The Hofgarten is the oldest public park in Germany, laid out in its present English landscape style by Maximilian Friedrich Weyhe in the early 19th century on the grounds of the former Electoral palace gardens. It stretches from the Ehrenhof on the Rhine bank north through the city, a long green ribbon broken up by mature trees, ponds, and open lawns.
At the northern end stands Schloss Jägerhof, a Baroque hunting palace now housing the Goethe Museum. At the southern end the park meets the Rhine promenade. In between are memorials, statues, a small café, and — in summer — free outdoor concerts. The Hofgarten is where Düsseldorfers walk their dogs, read on benches, and escape the intensity of the Königsallee just a few blocks away.