I’m a Fortuna Düsseldorf fan and live in the city. OK, first things first. There aren’t many pubs near the ground. The Merkur Spiel Arena is 6km from the city centre. Most fans tend to drink in the Altstadt (Old Town) before the match and then take the Underground train line U78 to the stadium. I really recommend you do the same!
You can’t visit Düsseldorf and not drink a beer in the Altstadt. The Altstadt stretches over just half a square kilometre and due to the proximity of pubs it is known as “the longest bar in the world”. The local bier, called Altbier, is a dark beer served in small, 200ml, glasses and the waiters ensure you’ve always got a fresh drink. On this page I tell you how to order an Altbier, there is an actual method to it and it’s important to get it right to make sure the waiter knows what you want to order.
In this guide below I’ll tell you the best pubs to visit when in the city to catch a game. These are the pubs that the Fortuna Düsseldorf fans go drinking in before, and after, watching a game.
Pubs near the Merkur Spiel Arena
There really aren’t any pubs near the Merkur Spiel Arena. For the best experience, as I mentioned, I recommend drinking in the pubs in the Altstadt. The Altstadt, especially the main Bolker Stasse, is always busy with people eating, drinking and partying.
From here you can take the U78 train directly to the Merkur Spiel Arena. You can even grab yourself a drink from a shop and drink it on the train. It’s allowed and most fans will be drinking a beer during the journeys!
Restaurant Kastanie
Kaiserswerther Str. 408.
This restaurant is the closest to the stadium and can get busy with fans drinking Füchschen Altbier in the pub garden on matchday. From here it’s about a 20 minute walk to the stadium, or you can jump on the U78 train from the station just next to the restaurant.
Aral Petrol Station
Freiligrathplatz 32
Ok, this is a petrol station but there is a good reason for including it in this guide!
The U78 trains to the station can often be quite busy. I sometimes take the U79 train and leave the train at the Freiligrathplatz stop. From here you can grab a beer at the Aral Petrol Station and walk the 10 minutes to the stadium.
Quite a few Fortuna fans do this on match day, so you will not be along making the walk to the stadium with your beer!
Best Pubs in the Düsseldorf for Football Travelers
Düsseldorf’s Old Town has the name “Longest Bar in the World”. At it’s centre is Bolkerstrasse, a street full of pubs, clubs and restaurants. On match days it’s packed and is the meeting point for many Fortuna fans.
Most of the pubs in the Altstadt are less than a ten minute walk to the Heinrich Heine Allee Underground train stop, where trains take you directly to the Merkur Spiel Arena. In this guide I tell you the best way to get from the Altstadt to the match.
In the Altstadt these pubs are particularly popular:
Uerige
Address: Bergerstrasse 1
This brewery has existed since 1862 and is spread over several floors and covers approximately 1,300 extra square metres. Despite its size the brewery is cosy as it is split into many small rooms, all of which are lively on match day! There’s also a large area outside of the brewery where fans meet.
The food options are minimal and consist of little snacks to keep you drinking! I recommend trying a Mettbrötchen. It’s raw mincemeat on half a bread roll. It’s better than it sounds, really!
Zum Schlüssel
Address: Bolkerstraße 41-47, 40213 Düsseldorf
Zum Schlüssel is a must-visit pub for those wanting to experience Düsseldorf’s local beer culture. Its got a huge outside area, great for those early season games in the sunshine and inside there is a classic brewery atmosphere. The food is also good, with classic German brewery food on offer. This is the closest Altbier brewery to the Heinrich Heine Allee Underground station.
Schaukelstühlchen
Address: Kurze Str. 18
This is my favourite pub in the Düsseldorf Altstadt. The pub plays indie and metal music, it looks like nothing has been changed in 20 years and the beer is cheap. The surroundings are comfortable and it can get busy in the evenings. The pub doesn’t open until the early evening, so it might be a pub to visit after the match.
I can also recommend Kurze brewery which is right next to Schaukelstühlchen for an Altbier is more modern surroundings.
Sorry for including a pub that is so hard to pronounce! In case you wondered it means “rocking chair” in English!
Brauerei im Füchschen
Address: Ratinger Str. 28
This is my favourite of the breweries in the Altstadt.It’s thought that beer has been brewed on the site of Füchschen since 1640.
