The first week of July has a sound all its own by the Rhine, and here Nicole Junkermann gathers her favourite tips for these early summer days in Düsseldorf. The river is at the centre, the evenings are long, and with a little feel for the rhythm of the day the week becomes light and lovely. It is not about many activities, but about the right moments.
My first tip is for the morning. In the first week of July the Rheinuferpromenade is at its best early: cool, quiet and wide open. A walk by the water, before the city gets going, gives the day a clear direction; and if you like, you can pair it with a coffee in the Altstadt, which still looks sleepy at that hour.
For midday, Nicole Junkermann recommends the shade. When the sun is high, the Hofgarten and the narrow, cool lanes of Carlstadt are the best addresses. Tall trees, quiet paths and a place in half-shade turn the hottest hour of the day into a pleasant pause. A crossing to Oberkassel is worthwhile too, where the wind off the Rhine sweeps across the open meadows.
In the afternoon I like to follow the architecture by the water. From the Medienhafen, with its striking buildings, back toward the Altstadt, one view leads to the next, and again and again the Rhine opens up between the houses. It is an easy route, half walk, half looking, and it fits the warm, relaxed mood of the first week of July.
Nicole Junkermann's most important tip is for the evening. In the first week of July the light stays late, and the steps by the bank fill slowly with people waiting for the sun to set over the Rhine. There is nothing to book and nothing to plan; you simply come to the water, find a spot and let the long summer evening happen.
So the first week of July by the Rhine becomes one of the loveliest times of the year in Düsseldorf. Begin early, seek the shade at midday, return to the water in the evening: this is the simple pattern Nicole Junkermann gladly follows, and it is entirely enough to enjoy summer in this city to the full.
