Leverkusen travel guide
Bayer's company town, a Rococo art palace and a Rhine car ferry
A Rhineland industrial city between Cologne and Düsseldorf, best known for Bayer and its Bundesliga club. Come between May and September for the Japanese Garden and the Rhine ferry, or any weekend of the football season; half a day to one night covers it. Costs are high, and many nationalities enter Germany visa-free.
Leverkusen sits on the east bank of the Rhine, squeezed between Cologne to the south and Düsseldorf to the north. It exists because of chemistry. A dye works founded by Carl Leverkus in 1861 gave the place its name. Bayer moved in thirty years later, and the giant illuminated Bayer cross still hangs over the plant gates. Most visitors come for one of two reasons: business with the company, or a match at the BayArena.
Do not expect a medieval core. The city was stitched together in the twentieth century from separate villages, so Wiesdorf plays the role of a centre while Opladen and Schlebusch keep their own high streets and stations. What rewards a short stop is more interesting than that sounds: a moated Rococo palace turned modern art museum at Morsbroich, a Japanese garden planted by a Bayer chairman in the 1920s, and a small car ferry that still shuttles across the Rhine at Hitdorf.
Think of it as a half-day or a one-night stay, often bolted onto a trip to Cologne. Trains reach both of the big neighbours in about a quarter of an hour, which also makes the city's chain hotels a practical fallback when Cologne is full for a trade fair or the carnival.
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A modern art palace, a company garden, a football stadium and a ferry ride, all reachable in a day.
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Best time to visit Leverkusen
Month by month, so you can pick the weather and the crowds you want.
The Japanese Garden stays open into the evening from April to October and the riverbank paths towards Hitdorf are at their best.
Bayer 04 is back at the BayArena from late summer, and the long-running Leverkusener Jazztage fill the autumn calendar.
On Bundesliga home days the S6 and RE trains into Leverkusen-Mitte fill with fans; arrive early or travel after the crowd has gone in.
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Getting there
RE1, RE5 and the S6 into Leverkusen-Mitte
Leverkusen is the largest place in Germany without a Hauptbahnhof, so the first thing to know is which station you want. Leverkusen-Mitte in Wiesdorf is the de facto centre: RE1 and RE5 regional expresses and the S6 S-Bahn stop here, the bus station is right outside, and Cologne or Düsseldorf is about 15 minutes away. Opladen, to the north-east, has its own station on a separate line. Apart from a single daily ICE from Berlin, long-distance trains do not stop in the city, so most long-distance travellers change at Cologne Hauptbahnhof or, coming from the Wupper valley, at Solingen, around 30 minutes from Mitte. Two airports are close. Cologne Bonn lies about 22 km south and Düsseldorf about 40 km north; either is roughly 30 minutes by car or taxi outside rush hour.
- Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN)
- About 30 minutes by taxi; by rail, take the airport S-Bahn or a regional train to Cologne and change for the S6 or an RE to Leverkusen-Mitte
- Düsseldorf Airport (DUS)
- Direct regional trains run from the airport station to Leverkusen-Mitte; about 30 minutes by car
- Leverkusen-Mitte
- RE1, RE5 and S6, with the central bus station beside it
- By road
- The A1 and A3 cross here, and the A59 heads north to Düsseldorf
- Book rail tickets to Leverkusen-Mitte by name, or the planner may route you to Opladen or Chempark station.
- The A1 Rhine bridge has been under rebuild for years; expect lane closures and use the train when you can.
Where to stay
Wiesdorf, Opladen or Schlebusch
Stay in Wiesdorf next to Leverkusen-Mitte station, the easiest base for the shops, the BayArena and trains to Cologne and Düsseldorf. Hotels here are mostly mid-range chains aimed at business visitors and football crowds, so being close to a station matters most. Opladen has more character and its own station.
- Wiesdorf
- Next to Leverkusen-Mitte, the Rathaus-Galerie shops and the BayArena; the easiest base, though it empties out after shops close
- Manfort
- Budget chain rooms on Manforter Straße within reach of Mitte; suits a cheap overnight before an early train
- Opladen
- Older town feel with its own station and restaurants, good for Rhine-Wupper trips, a bus ride from the stadium
- Schlebusch
- Leafy and residential near Schloss Morsbroich; quiet, but you will rely on buses to get anywhere
- On trade fair weeks in Cologne, Leverkusen rooms fill up too; book early.
