Benrath: Palace Park, Garden Art and History
Accommodation in Benrath
If you are looking for a hotel in Benrath, you can choose the focus of your trip from several themes: the palace park and garden art, natural history, and the history of the palace. The park is a central feature, while the museums offer other perspectives. To help with your planning, consider whether you are most interested in the development of the gardens, regional habitats, or the history of Benrath Palace.
The Palace Park and Its Changing Garden
Benrath Palace Park, a listed historic site, covers more than 61 hectares; around 45 hectares of it are designated as a nature reserve. This brings together two distinct designations: the protected historic park and a designated nature reserve. The palace park is open all day and admission is free. If this visitor information is important to your plans, check it again before your trip.
The garden’s design also has a history of its own. From 1807 onward, the English Garden in the palace park was gradually transformed from a Baroque garden into an English-style landscape garden. For garden art, it is therefore not only the English style that is of interest, but also the earlier Baroque design and the gradual transition between the two styles.
Palace History, Natural History and Garden Art
Benrath Palace was built in 1755 by Elector Karl Theodor as a hunting and garden palace; the architect was Nicolas de Pigage. The museums offer their own thematic focuses. The Natural History Museum is located in the western wing of the palace and explores the natural environments of the region around Düsseldorf, including the Rhine floodplains, the Neander Valley, and Ohligser Heide.
The Corps de Logis Museum documents the eventful history of Benrath Palace and illustrates life there from the 18th to the 20th century. The Garden Art Museum offers a different perspective in time: it provides an overview of the estimated 2,500-year history of gardens and explores the diversity of European garden art. This allows you to distinguish between regional natural history, the history of the palace, and a broader view of garden art.
Getting There and Route Planning
U72 light rail services run to the Schloss Benrath stop. Take the S6, RE1, or RE5 to Benrath station; from there, it is a ten-minute walk to Benrath Palace. Check connections again before your trip.
Another route option is Route 6 of the Düsseldorfer Weg: it runs for 13.8 kilometers from Benrather Betriebshof to Benrather Bonner Straße and includes, among other places, Benrath Palace Park and Benrath Palace. These are two different planning details: the ten-minute walk from Benrath station to the palace, and a route with its own endpoints and a total length of 13.8 kilometers. Check the route conditions before setting out.
Düsseldorf: More Park and Culture Highlights
In the broader destination of Düsseldorf, the Hofgarten offers a distinct park experience: it is Düsseldorf’s oldest public park, covers around 27 hectares, and features a large expanse of water as well as numerous sculptures. Düsseldorf also offers its own culinary attractions. Carlsplatz is a destination for food shopping, where you can discover Düsseldorf home-style cooking as well as Italian, Indian, French, and Persian food.
Other Düsseldorf highlights include the traditional breweries, which continue brewing traditions and offer a taste of brewpub culture, as well as Little Tokyo, with its Japanese culture and cuisine. Along the Rhine promenade, the Kasematten offer dining with a view. Individual dining establishments may change.
Discover more destinations: Angermund, Wittlaer, Garath, Kalkum, Holthausen, Rath, Düsseldorf
Go to the main travel overview: Düsseldorf.
