La Madeleine Allee – The Sky of Cherry Blossoms in Kaarst, Germany

La Madeleine Allee in Kaarst is ready to blow your mind. In Spring, the avenue transforms into an impeccable sky of cherry blossoms. Dive in deeper into why Kaarst might be a great alternative or addition to the majestic Sakura boulevards in Bonn.

What to expect

• 1. About La Madeleine Allee in Kaarst
• 2. Stadtpark Kaarst – The City’s green Oasis
• 3. La Madeleine Allee – The Sky of Cherry Blossoms in Kaarst
  • 3.1 Approaching La Madeleine Allee from the Park Side
  • 3.2 Inside the Cherry Blossom Avenue
  • 3.3 Admiring the Cherry Blossom Avenue coming from the Rathaus-Arkaden
  • 3.4 Looking on the Sakura Boulevard from up-stairs
• 4. Water Mirroring Sakura
• 5. When to visit La Madeleine Allee in Kaarst
• 6. How to get there
• 7. Conclusion

1. About La Madeleine Allee in Kaarst

In 1989, the German city Kaarst, which is located close to Düsseldorf and Neuss, started a partnership with the French commune La-Madeleine (Lille). Thus, Kaarst needed a model example to emphasise this bond. Only five years later, when the new city centre got finished, a new cherry blossom avenue got named after the French city. Probably no one could have imagined its visual impact on the city and its urban park 25 years later.

2. Stadtpark Kaarst – The City’s green Oasis

In the course of constructing the new city centre, a city park was included in those plans. Today, the “Statdpark” is Kaarst’s pride and joy.

Many lawn areas welcome you for chills, sunbathing or picnics. The park’s hill enables a great view of the park’s small but beautiful lake. Surprisingly, it doesn’t stand out on its natural beauty alone. A sculpture park rounds up the experience.

Thanks to the masterplan of Martel Wiegand, Helmut Blochwitz as well as Wolfgang Kliege, 23 concrete stelas protrude above water level. Every stela has some sort of art attached on its top. Funnily, they are all arranged in a way to form fictive stellar constellations.

Nonetheless, during Spring a very special avenue steals the show.

3. La Madeleine Allee – The Sky of Cherry Blossoms in Kaarst

And there it is, the undisputed star of Stadtpark Kaarst – La Madeleine Allee. Although the roundabout 110-metres-long avenue already impresses when seeing it lateral from the park, experiencing it from inside tops it multiple times.

3.1 Approaching La Madeleine Allee from the Park Side

Approaching gorgeous La Madeleine Allee is exciting. It’s that exciting that you probably need a few minutes to realize what you’re about to enter – the cherry blossom gate to rainbow land.

3.2 Inside the Cherry Blossom Avenue

From the moment that the sky above you is being replaced completely by cherry blossoms, you reached a new level. A level that goes beyond any expectation. This is the moment when truly a journey begins.

110 metres might not sound much. However, if you’re deep into details, you’ll find so many great things to be stocked. The avenue feels longer and longer. Besides that, you realize being inside a pink tunnel. Squat for a moment and admire the epic cherry blossom sky.

Every now and then the blue-sky breaks through again. The resulting contrast with the blossoms is utterly beautiful.

3.3 Admiring the Cherry Blossom Avenue coming from the Rathaus-Arkaden

As soon as you passed by the last cherry tree and head towards Rathaus-Arkaden, please turn around and look back for a different perspective. Not only do you change the perspective, but due to backlight, the colours may differ as well.

3.4 Looking on the Sakura Boulevard from up-stairs

Once finished with admiring the avenue from ground level, it’s time to get an observation view. Right at the beginning of the Rathaus-Arkaden, when coming from the cherry trees, there is a stairway on its right side. Walk up and enjoy a completely different view of La Madeleine Allee and Stadtpark Kaarst.

4. Water Mirroring Sakura

Last but not least, the park’s small lake offers another top-notch photo motif. Take the bridge at the end of La Madeleine Allee which brings you to the opposing side of the lake. Before setting foot on the mainland, turn to the cherry trees and look on the water’s surface. When it’s calm, the Sakura avenue will reflect on it. In my eyes, this rounds up the visit perfectly.

5. When to visit La Madeleine Allee in Kaarst

As I updated this article on the 17th of March 2022, the cherry trees have been already blooming for three days. Thus, the following period to admire Sakura in Kaarst is:

• 14^th of March – 28^th of March

For exact proofs, please check Instagram or other Social Media channels, where current pictures are being posted from Kaarst.

6. How to get there

La Madeleine Allee can be reached by various car parking areas within a short distance. For instance, the town hall offers free parking for up to two hours.

If you decide coming by train, the S-Bahn station Kaarst Mitte/Holzbüttgen is only 700 metres away by foot. Of course, you can also transfer into bus lines and proceed to Kaarst Rathaus.

To navigate your best arrival possible, please use the embedded map below.

7. Conclusion

What can I say other than how gorgeous La Madeleine Allee in Kaarst is? Well, it’s definitely a shorter cherry blossom avenue than those in Ratingen, Düsseldorf or Bonn. But never did I feel more surrounded by Sakura than here. It’s different, yes. Furthermore, if you don’t like masses of people, this is a great alternative to Bonn’s cherry blossom scenes – especially nowadays. When your focus is on the Sakura flower, Kaarst will satisfy you. Other than that, it’s a great addition to North-Rhine Westphalia’s various cherry blossom hotspots.