Getting around
wupsi buses and the Hitdorf ferry
Local buses are run by wupsi and use the same VRS tariff as Cologne, so a ticket bought for the Cologne area generally works here as well. Tickets are sold by the driver, a machine at Leverkusen-Mitte, or the VRS or DB apps, and stamp paper tickets on board. Express buses link Leverkusen with Cologne, Monheim and Bergisch Gladbach. For hops between districts the S6 and the regional trains are faster than the bus. Wiesdorf itself is flat and walkable: the BayArena is about 500 m from Mitte station, and the Japanese Garden by the Bayer works is a short bus ride or a longer walk.
- Japanese Garden
- Buses 201, 220, 233 or 255 to Bayerwerk Tor 2
- Bayer-Kreuz
- Bus to CHEMPARK Tor 1
- Rhine ferry Hitdorf to Langel
- Carries foot passengers, bikes and cars across to Cologne; roughly 06:00 to early evening on weekdays, shorter hours from 10:00 at weekends
- Cyclists can follow the Rhine on the east bank and cross on the Hitdorf ferry to return along the Cologne side.
Know before you go
Leverkusen is Bayer, a Japanese garden and a modern art castle.
Why travelers love it
- Schloss Morsbroich, a moated Rococo palace hung with contemporary art and ringed by a sculpture park.
- The Japanese Garden beside the Bayer works, with ponds, bridges and pavilions behind the factory fence.
- The Hitdorf ferry, a short crossing of the Rhine that turns a bike ride into a loop.
Good to know
- Morsbroich is shut on Mondays and stays open until 21:00 on Thursdays.
- Long-distance trains almost all skip Leverkusen; plan on changing in Cologne.
Trip fit
BookingMentor editorial ratings out of 5, based on a first-time visitor's experience.
Weather in Leverkusen, month by month
Month-by-month climate figures for Leverkusen are being researched.
A match-day loop of Morsbroich, the Bayer works and the BayArena
Half a day to one day covers Leverkusen. Start at Schloss Morsbroich's modern art and sculpture park when it opens at 11:00, lunch in Wiesdorf, then visit the free Japanese Garden by the Bayer works, see the 51-metre Bayer-Kreuz and walk to the BayArena, about 500 metres from Leverkusen-Mitte station.
Start at Schloss Morsbroich when it opens at 11:00. The palace began as a moated castle and was remodelled in Rococo style; today the rooms show modern and contemporary art, and the sculpture park outside is worth a slow lap even if the exhibition is not to your taste. Allow an hour and a half.
Take a bus back to Wiesdorf for lunch near Leverkusen-Mitte, then head to the Japanese Garden on Otto-Bayer-Straße. A Bayer chairman laid it out in the 1920s after a trip to Japan, and it is a surprising pocket of calm next to one of Europe's big chemical sites. Entry is free and it stays open until 20:00 in the warmer months.
Walk on past the Chempark gates to look up at the Bayer-Kreuz, the 51-metre company logo, then cut across to the BayArena, five minutes from the station. On a home day, Bayer 04 kick off in front of 30,000; on a quiet one, the club shop and stadium exterior are enough.
After dark the cross is lit, and the best view is from the Wiesdorf side of the works. If you have a bike and a long summer evening, ride north along the Rhine to Hitdorf and take the ferry over to Langel instead.
Kölsch, Reibekuchen and Rhineland brewhouse plates
Leverkusen eats and drinks like Cologne. Kölsch is on every tap in 0.2-litre glasses, and brewhouse menus offer Halve Hahn, Himmel un Ääd and Rheinischer Sauerbraten, with Reibekuchen in autumn and winter. Wiesdorf around the Rathaus-Galerie has Turkish, Italian and Greek places, and Opladen has the older pubs.
Leverkusen eats like the rest of the Cologne Rhineland, and the drink on every bar tap is Kölsch, the pale top-fermented beer served in slim 0.2-litre glasses. In the traditional style a waiter keeps replacing your empty glass until you lay a beer mat on top of it.
