Kaarst: Our Local Tips
Handpicked by Franzi & Nils personally – not a copied travel guide.
Photo: Chris06 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA
Kaarst isn't a town that makes a big deal of its sights – and that's exactly what we like about it. It's a place to arrive and settle in: short distances, a friendly neighbourhood, good food, without having to fight your way through crowds of tourists. We live here ourselves and have built up a list of places we genuinely like over the years – not because they're well-rated, but because we actually enjoy going there. Here's a selection.
Restaurants & Bars
Catering for Events
Café & Bakery
Sights
Castles & Monasteries
Theme Parks
Cycling Routes
Day Trip to NL
Discover Neuss
Culture in Düsseldorf
Swimming Pools
With Kids
Indoor & Rainy Days
Nightlife
Carnival
Restaurants & Bars
Covers all three occasions: quick and easy, a proper dinner, or somewhere to linger a little longer.
Landwirtschaft Berderhof ★ our top pick
When we eat out ourselves, this is where we end up more often than not. Honest, down-to-earth cooking in a genuine farmhouse setting – not fine dining, but not mass catering either. Reservations recommended, especially at weekends.
Liba
Restaurant, bar and café all in one – breakfast in the morning, cocktails in the evening, and a lovely outdoor terrace. Handy if you haven't quite decided what you're in the mood for.
L'Azzurro
Still fairly new in Kaarst, Italian, with a pleasant bar atmosphere in the evening. A good address for a late glass of wine after dinner.
Paul kocht ♥
A small kitchen with a big heart – people with disabilities work here, and the food is genuinely (or maybe precisely because of that) really good. Great for lunch or takeaway.
Altes Rathaus & Deutsches Haus
Two classic options for a relaxed evening: Altes Rathaus with a lovely beer garden and Flammkuchen, Deutsches Haus as a cosy pub with hearty food – and there's usually football on too, if that matters to you.
Brauhaus zum goldenen Handwerk "Alte Papierfabrik"
Classic-modern brewhouse cooking with freshly tapped beer in an atmospheric old industrial setting, plus a large beer garden. Run by André Segin, who's also behind our catering tip, Segin's Fine Dine Catering (see below).
Ramen in Düsseldorf
Not really a coincidence: Düsseldorf has the largest Japanese community in Germany and in continental Europe – the third-largest in Europe after London and Paris. The ramen scene is correspondingly good (including Café Rika in Grafenberg and Takumi Chicken & Veggie on Klosterstraße). Good if you're in the mood for something other than German or Italian food.
Catering for Events
Coming to stay with us for a family celebration, wedding, or milestone birthday – or are planning a corporate event or have another occasion – and don't have catering sorted yet? Here's a tip from our circle of contacts.
Segin's Fine Dine Catering
André Segin trained his craft in a Michelin-starred kitchen on Sylt and today puts together individual buffets – for private celebrations as well as corporate events, groundbreaking ceremonies and other occasions, all tailored to your wishes after a personal consultation. If your celebration or event doesn't have a caterer yet, definitely worth a look.
Café & Bakery
For the morning coffee or a spontaneous afternoon stop.
Bakeries in Kaarst
For your daily bread run, the bakeries right around the corner are usually all you need: Oehme, Puppe and Landbäckerei Stinges each have several branches in Kaarst, plus the smaller Bäckerei Esser. You'll find the branch nearest to your apartment, with exact address and current opening hours, in the digital guest guide we send you after booking.
Bommers Küppershof
A café in an old event barn just outside town – worth the short trip, especially when the sun's out and you can sit outside.
Kunstcafe Einblick ♥
Like Paul kocht, an inclusive business – cosy, with art on the walls, good cake and a relaxed atmosphere to linger in.
BraunsMühle Büttgen
A 250-year-old, restored mill with a mill café – not open every day, but that's exactly what makes it a nice Sunday outing if you plan around it.
Sights & Day Trips
From "just need some fresh air" to "half a day of sightseeing", there's something for everyone.
Alt St. Martin ★ our top pick
The nearly 800-year-old parish church of St. Martinus, a Romanesque three-nave pillar basilica right in the middle of Kaarst's old village centre – the historic heart of the town, and part of the municipal art and heritage trail.
Tuppenhof Vorst
A former 17th-century farmstead, today a museum and meeting place for local farming history and culture – brings old Lower Rhine farm life vividly to life.
Kaarst Town Centre & Sculpture Trail
The modern, multi-award-winning new town centre with lake sculptures, plus the cherry-blossom avenue in the Stadtpark and a sculpture trail winding through several Kaarst neighbourhoods – a lovely contrast to the historic village core.
