Leverkusen Archives ⋆ The Passenger

October 26, 2019January 26, 2020

Wacht am Rhein

There aren’t too many good places to sit at the shore of river Rhein at Leverkusen, Germany. A lot of the space along the river is cover by chemical factories. But if you make your way from Leverkusen-Mitte to the river, leave the shopping malls behind and pass through and endless number of residential homes you will find the Neuland-Park (a vast garden) and next to it a nice restaurant called ‘Wacht am Rhein‘ (Watch on the Rhine) – named after an ancient German song and anthem.

October 26, 2019December 3, 2019

BayArena

The BayArena at Leverkusen, Germany is a soccer stadium I saw multiple times – when passing by on motorway A1 directly next to it. As Leverkusen itself feels like a giant chemical plant with a city around it, I never had the desire to go there. Doing it nevertheless was a good decision as the stadium is really great in its design and services. It is home to the ‘Werkself‘, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, a club owned by this giant chemical plant (the Bayer AG). A club that never won the German championship but ended five times on the second place – and is therefore often called ‘Vizekusen‘.

October 26, 2019February 20, 2020

Museum Morsbroich

The Museum Morsbroich is a museum for contemporary art in Leverkusen, Germany. It is located within the baroque castle Schloss Morsbroich from the year 1389 – later belonging to the German Order. The castle is beautiful and around it, you can find an English landscape garden. The museum was founded in 1951 as the first German museum for contemporary art after World War II. I didn’t know what to expect when coming here, but it really was worth a visit. When I came there an exhibition of Belgian photographer Francis Alÿs was presented there.

October 26, 2019February 20, 2020

Japanese oasis

One of the most beautiful places in Leverkusen, Germany, is the Japanese garden. It dates back to the year 1912 and is part of the Chempark – the collection of companies producing chemical products in the city. Since 1950 it is publicly accessible and you can enjoy having the feeling of being in Japan. There are nice lakes, Japanese temples, red maple trees, koi carps, and different statues. It is simply a wonderful place to relax, discover and enjoy life.

October 26, 2019February 19, 2020

Best Western Leoso

Leverkusen, Germany, is somehow a strange city: a giant chemical factory, some pure residential zones, a city centre with shopping opportunities – all lined up along river Rhein, a major street and the railway tracks. If you’re travelling by train you might want to have a hotel close to the station and then the Best Western Leoso is a good choice. It is located just 500 meters north of the station and is easily accessible on foot. Don’t expect a beauty – it is a huge hotel block and getting into it feels like travelling in time.