What is the Düsseldorf outdoor escape game?
The Düsseldorf outdoor escape game is an escape room taken out of doors: you play on your own phone, and at each of the 10 stops a puzzle waits that you work out by reading the surroundings and thinking it through. Allow 2 hours overall, since the walking comes to 23 minutes and the distance to 2 km.
Puzzles are hidden at the Triton Fountain at the end of the Königsallee canal, at the concrete Kunsthalle on Grabbeplatz, under the twisted spire of St Lambertus, around Bert Gerresheim's crowded City Elevation Monument, by the cartwheeler fountain on Burgplatz and at the Jan Wellem statue on Marktplatz. The old town is compact and largely free of cars, so 2 km is enough to link all ten stops. Every puzzle stands on its own, so there is no storyline to keep track of, and up to three levels of hints are there if one of them holds you up.
- Durationabout 2 hours
- Walkingabout 23 min · 2 km
- Stops10
- LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch
What you do along the way
Solve
Work out the puzzle at each stop from what is in front of you. Logic and a close look are enough, and no prior knowledge is needed.
Look closer
The clues sit in details: an inscription, a figure on a facade, the layout of a square.
Walk
Google Maps points you to the next stop: 23 minutes of walking in all, spread over 2 km.
Take your time
Time is with you, not against you. Open a hint when you want one, stop for a coffee and continue later or another day.
See the route and attractions →
How it works
- Book online Choose the number of players. Your booking reference arrives by email straight away.
- Get the app Download the World City Trail app from the App Store or Google Play and enter your booking reference.
- Play when you like Start whenever you are ready, walk at your own pace and pause any time. No guide, no fixed schedule.
Who it works for
Friends
Everyone argues for their own answer, and nobody needs to know the city in advance.
Couples
A challenge you take on together, at your own pace, with no clock running.
Team building
Teams of up to 5 play on their own phones, so colleagues can set off in several groups.
Good to know
- Bring a charged smartphone with mobile data; a power bank helps.
- Best started in daylight, so you can see the details the puzzles ask about.
- No entry tickets needed: everything happens outside the buildings. Going inside is optional and paid separately.
- Family friendly; children must be accompanied by an adult.
- Not suitable for wheelchair users and difficult with strollers.
- Teams of up to 5 work best; bigger groups split into several teams, one ticket per player.
- Every purchase helps support stray cats and dogs in Greece.
The puzzle route in Düsseldorf, stop by stop
10 stops · about 23 min walking · start: Martin-Luther-Platz · finish: Rhine Promenade
Martin-Luther-Platz is the first stop with a puzzle and the Rhine Promenade the last, with eight more in between: the Triton Fountain, the Kunsthalle, St Andrew's Church, St Lambertus Basilica, the City Elevation Monument, Burgplatz, Marktplatz and the Old Town Hall. Between them the route slips from the Königsallee into the lanes of the old town and comes out by the river, where the promenade runs above a road tunnel. Daylight makes for the easier start, because the puzzles are solved outdoors and rain or wind slows the whole game down. Google Maps covers the walking, the order of the stops can be changed in the app, and no entry tickets are needed.
Open the route map ↗
1Martin-Luther-PlatzStart
Martin-Luther-Platz lies just off the Königsallee and is framed by the Johanneskirche, Düsseldorf's main Protestant church, built in the late 19th century. Its tall tower is a landmark of the city centre. The square is named after the reformer Martin Luther.
Read the full story →
2Triton Fountain (Tritonenbrunnen)
At the northern end of the Königsallee canal, the sea god Triton rises from a rocky fountain made at the beginning of the 20th century. The canal follows the old city moat. A popular story says the street was renamed Königsallee in 1851 to make amends to the Prussian king, who had been pelted with horse dung here in 1848.
3Kunsthalle Düsseldorf
The Kunsthalle on Grabbeplatz is an exhibition hall for contemporary art with no collection of its own, so its shows change constantly. Its rough concrete building from 1967 is a well-known example of Brutalist architecture. Düsseldorf's strong art scene owes much to its Art Academy, where Joseph Beuys taught.
4St Andrew's Church (St. Andreas)
St Andrew's was built between 1622 and 1629 as the court church of Count Palatine Wolfgang Wilhelm and was later run by the Jesuits. Its mausoleum holds the tomb of Elector Johann Wilhelm, whom locals call Jan Wellem. Behind the plain exterior lies a richly stuccoed baroque interior.
5St Lambertus Basilica
St Lambertus is a Gothic brick church from the 14th century and one of the oldest buildings in the old town. It holds the Renaissance tomb of Duke William the Rich of Jülich-Cleves-Berg. Look up at its twisted spire, for which local legends offer playful explanations.
Read the full story →
6City Elevation Monument (Stadterhebungsmonument)
Bert Gerresheim's bronze monument was unveiled in 1988 for the 700th anniversary of Düsseldorf's town rights. Count Adolf V of Berg granted them in 1288, after his victory in the Battle of Worringen. Look closely at the crowded figures, which tell the story of the battle and the signing of the charter.
Read the full story →
7Burgplatz
Burgplatz, on the bank of the Rhine, was once the site of the palace of the dukes of Berg, which burned down in 1872. Only the round Castle Tower survives and now houses a shipping museum. The square's fountain shows Düsseldorf's famous cartwheelers, boys whose tradition legend links to the Battle of Worringen.
8Marktplatz
The market square in front of the Old Town Hall is dominated by the equestrian statue of Elector Johann Wilhelm, known as Jan Wellem, cast by Gabriel de Grupello and erected in 1711. Legend says that when the bronze ran short during casting, citizens threw in their silver spoons.
9Old Town Hall
Düsseldorf's Old Town Hall was built between 1570 and 1573 in Renaissance style on the market square. It is still used by the city's mayor and council today.
10Rhine PromenadeFinish
Since 1993, road traffic has run through a tunnel beneath the Rhine bank, and the promenade above links the old town with the Media Harbour. Wide steps lead down to the river and invite you to sit and watch the ships. In the distance you can see the 240-metre Rheinturm telecommunications tower.
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