The menus to look for are the brewhouse classics. Halve Hahn is not half a chicken but a rye roll with a thick slice of aged Gouda, mustard and onions. Himmel un Ääd (heaven and earth) pairs mashed potato and apple sauce with fried black pudding. Rheinischer Sauerbraten, the regional pot roast, is traditionally marinated for days and finished with a sweet-sour sauce, often with raisins. In autumn and winter, stalls and pubs fry Reibekuchen, crisp potato pancakes eaten with apple sauce or on dark bread.
Wiesdorf around the Rathaus-Galerie has the most choice for a quick meal, much of it Turkish, Italian and Greek, which reflects the generations of workers who came to staff the Bayer plants. For an older pub atmosphere, Opladen's centre is the better bet. On match days, eat before the crowds; places near the BayArena fill fast and service slows.
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How we research our Leverkusen travel guide
The Japanese Garden and Schloss Morsbroich set their own hours, and the Hitdorf ferry runs to a timetable, so all three are checked on leverkusen.de. Leverkusen-Mitte trains and the A1 bridge works are tracked via Deutsche Bahn; the German National Tourist Board fills in.
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Checked against trusted sources:
Official website of LeverkusenGerman National Tourist BoardDeutsche Bahn
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Leverkusen questions for a half-day or day visit.
General
Leverkusen-Mitte in Wiesdorf. RE1, RE5 and the S6 stop there and the main bus station is next door.
Around the CHEMPARK Tor 1 bus stop on Friedrich-Ebert-Straße, where the 51-metre logo lights up after dark.
Local buses are run by wupsi and use the same VRS tariff as Cologne, so a ticket bought for the Cologne area generally works here as well. Tickets are sold by the driver, a machine at Leverkusen-Mitte, or the VRS or DB apps, and stamp paper tickets on board. Express buses link Leverkusen with Cologne, Monheim and Bergisch Gladbach.
Leverkusen is best known for:
- Schloss Morsbroich, a moated Rococo palace hung with contemporary art and ringed by a sculpture park
- The Japanese Garden beside the Bayer works, with ponds, bridges and pavilions behind the factory fence
- The Hitdorf ferry, a short crossing of the Rhine that turns a bike ride into a loop
Getting there
A taxi takes about 30 minutes. By rail, ride into Cologne and change for the S6 or an RE1 or RE5 towards Düsseldorf.
Yes. Regional expresses from the airport station run straight to Leverkusen-Mitte without a change.
About 500 metres, an easy walk of five to ten minutes heading north-east.
It runs back and forth between Hitdorf and Cologne-Langel, taking walkers, bikes and vehicles, and you pay on board by cash or card. Weekend sailings start later than on weekdays.
Timing & weather
From April to October it opens 09:00 to 20:00 on weekdays and from 09:30 at weekends; in winter it closes around 16:30 to 17:00. Entry is free.
Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 to 17:00, with late opening to 21:00 on Thursdays. It is closed on Mondays.
The best time to visit Leverkusen is May to Sep. Long opening hours at the Japanese Garden and the full Hitdorf ferry timetable; football resumes in August.
- Garden season: May - September (The Japanese Garden stays open into the evening from April to October and the riverbank paths towards Hitdorf are at their best)
- Football and jazz: August - November (Bayer 04 is back at the BayArena from late summer, and the long-running Leverkusener Jazztage fill the autumn calendar)
Booking
Yes, Leverkusen is inside the VRS fare zone, so tickets bought in Cologne for the right zone are valid on wupsi buses and local trains.
Stay & facilities
Often, yes. Trains reach Cologne in about 15 minutes, and rooms here can be easier to find when Cologne is fully booked.
Visa & documents
As a Schengen member, Germany shares one set of entry rules with most of the EU. Citizens of the EU and of many other countries, including the US, UK, Canada and Australia, can visit visa-free for up to 90 days in any 180-day period; other nationalities need a Schengen visa. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) records non-EU travelers' fingerprints and a photo at the border.
Health & safety
Pickpocketing at large stations, Christmas markets and on big-city public transport is the main risk in a very safe country. Carry ID and validate paper tickets where required. Call 110 for police and 112 for fire or ambulance.
