Every year in the third weekend of March, the fires break out again: Cyclingworld Europe in Dusseldorf. Now, visiting an event is not necessarily an adventure, but during the event there are several rides, mainly for gravel riders. That is just something we are very familiar with. To get in the mood for the event, we ride the ‘City Gravel’ route. A nice short route from Areal Bohler that quickly leaves the city and takes us through a very beautiful stretch of gravel in the region. Are you going on a city gravel adventure in Dusseldorf?
Start at Areal Bohler
For this route, start and finish at Areal Bohler, because that’s where the event is of course. This route was designed by the cool guys from The Gravel Club, who organize more of these kinds of events and rides. The route takes in the best of the Rijnoever and also passes through the fields just outside the city. When we climb on the saddle there is a nice sunbeam that sometimes comes from behind the clouds. It’s predicted to rain, but that seems to stay away for a while. Supercool! The wind with a force of 4-5 is a big opponent, but since it’s not about speed in gravel, that’s not a problem.
Urban jungle
Okay, enough with the promotional talk. Now onto the route. The first part of the route requires us to maneuver through the urban jungle that is Dusseldorf. The green wave is not yet fully known here, but well, we’ll deal with that for now. Once we have arrived at the riverbank, the gravel fun begins immediately. We dive into the field along a yacht harbor and voila, immediately a beautiful gravel strip, while the Rhine flows past us. The only point of attention for these gravel strips: it’s also a dog run. Now it goes pretty smoothly, but not all the owners have the dog under good control. It’s sometimes a bit of a waltz and barking, but in the end we get through it well. After we have completed the gravel strips, we drive a nice stretch along the Rhine towards the bridge that leads us to the other side of the Riverbank.
Kilometers of gravel heaven
Once on the other side of the Rhine, the real fun begins. After just a few hundred meters, we are directed to the left. Do we have to go into the water?? No way! As it turns out, there is an extra path running along the riverbed that follows the water for kilometers. If you wanted to, you could follow the river all the way to Lobith, but after about 8 kilometers we turn right again and get another extra gravel treat. We drive under the bridge and then continue to the other side of the river. There too, the gravel gods are on our side. Germany is truly a wonderful gravel destination, and with city gravel, Dusseldorf also does quite well!
Last kilometers
Once back on the other side of the river, we are presented with a few more beautiful paths, but soon it becomes a nice, wide asphalt road, with few other cyclists, heading towards the city. At the Areal Bohler park we park the bike for a drink. After that, it’s on to the city, towards the hotel, where we have to maneuver through the cars and pedestrians once again. That’s another point of attention: the German road user has not yet fully embraced the bicycle.
City Gravel cycling route – Cyclingworld Dusseldorf
Tips for the cycling enthusiast
- If you're in town anyway, stop by Stylish hat. The team of Kirsten, Carsten & Conrad has it all figured out here. Beautiful brands, a nice cup of coffee and regular trips that you can join in on.
- Are you in town for the Querfeld Rhein Cross FestivalThen you won't be disappointed either. That makes Dusseldorf one of the best places to experience cycling!
- Around the Kö It’s always a spectacle. This ‘fixed gear crit’ on the most beautiful shopping street in Europe is one to put on your calendar! Then Dusseldorf is obsessed with cycling.
- Do you want to discover Dusseldorf in a relaxed way? You can also rent a bike and take a nice ride through the city on an Urban Art ride. All the info can be found there on the website. Dusseldorf Tourism
- In any case, go for delicious Asian food in Little Tokyo. Takumi is the place to be. With 6 locations, it's a Düsseldorf legend.
Questions & tips
Do you have any questions about this route, or have you been there yourself? Share them here. We read everything and usually respond within a few days.