Düsseldorf, Rhine Harbor Running Route

Click here for route map 
Length: 9 km (5.6 miles), terrain flat


Düsseldorf Running Routes:
Königsallee/Altstadt/Rhine  
Gerresheim hills  
Both Sides of the Rhine  
Rhine Harbor Route  
Stadtwald forrest run  
See the other running routes here! 
NOTE: This was another drizzly evening. What a wet summer this year.

Like a lot of cities, Düsseldorf has recently re-purposed its old harbor as a place for offices and clubs. The new "MedienHafen" (Media Harbor) has been graced by flamboyant architecture: leaning, asymetrical buildings being climbed by weird water-creatures, mixed-in with modernistic glass offices.

NOTE: see the Destinations Tips page for tips about spending your free time in this great town!
 
Together with a new marina, sleek bridges, a golf course, the new state government quarter (the Nordrhein-Westpfalen state parliament building and other provincial ministries) and then the TV tower, the whole ensemble gives the city's southern waterfront a whole new feel.

The Media Harbor with marina

But only the front part of the harbor, nearest the city, has been refurbished. The back half of the harbor is still in action, as industrial as ever, with container barges and a big power plant.

Together, it all makes an interesting mix and a good waterfront run. So why not give it a try?

We'll start the run near the TV tower, at the foot of the Rheinknie bridge, just south of the Düsseldorf Altstadt (old town). The waterfront promenade from the Altstadt goes right under the bridge towards the round parliament building (Landtag) and TV tower.

Run past Landtag, over the bridge and to the right...

Run past the parliament's atrium with its lit-up fountains and into the park next to the TV tower. Straight ahead, you'll see the path going up to the pedestrian bridge to the right.

Cross the bridge, with a great view of the new Media Harbour to your left. Run atop the dike that surrounds the harbor area, with grasslands and little beaches down along the river to the right.

NOTE: You can also run along the dirt path next to the beaches, if you prefer the more natural surroundings.

Rhine meadows and beaches

The path atop the dike is smooth enough for inline-skaters, and there is normally a steady stream of pedestrians, inliners, bicyclists and joggers heading in both directions.

You will soon come to the public golf course built out in the grass where the river takes a turn to the left. On the left side, you will be running by the industrial harbor, passing the docks and then the big electrical power plant.

Golfers at the driving range

After the golf course, the grass becomes pasture for sheep and goats. I had to stop to watch them as they gathered under a big shade-tree. It was like having a bit of the Serengeti right on the Rhine.

Serengeti on the Rhine

The path heads under a railroad bridge and then on to the car bridge in the distance, the Cardinal Frings Bridge. We'll turn back just before that bridge.

Near the turn-around point, you'll see some red-brick walls protecting some rowing clubs at the village of Hamm, now part of Düsseldorf itself. The path cuts down closer to the water here, and goes over a street ends at the water, an old ferry landing. Just past the landing, the path goes past Hamm's little beach and then rises to the top of the dike.

The jogging trail at Hamm

Right here, where the path hits a street, turn left and take the little marked footpath back along the top of the dike to the ferry landing. Turn right on the street, Fährstraße.

Run the one block to the little chapel on the right side, then turn left and head out on Hammer Dorfstraße. The neighborhood here feels a bit like Holland, with greenhouses out behind every house.

Fährstraße in Hamm: turn left at the chapel

After awhile, you'll come to a white stone church, the St. Blasius Kirche. Turn left just before the church on Opfergasse, and run through the little courtyard behind the church. You will find yourself on a little footpath going out into some fields, with the railway acting as a wall behind them.

The path then turns right and goes by the end-station for the Hamm tram-line. At the station, you'll see a tunnel that goes under the railway. Run through the tunnel, then turn right on the street on the other side, Fringsstraße. This street borders the harbor from the back side.

Turn right here onto Holzstraße

When you get to the corner with the gas-station, follow Holzstraße as it turns right, and just keep following the street all the way back to the Media Harbor.

You'll recognize the Media Harbor when you get there, where the buildings and sidewalks suddenly look modern and up-scale. When you get to the red-and-glass building on the right side, run left into the Media Harbor, to the right side of the black-glass building. If you like architecture, you'll love this next section.

Back in the MedienHafen

You will see several colorful buildings straight ahead, with the quays to the right. You'll go by the new Marriott Hotel, then run by the building covered with the strange frogmen. Take the pedestrian bridge over the quay to the right at the coolly elegant Hyatt Hotel.

The whole neighborhood looks like a modern-art collection, fitting Düsseldorf's reputation as the center of Germany's post-war art scene. But the area lacks the lively venues of some other harbor developments, like Sydney's Darling Harbour. There are just a few restaurants and clubs dotting the landscape, and in the evenings it's pretty empty of people. Too bad!

