Motorhoming in Germany | Discovering Dusseldorf’s many delights…
Taking our kids to over 50+ Cities across 30+ European countries has been such an experience. So if your kids also love visiting them for their different architecture, activities, culture, people or food. Hopefully there’ll be something to capture your families imagination in the family friendly city of Düsseldorf in Germany.
Are you looking to escape for a few days but only want a short drive from the UK? If you’re a motorhomer or family who loves to explore new cities? You might just love the unique charm of Germany’s Düsseldorf and its special Rhine-side location?
It’s such a safe, well laid out city, it might just push it’s way into our Top 20 European Family City Break locations….. But if you want to find out which European Cities top our list currently? You’re in the right place just click here…
So how would you describe Düsseldorf?
Perfect for young adventurers! Most regular readers will know just how much we love combining a city break with an opportunity to get active…. So with Düsseldorf offering miles of pedestrianised pavements to explore, we simply couldn’t miss a chance to walk our boots off (quite literally in Richard’s case!)….
But who was to know that Düsseldorf is apparently the city of cartwheels (Radschlager) (see here)…Regular readers may already have seen our budding gymnast cartwheel her way across Portuguese Beaches, Italian Volcanoes and even try it midair whilst indoor sky diving in Norway.…. so just imagine Libby’s delight as she was positively encouraged to cartwheel her way down the streets of Düsseldorf.
For those who didn’t already know, Düsseldorf is a comparatively small city in western Germany known for its fashion industry, wealthy residents and art scene (and it’s connections with the motor homing industry due to it’s annual show). It’s divided in two by the beautiful Rhine River, with its Altstadt (Old Town) on the east bank and constantly renovated modern areas to the west. In the Altstadt, St. Lambertus Church and Schlossturm (Castle Tower) both date to before the 13th century. With Lottie particularly enjoying streets such as Königsallee and Schadowstrasse which are both lined with boutique shops….. (if a little expensive for our pockets!)
Düsseldorf’s ‘mother nature’ was kind to us this weekend providing us with plenty of blue sky and welcome spring sunshine… allowing us to explore it’s many charms with our excellent local guide Eicke…. Enjoying panoramic viewpoints from it’s TV tower, uncovering historical elegance in Benrath Palace and strolls down the impressive riverside promenade to explore the Old Town…. but there’s more just outside Düsseldorf to explore including the impressive Neanderthal Museum (perfect for another ‘road schooling’ opportunity for the girls!)
Sitting down last year to write an article for a UK newspaper about ‘RoadSchooling our Children across Europe’….(click here) it reminded us that sometimes you need to really search for the next ‘Ed-Venture’… But with the city of Düsseldorf so close to the historic Neanderthals Valley (20mins by car)… we simply couldn’t miss the chance to learn about the origins of the Neanderthals…. and where better than in the very ‘cradle’ of mankind in Düsseldorf?
So what’s really special in Düsseldorf?
If you’ve got young children, and you’re looking for something to both entertain and offer some learning opportunities. Then you might want to consider Düsseldorf’s ‘Benrath Palace & Park‘. Offering a chance to tread in Napolean’s footsteps, the summer palace’s rich history dates back over 200 years… and offers plenty of synergy with nature (both inside and out).
Situated no more than 1km from the beautiful city centre, it is easily reached by bike or public transport…. and its proximity to the banks of the Rhine ensures it is perfectly located for afternoon strolls along its complex canal system. Past ‘English, ‘French’ and ‘Tiergarten’ gardens bedecked in spring colours, you can even grab a tasty lunch in the daffodil covered gardens…
So with plenty to see, we were hugely fortunate to get a ‘special’ guided tour with the brilliant Stefanie. One that enthralled both girls with tales of corsets, hidden passages/doors and views of the imposing architectural elegance…. You even get to polish the immaculate ‘parquet’ wooden floors with the provided felt slippers (NB great fun for kids… slipping and sliding their way across cavernous music/dancing halls!!!)
see it from a different perspective?
For us as parents, our European Roadtrip has been about celebrating what’s available across Europe… Not just learning about it in a book but actually experiencing it at first hand… So just imagine the chance to see Düsseldorf from almost 800ft high to discuss rivers and meanders or inner city regeneration!! Situated on the southern side of the city, the Rheinturm (click here for more) is well worth a visit as it’s also the world’s highest clock too!!! (see here for more interesting facts on this rotating tower!)
So what about food in Düsseldorf?
We’ve been lucky to ‘eat like kings‘ during our stay in Düsseldorf…. starting the day with a trip to a local bakery before enjoying lunch at Benrath Palace… and ending the day in the superb Byblos Lebanese restaurant in the cosmopolitan area of the city…. But after managing to walk well over 20,000 steps, I guess we’ve all earned all those extra calories!!!
If you’re looking for a city that comes alive each evening, yet feels perfectly safe…. or a city that offers something for all ages… it really does make sense to head for Düsseldorf. Picture yourself biking the Rhine-side bike paths, exploring the Old Town, jumping into the lift in the TV Tower, exploring the Neanderthals Valley or simply strolling the streets with their interesting, unconventional architecture….So if you’ve got kids who love exploring safe new cities, then there’s plenty of fun to be found in Düsseldorf, just take a peek for yourself!!!
dusseldorf
so where did we park the bus for the night?
There are plenty of options close to Dusseldorf. We settled for Camping Unterbacher See, but those who love a good city aire/stellplatz should head for the parking overnight option beside Dussledorf’s picturesque pedestrianised area overlooking the Rhine (GPS Latitude 51° 14′ 3″ N, Longitude 6° 46′ 16″ E). Others might opt for the other side of the river, and the Rheincamping Meerbusch site…. the choice is yours. Enjoy!
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Summary Need to escape for a few days? Want to compare weekend breaks to top cities such as Bordeaux, Rome or Copenhagen? Does your family love to explore new cities too? Do you also think that city breaks aren't just for adults and are a great way to learn, relax and bond as a family. If so, grab a seat, make yourself comfortable & discover some of the favourite 'family friendly' cities we've visited in our 700+ day European Roadtrip