A Short Walk
If you just fancy some fresh air: a loop around the Kaarster See is the classic choice, but the Vorster Wald and a detour towards Meerbusch are worthwhile too. From Kaarst, you're also just a few steps from open countryside in every direction – no set route needed, just start walking.
Castles & Monasteries
Historic sites in the area, good for half a day with a walk.
Schloss Dyck
A genuine moated castle with an expansive landscape park – worth half a day, especially if you enjoy strolling through parkland.
Nikolauskloster Jüchen
Just a few minutes from Schloss Dyck – easy to combine into one trip.
Kloster Knechtsteden
A Romanesque basilica with an expansive monastery site – still home to the Spiritans today. Quiet, not touristy, a good counterpoint to the bustle of the surrounding towns.
Haus Meer
The ruins of a late-baroque moated castle set in a landscape park – just right for a short walk with a photo stop, not a full-day destination, but a nice detour.
Schloss Rheydt
A well-preserved Renaissance moated castle, today a museum of local history. The courtyard alone is worth a quick stop, even without visiting the museum.
Theme Parks
For a full day out with the family, without having to travel far.
Phantasialand
One of Germany's best-known theme parks, with lovingly designed themed areas like China Town, Mexico or Deep in Africa. Roller coasters like Taron and F.L.Y. rank among the best in Europe – perfect for the big day-trip splurge.
Movie Park Germany
A theme park built around film and TV worlds, with roller coasters and shows for the whole family. A bit further than Phantasialand, but with its own theme and its own highlights.
Toverland
A family-friendly park just across the border, known for its "Land van Toos" themed area and coasters like Fenix. A good alternative if you're heading towards Venlo anyway.
Kernwasser Wunderland
A decommissioned nuclear power plant that's now a theme park – there's an actual Ferris wheel spinning inside the former cooling tower. Unusual, photogenic, definitely a conversation starter afterwards. A good day trip, interesting for adults without kids too, if only for the setting.
Irrland
An adventure park set on a real farm – straw castles, slides, a maize maze. Geared strongly towards younger children, very nature-based rather than technical.
Cycling Routes
The Lower Rhine is flat, well signposted, and popular with cyclists for exactly that reason – you can cover plenty of ground here comfortably, even without an e-bike. Kaarst sits right in the middle of the Rhein-Kreis Neuss junction network: 116 numbered crossings you simply navigate from number to number, no map or sat nav needed.
Around Kaarst ★ our recommendation for families
A circular route developed by Rhein-Kreis Neuss together with ADFC Kaarst, with child- and family-friendly stops along the way – from playgrounds to small rest spots, passing the art installation "Brücken über den Nordkanal", the historic Tuppenhof and the BraunsMühle. Free brochure and GPX file via the link above.
Tour de Kaarst
Passes Alt St. Martin (the church from our header photo above) and other Kaarst landmarks – a good choice if you want to get to know the town itself on two wheels, rather than just the surrounding countryside.
Themed Cycling Routes of Rhein-Kreis Neuss
Alongside the family routes, there are signposted long-distance routes such as the Erft-Radweg, the Rhein-Radweg and the Fietsallee am Nordkanal – for anyone wanting to really cover distance rather than just a short loop.
Towards the Rhine & Düsseldorf's Old Town
If you want to cycle from here towards the Rhine and on into Düsseldorf's Old Town, the continuously signposted Rhein-Radweg (Rhine cycle path) is your best bet. Along the way and at the destination there are plenty of beer garden stops – from the Schlossturm at Burgplatz to the Kasematten right on the riverbank.
Good to know
All junctions are signposted in red and white. The free "Fietsknoop" app (from the Netherlands) also covers the entire Kaarst/Neuss junction network – so you can plan spontaneously on the go, without putting together a route at your computer beforehand.
Day Trip to the Netherlands
The Dutch border is less than 20 minutes from here – for a spontaneous day trip with a different flair, good shopping and relaxed playgrounds, the short hop across the border is well worth it.
Venlo
A shopping-focused town centre with plenty of stores you won't find in Germany, plus the Maasboulevard right on the water for a break along the way. A good choice for a relaxed afternoon with no fixed plan.
Roermond
Best known for the Designer Outlet Roermond – one of Europe's largest outlet centres, with significantly reduced prices on international brands. Plus a charming historic old town around the market square, in case shopping isn't the only thing on the agenda.
Discover Neuss
Right next door and easily done in half a day.
