Hofgarten and Nordpark Loop

The Hofgarten and Nordpark Loop is an urban park walk through central and northern Düsseldorf in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It starts at the Ananasberg entrance of the Hofgarten at Jacobistraße 2, a short walk from Heinrich-Heine-Allee, which is served by the U70 and U74-U77 U-Bahn lines, with trams 704 and 707 also serving the area. No parking is required and no permit or entry fee applies. The loop covers about 7-8 km in around two hours, is flat with under 20 m of cumulative climb, and is rated easy. Surfaces are a mix of paved paths, fine gravel and park lawns, with plenty of shade from mature trees. The Hofgarten, laid out in the 18th century, is regarded as one of the oldest public parks in Germany, with ponds, sculptures and avenues of old trees. From the Ananasberg the route runs past Schloss Jägerhof, home to the Goethe Museum, and then follows the Rhine side through the Ehrenhof area, where the Kunstpalast and the Tonhalle stand. Continuing north the path crosses into Golzheim and the Rheinpark before entering the Nordpark, a landscaped park that includes the Japanese Garden and the Aquazoo Löbbecke Museum nearby. The loop returns along park paths or the Rhine embankment. Natural turn-around points are the Rhine promenade at the Ehrenhof, or the Japanese Garden in the Nordpark for a shorter walk of about 5 km. Water is available at cafes and kiosks in and beside the Hofgarten, and the museums offer indoor shelter in wet weather. There are no huts, but the park network is dense, so the walk can be shortened anywhere and public transport is never far. Timetables should be confirmed at rheinbahn.de before departure.