More commonly known as “Füchschen” this brewery offers a warm and welcoming atmosphere perfect for football fans. There’s even some old Fortuna Düsseldorf shirts on the walls.
The brewery is in a parallel street to Bolker Strasse, Düsseldorf’s party street. This means the atmosphere here is a bit more relaxed!
Füchshcen also brews it’s own Pilsner and Alcohol free version of Alt.
Heimwerk
Address: Hafenstraße 9
This modern bar serves Bavarian beer in the huge glasses you often expect to see in Germany! The pub serves my favourite beer, Augustiner from Munich. It also serves Schumacher Alt beer.
The food is great using regionally sourced ingredients and with large portion sizes. Heimwerk serves 19 different types of Schnitzel!
Brauerei Schumacher
Address: Oststraße 123, 40210 Düsseldorf
Schumacher is the oldest brewery in Düsseldorf, established in 1838 and the Altbier is still brewed by hand to the old family tradition.
When the weather is nice, Schumacher opens one of the most beautiful beer gardens in Düsseldorf city centre. The food consists of typical brewery cuisine and Düsseldorf specialists, like “Halwe Hahn” and “Frikadellan”.
The pub is a short walk from the Oststrasse Underground stop. From here the U78 train takes you straight to the stadium.
Fortuna Büdchen
Address: Joseph-Beuys-Ufer 17
This place is actually a little hut on the banks of the river Rhine and it’s a Düsseldorf icon. The Fortuna Büdchen is painted in the club colours and is particularly popular with fans who cycle to the stadium. Before home games, they often stop off here for a drink and sit on the wall overlooking the Rhine, before carrying on to the stadium.
You can also walk along the River Rhine to the Merkur Spiel Arena, or maybe hire a scooter and reach the stadium much quicker than with public transport!
In the summer evenings it gets really busy here as people meet to drink a beer and watch the sunset.
While you’re here you can eat a Fortuna Brötchen. This is a chocolate covered marshmallow in a bread roll. Sounds weird, but there’s an interesting back story. Legend has it that the Fortuna Brötchen was created in 1933 when Fortuna Düsseldorf unexpectedly became German champions. Nobody expected the team to win, so there wasn’t any food prepared to celebrate the victory. The fans quickly improvised and chocolate marshmallows were stuffed into bread rolls!
Best Pubs in Düsseldorf to Watch Live Sports
McLaughlin’s
Kurze Str. 11
Irish pubs across the world are known for being a great place to watch sports. There are 4 in the Düsseldorf Altstadt, all within 5 minutes walk of each other and all are popular with Fortuna Düsseldorf fans on matchdays. Each pub has plenty of big screens and food options and a friendly atmosphere.
Sutton’s Irish Bar has a ceiling covered in football scarves from clubs all around the world. Why not bring one from your team and see them commemorated on the walls of this popular pub.
Bilker Häzz
Address: Bilker Allee 208
Since it was founded in 2016, Bilker Häzz has developed into a real cult pub. The owner is a passionate Fortuna supporter and has created a pub that shows lots of live sport and offers a stadium like atmosphere.
The pub also has a few flags of Brazilian club, FC São Paulo as the owner is a passionate fan! The pub also boasts iconic events such as a legendary pub quiz and pub bingo.
The pub is a short walk from the city centre in the trendy area of Bilk.
Other Great Pubs To Visit in Düsseldorf
Bar F95
Address: Flinger Broich 87
Fortuna Düsseldorf has it’s own pub in its former stadium, Paul Janes Stadion. The stadium and pub are about 20 minutes from the city centre.
The pub is full of Fortuna Düsseldorf memorabilia, including scarves, old match posters and paintings of the clubs successes.
Fortuna’s second team plays in the 4th division Regionalliga West and their home games are played in the stadium. This means Bar F95 is the perfect place for a pre-match drink.
Final Pubs Tips for Football Travelers
Traveling for sport offers a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the local culture and atmosphere.
When visiting Düsseldorf for a Fortuna Düsseldorf game at the Merkur Spiel-Arena, I really recommend taking the time to explore the city’s vibrant Altstadt and try its famous Altbier. After a game, especially if Fortuna has won, the Altstadt is like a party and it’s a great experience that every football traveler will enjoy!
You’re now all set to enjoy your visit to Fortuna Düsseldorf. Prost!!
