GERMANY
BIELEFELD
Closest Airport
Dusseldorf [DUS]
A small, lovely, bucolic town, we have family who live here and were gracious hosts! We were able to enjoy a wonderful week and had a great time going to farmers markets, grocery stores, local shops and seeing the alpacas at a neighborhood farm. Beyond that, there are some great things to see in the area as well!
Beach Park:
The most relaxing place to enjoy an evening, this park rings a lake with old trees offering great shade, multiple playgrounds and a beach area complete with sand volleyball, tiki bar and lounge chairs to hang out. The kids could run around in a fenced area while we hung out and enjoyed the laid back vibe.
Meine Tierpark Olderdissen (Zoo):
This sprawling set-up had a great mix of animals native to the area. Birds, mammals, reptiles that you would find in this part of Germany was a great mini-lesson for our kids. Their habitats were very nature-based vs. cages and it was a bit of an eye-spy game to see them all. There was also a large park with shady spots to sit that entertained the girls for a long time as well.
Link: https://www.bielefeld.de/tierpark
Closest Airport
Dusseldorf [DUS]
COLON (KOLN)
Closest Airport
Dusseldorf [DUS]
Downtown:
There are many places to eat and shop. It did not feel overly touristy once you walked beyond the cathedral. Parking was easy to navigate in underground lots (though spaces are narrow). We could not use the stroller easily due to the cobblestone, we had the Doona and folded it up to carry it for several parts as it was too rumbly for our 6mos old otherwise. I wore her the rest of the time and it was much easier to get around.
The Cathedral:
The Cathedral is incredible. Massive and awe-inspiring. It juts up from the middle of the city which has grown up around it. You have to pay to go all the way in. Our daughters weren’t feeling it totally so we just did the outer vestibule and looked into the main area. The ceilings were incredible. It was very busy and bustling, both inside and outside, even on a Tuesday afternoon so plan to keep littles close.
Closest Airport
Dusseldorf [DUS]
DUSSELDORF
Closest Airport
Dusseldorf [DUS]
We didn’t spend any time in the city, we used it as an airport to fly in and out of and it was very easy to navigate.
Closest Airport
Dusseldorf [DUS]