What is the Düsseldorf self-guided walking tour?
The Düsseldorf self-guided walking tour is an audio walk through the centre of Düsseldorf: you follow the route on your phone and the narration tells you what you are looking at. Plan on about 3 hours, of which 24 minutes are walking, for 2 km and 10 stops. The distances are short, so most of the time goes on the electors, the Battle of Worringen and the legends of the old town.
At the Triton Fountain you hear the popular story of why the street became the Königsallee in 1851: to make amends to a Prussian king pelted with horse dung there in 1848. St Andrew's holds the tomb of Elector Johann Wilhelm, whom locals call Jan Wellem, and at St Lambertus the narration turns to the legends about its twisted spire. The City Elevation Monument retells the Battle of Worringen and the town rights of 1288, and on Marktplatz you learn the legend that citizens threw their silver spoons into the bronze when it ran short during the casting of Jan Wellem's statue.
- Durationabout 3 hours
- Walkingabout 24 min · 2 km
- Stops10
- LanguagesEnglish, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch
How the walk works
Listen
The narration starts as you reach each stop: the history of the place, the legends told about it and the details most people walk past. Prefer reading? The same text is on screen.
Walk
Between stops you simply follow Google Maps. The whole route is 2 km, roughly 24 minutes on foot, and the speed is yours.
Pause
Stop for lunch, a coffee or a museum and carry on later, the same day or another one.
Eat and shop
The app suggests places to eat and local shops near the route, and that is also where you change the first stop and the order.
See the route and attractions →
How it works
- Book online Choose the number of people. 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.
- Walk when you like Start whenever you are ready, walk at your own pace and pause any time. No guide, no fixed schedule.
Who will enjoy it
Curious walkers
If you like knowing the story behind a façade or a square, every stop gives you one.
Couples and families
Children hear the legends, adults get the history, and nobody has to keep up with a group.
Return visitors
Even if you know the streets, the stories add history and legends you may not have heard before.
Good to know
- Bring a charged smartphone with mobile data; a power bank helps.
- 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.
- Groups of up to 5 work best; larger groups split up, one ticket per person.
- Every purchase helps support stray cats and dogs in Greece.
The walk stop by stop: the Königsallee, the old-town churches, Burgplatz, the Rhine
10 stops · about 24 min walking · start: Martin-Luther-Platz · finish: Rhine Promenade
Martin-Luther-Platz, framed by the Johanneskirche just off the Königsallee, is stop one, and the Triton Fountain at the north end of the Königsallee canal follows. The route then enters the old town at the Kunsthalle on Grabbeplatz and St Andrew's Church, continues to the Basilica of St Lambertus and the City Elevation Monument, and reaches Burgplatz with its round Castle Tower and cartwheeler fountain. Marktplatz and the Old Town Hall share the next stretch, and the Rhine Promenade, laid out above a road tunnel since 1993, is the tenth stop. Start and order can be changed in the app, and every stop is free.
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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