St. has a few Kinder play parks and takes you through a quieter part of the neighborhood. Alternatively, you can snake through more streets and come out near the Rhine.
• Kaiser-Friedrich Ring: Set back from the river and riverwalk, the Kaiser Friedrich Ring is a road, but the walkway is tree-lined all the way from Theodor Heuss Brucke (first bridge) to Rheinkniebrucke (third bridge).