You'll cross the water, then turn left to run straight back past the most interesting, asymetrical buildings. My favorite is the mirrored, wavy-surfaced building. Just run straight towards the TV tower. At the tower, curve to the left back to the parliament again to reach your starting point at the Rheinknie bridge.

Last part of the run past the TV tower

Düsseldorf, Both Sides of the Rhine Running Route

Click here for route map 
Length: 9.7 km (6 miles), terrain flat except for bridge ramps

Düsseldorf Running Routes:
Königsallee/Altstadt/Rhine  
Gerresheim hills  
Both Sides of the Rhine  
Rhine Harbor Route  
Stadtwald forrest run  
See the other running routes here!
NOTE: This was a drizzly evening, hope you get better weather...

Düsseldorf has always turned its face to the Rhine River. Most of the interesting spots in town are just a stone's throw from the riverfront, and it's a great place to run.


NOTE: see the Destinations Tips page for tips about spending your free time in this great town!

This run does a loop along both sides of the Rhine by way of two bridges. It begins in the Altstadt (old town) and runs north along the Rheinpark to the Theodor-Heuss bridge, crossing over to Unterkassel, then follows the Rheinwiesen southwards (Rhine pastures) back to the Rheinknie (Rhine-Knee) Bridge to bring you back to the south end of the Altstadt.

The route starts right in the heart of the Altstadt, at the old market square in front of the renaissance-style town hall, with the statue of Prince-Elector Jan Wellem on his horse. The side street, Bolkerstraße, is the main Altstadt hangout in the evenings, lined with restaurants and pubs, absolutely bursting with revelers when a trade-show is in town. Jan Wellem used to go drinking at the En de Canon pub around the corner.

Town hall at the old market

To start the run, just stand face-to-face with Jan Wellem and take the side street to the water on the left side of the square, past the fountain with the spitting geese. In just 100 meters you'll be on the riverside promenade at the stone clock tower. This promenade was a brilliant idea in city planning. Until 1995, a busy street ran along the river here, but then it was put underground in a tunnel. The riverfront is back in the hands of the people, now a quiet place to hangout, lined with waterside bars.

The Rhine promenade, looking in direction of run

Turn right and just follow the gravel path north between the two lines of sycamore trees. You'll run past the old palace tower, the only thing left when the palace burned down 150 years ago.

NOTE: You can stay up along the promenade or run down closer to the water's edge, whichever you prefer.

You'll soon go under the Oberkasseler bridge and then pass the round, art-deco Tonhalle concert hall and the Kunstpalast art museum buildings. After all, Düsseldorf is Germany's leading art center.

Clubhouses along the Rhine

You'll also soon pass the classical state government building, with the eagle on top. There are also some barges tied up along the shore here and used as clubhouses for water-sports clubs.

Along the other side of the river you can see the grassy pastures. Düsseldorf's biggest carnival, the Kirmes, is set up on the grass there every July. They were just taking it down when I last ran through there.

On your side of the river, you'll soon come to the Rheinpark. And the bridge that you see coming up ahead is the one to take over to the other side for the return to the Altstadt.

Soccer game at the Rheinpark

At the far end of the park, you will see the spiral ramps to take you up to the bridge sidewalks. You can run across either side, but let's assume you run up the nearest one, with the view back to Düsseldorf.

View back to the city from the Heussbrücke

When you get to the other side, the bridge continues for a long way, over the grasslands into the town of Unterkassel. Take the first ramp down on the left, and it will come out at an old, red, half-timbered house. Run down the little street, Alt Niederkassel, going past various nice old houses in Unterkassel.

Houses in Unterkassel

Turn left at the first chance to turn left to get back to the riverside, Kanalstraße. The street ends at the grassland, and you just keep running straight, taking the little path past the garden parcels. You won't go hungry here. The way is lined with blackberries, rosehips and sallow thorn (sanddorn). My feet forced me to veer to the berries every few meters. I was lucky, the blackberries were the sweetest I've ever tasted!

Path into the Rheinwiese

In the pasture, you can turn right on the paved path up on the dike, or run down closer to the river, on a little dirt path. You can even run along the beaches but after a while you'll probably grow tired of running up and over the many jetties.

Along the shore in the Rheinwiese

Run under Oberkassel bridge again. When you get to the Rheinknie bridge, you'll have to run to the right to get on the ramps going up to the bridge. Only 2 of the 4 ramps have a sidewalk for pedestrians and bicyclists. You'll easily see which ones have the sidewalks.

Joggers on the Rheinknie bridge

The bridge is used by a lot of joggers and cyclists. You will run towards the television tower at the other side.

NOTE: At night, the tower hosts a 24-hour clock made of lights that count the current time, down to the seconds. See if you can figure it out -- it always takes me 10 minutes to see what lamps are counting what!