Quirinus-Münster & Neuss Old Town
The city's landmark – one of the most important late-Romanesque churches on the Lower Rhine, right beside the historic Zeughaus (armoury, today a venue for concerts and events housed in a former monastery church) and the Obertor, the last surviving of what were once six medieval city gates. A walk through the old town neatly ties all three together.
Clemens-Sels-Museum
Home to Germany's largest collection of naive art, plus Roman finds and Rhenish Expressionists – surprisingly varied for a smaller museum.
Neuss Bürger-Schützenfest
The largest Schützenfest (marksmen's fair) in the world – if your stay falls in this period, it's definitely worth a look, if only for the sheer scale and atmosphere.
Culture in Düsseldorf
Museums, theatres, cinemas and a wander through Little Tokyo.
Little Tokyo (Immermannstraße quarter) ★ our recommendation
The heart of the largest Japanese community in Germany and continental Europe (the third-largest in Europe after London and Paris) – authentic restaurants, Japanese supermarkets, bakeries and small specialist shops packed into just a few streets. Our favourites: Kushi-Tei of Tokyo for a lunch set at midday (arrive right at 12:00, or a queue will form), Kagaya in the evening for traditional Japanese cooking, and Hakata for really good ramen. In between, it's worth browsing Takagi Books, the Japanese bookshop. After Little Tokyo, a detour to the Rheinturm is a nice idea – inside the tower, restaurant QOMO serves Japanese-inspired fusion cuisine, a lovely choice for a special evening.
Museums & Theatres in Düsseldorf
The big names for anyone into art: Museum Kunstpalast with a broad collection ranging from Old Masters to Modernism, and K20 and K21 (Kunstsammlung NRW) holding one of Germany's most important collections of classical modern and contemporary art – including works by Paul Klee. For contemporary photography and pop culture, the NRW-Forum is worth a visit, and for hands-on film history plus its own arthouse cinema, there's the Filmmuseum with the Black Box. For orientation, the annual Nacht der Museen (Museum Night; renamed "Nacht der Künste" for 2026) is also worth checking, when many venues stay open late. For a night at the theatre, we'd recommend the Kom(m)ödchen, Apollo Theater, Kapitol Theater, the Savoy Theater or the Tonhalle.
Arthouse Cinemas Düsseldorf
For anyone wanting to watch films in their original language with subtitles, arthouse classics or genuine rarities, away from mainstream cinema. Noticeably smaller and more personal than the big multiplex chains. A special case: in the basement of the Savoy Theater, the Atelier im Savoy runs as its own arthouse cinema – two venues under one roof.
Open-Air Cinema in Summer
From June to early September, several parks in the region turn into open-air cinemas – a lovely addition to a warm summer evening.
Major Concert & Event Venues
All three belong to the same operator (D.LIVE) and are the main venues for concerts and big shows in the region – from international acts to comedy and sports events. Worth checking the shared event calendar before you arrive: maybe someone interesting is playing while you're staying with us.
Swimming Pools
For hot days, or just to swim some laps – four options nearby.
Freizeitbad De Bütt
Indoor and outdoor pool with a slide and a large outdoor area – a good choice whatever the weather.
Südbad Neuss (Reuschenberg)
With a retractable roof, a 50-metre outdoor pool and its own water playground – especially popular with kids.
Nordbad Neuss
An outdoor pool area with a large sunbathing lawn – lovely if you just want to spend a relaxed day by the water.
Stadtbad Büttgen
Small and uncomplicated, just right for a few lengths: a swimmers' pool with a diving platform, a non-swimmers' pool (0.75–1.2 m) and a baby pool. The mini-golf course sits right next door – easy to combine.
With Kids
Picked with families staying with us in mind.
Park der Sinne Kaarst
An accessible sensory garden with touch, scent and sound stations – unusual, and popular with kids (and adults) alike.
RS Speedworld
An indoor go-kart track for all ages – a reliable option on a rainy day or whenever the kids (or you) need to burn off some energy.
Sport- und Freizeitanlage Bruchweg
A popular meeting spot for families and teenagers alike: playground, open lawn, kickabout pitch, pump track, boules court and outdoor fitness equipment – designed for all generations, so there's something for everyone.
SnowWorld Neuss ★ for young and old
Not your classic theme park, but a year-round hall with several attractions – indoor and outdoor, there's something for everyone:
- Ski and snowboard hall (indoor) – open all year, whatever the weather
- Toboggan run (indoor)
- AlmGolf – alpine-style mini-golf (outdoor)
- FußballGolf – football and mini-golf combined (outdoor)
- Abenteuer Alm – a large action playground with a water play area (outdoor)
To round off the day, you can relax at the on-site restaurant.
