Erkrath Summer Festival
Summer festival of the Große Erkrather carnival society on the third August weekend with live music and show acts.
Plizio Visual Lab
Erkrath
Plizio editorial teamData Sources
City
ℹ️Practical info — Erkrath
▾
🌤 Weather — 5 days
📍 Nearby
Sights nearby
💡 Tips
- Visit the Neandertal Museum; it is just a 15-minute walk from the station and features a world-class look into human evolution.
- Take the S8 S-Bahn train; you can reach Düsseldorf's famous shopping district in under 20 minutes.
- Enjoy a show at the Stellarium Erkrath in Hochdahl, one of Germany's most modern and advanced planetariums.
- Explore the historic Haus Morp estate on the outskirts, featuring a beautiful English-style landscape park.
- Hike through the Neandertal game reserve to spot wisents and wild horses living in a near-natural ice-age landscape.
🍽 Food
🍽
Kottenbutter
A hearty open-faced sandwich with smoked sausage, onions, and mustard, a traditional snack from the neighboring Bergisches Land.
🍽
Altbier
The local dark, top-fermented beer from the Düsseldorf region; you'll find it served in small glasses in almost every pub.
🍽
Rheinischer Sauerbraten
A marinated beef roast, often served with a sweet-and-sour gravy containing raisins and ginger snaps.
🛍 Shopping · 🧘 Quiet spots
🛍
Bavier-Center
The local shopping hub in Alt-Erkrath for daily essentials and a selection of specialty shops.
🛍
Alt-Erkrath Weekly Market
Held on Friday mornings; a great place to find fresh cheese, meats, and honey from the surrounding countryside.
🛍
Neandertal Museum Shop
The best place to find unique prehistoric-themed souvenirs, books, and educational gifts.
🧘
Stinderbachtal
An idyllic valley with streams and meadows, significantly quieter than the famous Neandertal area.
🧘
Morper Park
An expansive landscape park surrounding Haus Morp, well-suited for long, undisturbed walks among old trees.
🧘
Rotthäuser Bachtal
A protected nature area with beech forests and springs, offering a very peaceful atmosphere for nature lovers.
Water temperature…
Erkrath is a scenic town in the Mettmann district of North Rhine-Westphalia, bordering the state capital of Düsseldorf. It is globally recognized for its proximity to the Neander Valley (Neandertal), the site where the first identified Neanderthal fossils were discovered in 1856. The town is divided into three main districts: Alt-Erkrath, Hochdahl, and Unterfeldhaus. Hochdahl is notable for its 'garden city' architecture and the Stellarium Erkrath, a modern planetarium that serves as a regional hub for astronomy enthusiasts. Historically, the town played a significant role in German railway history due to the Erkrath-Hochdahl incline, once the steepest main-line railway in Europe, which required cable-assisted hauling for early trains. Today, Erkrath is a highly sought-after residential area, offering a high quality of life with extensive parks and forests. Its economy is well-integrated into the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region, hosting various medium-sized enterprises and service providers. The surrounding landscape, including the Düssel river valley and the nearby Unterbacher Lake, provides ample opportunities for recreation, hiking, and water sports.
- Location: North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
- Top sights: Neanderthal Museum · Hochdahl Engine Shed · Haus Morp
- Nearby: Mettmann (5 km)
- Population: ~43.801
Best time to visit & climate
The most pleasant time to visit is Jun–Aug.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg °C | 1 | 2 | 5 | 10 | 13 | 17 | 19 | 19 | 15 | 11 | 6 | 2 |
| Rain mm | 74 | 62 | 59 | 44 | 64 | 68 | 75 | 79 | 57 | 61 | 71 | 77 |
Geography
Facts
- Planetarium: 'Stellarium Erkrath' in Hochdahl.
- Railway history: Steep incline dating to 1838.
- Location: Bordering the Neander Valley.
- Transport: Excellent A3 and A46 highway access.
- Districts: Alt-Erkrath, Hochdahl, Unterfeldhaus.
- Nature: Home to part of the Neandertal nature reserve.
Explore nearby
Notable places around
Route planner — Car & Motorhome
Where do you start? We build the route here, with stops and country notes along the way.
Vehicle
Only stops with (optional):
© OpenStreetMap contributors · OpenRouteService
Sights in the town Erkrath (14)
Frequently asked questions
Is the Neanderthal Museum located in Erkrath?
The museum is technically in Mettmann but directly borders the Erkrath district of Hochdahl.
What is the Neandertal?
A nature reserve and the discovery site of the Neanderthal man, well-suited for hiking along the Düssel river.
Is there a lake in Erkrath?
Lake Unterbach borders Erkrath directly and features beach baths and sailing opportunities.
How to get from Düsseldorf to Erkrath?
The S-Bahn lines S8 and S28 connect Erkrath to Düsseldorf Central Station in just 10-15 minutes.
What is the Stellwerk Hochdahl?
A historic railway building that now serves as a museum for the steep Erkrath-Hochdahl railway incline.
Erkrath: where is it located?
Erkrath is located in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Erkrath: what is there to see?
Highlights include Neanderthal Museum, Hochdahl Engine Shed, Haus Morp.
Erkrath: when is the best time to visit?
The most pleasant time to visit is Jun, Aug.
Erkrath: why is it worth visiting?
Erkrath is a scenic town in the Mettmann district of North Rhine-Westphalia, bordering the state capital of Düsseldorf.
Explore with Plizio
Discover more places in Europe
More places in Germany →
Nearby cities
Köln
Cologne is the fourth-largest city in Germany, located on the Rhine River in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf, the state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia, is a center for fashion, art, and business on the Rhine River.
Dortmund
Dortmund is the largest city in the Ruhr area, known for its industrial history, passion for football, and green parks.
Duisburg
Duisburg is located at the confluence of the Ruhr and Rhine rivers and heavily shapes the western Ruhr area through its waterfront location.
Bochum
Bochum is a major city in the heart of the Ruhr Area, embodying the successful transition from heavy industry to a knowledge and service-…
Wuppertal
Wuppertal in the Bergisches Land is famous for the historic suspension railway, one of the oldest electric elevated railway systems in th…
Bonn
Bonn is located in the south of North Rhine-Westphalia on the banks of the Rhine and has a history spanning over 2,000 years.
Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen, centrally located in the Ruhr Area, was once known as the 'City of 1000 Fires' when the winding towers and smoking chimney…
Mönchengladbach
Mönchengladbach is known for its football club.
Krefeld
Krefeld is often called the city of velvet and silk.
Oberhausen
Oberhausen is located in the western Ruhr Area in North Rhine-Westphalia and stands as a symbol of the region's successful structural tra…
Hagen
Hagen is called the gateway to the Sauerland.
Mülheim an der Ruhr
Mülheim an der Ruhr is a green industrial city in the Ruhr area and home to major retail giants like Aldi Süd and Tengelmann.
Herne
Herne is a core city in the Ruhr area, known for its major archaeological museum and the Cranger Kirmes, one of Germany's largest folk fe…
Solingen
Solingen is the city of blades in Germany.