The TV tower with the state parliament building to the left

When you cross the river, you have to take the pedestrian ramps down to the ground. Once there, you are on the promenade again, just run to the water's edge and run back into the Altstadt with the water on your left side. Once you reach the stone clock tower, turn right and run the 2 blocks back to the market square.

Last bit of the run back to the Altstadt

Dublin, River Liffey Running Route

Click here for route map
Length: 5.2 km (3.2 miles), terrain flat

Dublin Running Routes:
Georgian Heritage  
River Liffey 
Phoenix Park
Dun Laoghaire coastal run 
City Centre loop   
Howth Cliff Walk trail
See the other running routes here!

NOTE: I took these pictures on a drizzly evening, so it all looks a bit soggy. Hope you have better luck!

Dublin's River Liffey has been getting a lot nicer lately. A series of big projects have redeveloped the old harbor area into a pleasant mix of waterfront offices, flats and entertainment venues. Gone are the long line of fenced-off, run-down warehouses, plodding trucks and dusty lots that used to blot the landscape.

NOTE: see the Destinations Tips page for tips about spending your free time in this great town!
 
The new works have transformed the whole area out to the Eastlink Bridge. The modern, deep-draft freighters can't go so far upriver any more, so the whole area was in search of a new, useful identity, which has now succeeded quite well. All the harbor activity has moved further out to the mouth of the Liffey, where the modern container terminals now lie.

And the area is scenic enough to warrant a run along the river. Let's try it!

The start of the run from the Ha'penny Bridge

We'll start in the spiritual heart of Dublin, at the old Ha'penny footbridge at Temple Bar. Standing on the bridge, turn to face eastwards, with Temple Bar to your right. You're now looking over the whole route: we'll run along the left (north) shore, past the green-copper-domed Custom House, through-and-past the new developments at Custom House Quay, then cross that modernistic white bridge out there around the bend to see the other main redevelopment neighborhood at Grand Canal Quay on the south side of the river. We'll then run back along the south bank to our starting point.

And after running past all the new buildings, the 2 new bridges, the modern new tram line, the huge new theater and the nearby new glass-and-steel stadium, you'll understand why Ireland suddenly needed a big financial bailout. You Europeans will now get to visit those billions of rescue Euros that you recently paid out.

The new boardwalk along the Liffey

So, off we go... Cross the bridge and turn right to run along the new wooden boardwalk over the river. This was a great idea: giving the river back to pedestrians in central Dublin. The boardwalk goes all the way to the Custom House.

The Custom House

At the imposing, classical Custom House, the boardwalk ends, so cross the street to continue along the sidewalk. In just a block past the Custom House, you'll run over an old iron draw-bridge. Immediately after the bridge, turn left to run north into the big open square surrounding the Custom House Quay.

Custom House Quay

You'll run right through a stone archway. On the other side of the quay, cross Mayor Street with its modern tram line (Luas Red Line). You'll see the Harbour House restaurant on the left, with the glass-room on the waterside. Continue running north past the restaurant along the other side of the canal leading to the next basin in just a hundred meters.

In Custom House Harbour

Turn right here, between new Custom House Harbour apartment buildings, and run along the basins until the path ends. You take the steps going down to the right, on Commons street. Run right back to the riverside, where you turn left to continue running along the water.

The Jeannie Johnston

A tall ship, the Jeannie Johnston, is anchored here, serving as a museum for the great emigration wave that resulted from the potato famine in 1845. Just behind you is the sleek new pedestrian bridge, the Sean O'Casey Bridge.

And just in front is the sleek new car bridge, the Samuel Beckett Bridge. Cross it to get to the south side of the Liffey, and continue running eastwards from there.

Samuel Beckett Bridge to Grand Canal Quay

NOTE: You could also stay on the north shore and run out along North Wall Quay to the Eastlink Bridge, and see some more interesting sights, like the O2 venue, the Convention Center, a lighthouse ship and a ferris wheel, but you have to make a loop around the Grand Canal Quays to get back to the river again.

Pass the Ferryman pub and hotel and run along Sir John Rogerson's Quay till the road ends, where you turn right on Benson Street.

Rowers along Sir John Rogerson's Quay

In 2 blocks you'll hit the Grand Canal Quay basin, where you turn right. Don't forget to heed the warning sign!

Don't forget to turn right at the water!

Now you run towards that huge new glass building with the red sticks growing out front: the Grand Canal Theatre. There are boats to rent in this basin on nice days.

The new Grand Canal Theatre

Continue past the theater, along its right side, till the street ends at Cardiff Lane, where you turn right and run the two blocks to the river. Here, near the Ferryman again, turn left on Sir John Rogerson's Quay and run the whole way back along the riverside to the Ha'penny Bridge again.

The way back