Public playgrounds in Kaarst
Over 25 playgrounds across town, including in Büttgen, Holzbüttgen and Vorst – the city of Kaarst's official overview helps you find the nearest one.
Natur- und Tierpark Brüggen ★ especially for kids
More of an adventure park than a classic zoo: exotic animals to feed and pet, plus a huge forest playground with the "sunken ship", climbing frames and a mini-golf course. Just right for younger children with little zoo experience – the focus is clearly on play, not on rare species. Individual attractions change from time to time, so it's worth checking the park's website beforehand to see what's currently open.
Tiergarten Mönchengladbach
A small, family-friendly zoo with around 400 mostly European animals and a petting zoo. Low prices, no long queues – an uncomplicated alternative to the larger zoos in Krefeld or Düsseldorf.
Wildpark Tannenbusch
A free wildlife park with native animals (red, fallow and mouflon deer, wild boar) across 20 hectares of forest – a similar idea to the Wildgehege at Hülser Berg near Krefeld, just towards Kaarst instead.
Indoor Playgrounds & Rainy Days
For days when the weather doesn't cooperate.
Okidoki Kinderland Willich
A 4,500 m² indoor playground with a climbing ship, trampolines, go-karts and its own toddler area – the reliable rainy-day option, easy to reach from Kaarst.
Ballorig Mönchengladbach
One of the region's largest indoor playgrounds: trampolines, slides, a ninja tower, climbing course, ball pit and its own toddler area.
Bero's Kinderwelt Neuss
An indoor play paradise of over 2,000 m² with a kart track, trampoline area, large football pitch and climbing tower – also ideal for birthday parties.
Nightlife
For Kaarst itself, see our Restaurant & Bar tips above (Liba, L'Azzurro, Altes Rathaus) – for a bigger night out, the trip to Düsseldorf is worth it.
Düsseldorf Old Town
For anyone wanting a bigger day or night out than Kaarst can offer. During the day, it's worth strolling along the Kasematten right on the Rhine riverbank – restaurants and bars with year-round outdoor seating and a view of the river. In the evening, things get lively on Ratinger Straße and Bolkerstraße; two of our personal favourites there are the fe:t Weinbar for a quieter evening and the Elephantbar, if you're after something livelier. For a late-night snack, we swear by either the pork sandwich with sauerkraut at Schweine Janes or a Lupo Pizza.
An Altbier pub crawl through the house breweries is a must: Kürzer (Kurze Str. 18–20), Schlüssel (Bolkerstr. 41–47), Schumacher at the Goldener Kessel (just across from Schlüssel), Uerige (Bergerstr. 1) and Füchschen (Ratinger Str. 28) are all within walking distance of each other – Schlösser Alt is also served in many of the Old Town's pubs. Right next door is the Schneider-Wibbel-Gasse, known among locals as the "Spanish alley" – our recommendation there is Las Tapas. If you fancy shopping away from the Kö, the Old Town's small side streets have their own little shops, or head towards Schadowstraße – afterwards, it's a nice spot for a short break in the Stadtpark. For a sweet snack in between, it's also worth stopping by Cookie Couture on Flinger Straße – freshly baked cookies, some vegan.
Carnival
Carnival is simply part of life in the Rhineland – and if we recommend one club, it's the Große 1890.
Große Karnevalsgesellschaft 1890 Düsseldorf ★ our recommendation
We deliberately support this club because genuine tradition matters to us. The Große 1890 traditionally puts on the largest float in Düsseldorf's Rose Monday parade – plus its own children's float for the little "Jecken" (carnival fools). The club's parties are highly sought-after and usually sell out fast. If you're interested in tickets, just get in touch with us directly.
5 am 11.11.
A joint season-opening event held by several Düsseldorf carnival clubs, including the Große 1890.
1890 The Best
The Große 1890's exclusive glitter & glamour dance party – in the wonderful, one-of-a-kind Rheingoldsaal.
Weiber om Deck
THE Altweiber (Women's Carnival Day) party, with DJ and live music – hot food is served here too. Boarding from 11:11 am.
Große Sitzung – Jeck unter Freunden
The Sitzung (carnival gala) with the best programme of the season. If you're interested in a room-plus-ticket package, just get in touch with us – this also works for larger groups. We can reserve whole tables and, on request, pre-order drinks so they're waiting for you at the table.
If you're interested in tickets for any of these events, just message us directly via WhatsApp or give us a call.
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