The best football club in the world is calling for the first official Fortuna Hiking Day? Absolutely, we’re on board.
With a distance of 18.95 km (1895 is the founding year of the football club), the route was actually manageable for everyone and, of course, led from the Düsseldorf Rheinstadion to the venerable Paul-Janes-Stadion at Flinger Broich.

Unfortunately, there was no official group start, as one is used to from the Megamärschen gewohnt ist. Dieses ist sicherlich einer der größten Kritikpunkte an diesem Tag gewesen. So zog sich das Teilnehmerfeld natürlich etwas auseinander. Es wäre schön gewesen, mit anderen Fortuna Fans gemeinsam zu starten…
Im Vorfeld stellte der Verein den StreckenveThis was certainly one of the major points of criticism for the day. As a result, the participants naturally spread out a bit. It would have been nice to start together with other Fortuna fans…
In advance, the club provided the route digitally as a GPX track. After starting at the Rheinstadion, we followed the beautiful Rhine River for a long time until we reached the famous Düsseldorf Old Town.
Of course, a local beer specialty was a must for refreshment. After the very urban section through the Old Town, Kö (Königsallee), and Mörsenbroich, we finally entered the scenic Grafenberger Forest.
After covering 18.95 km, we reached the old Fortuna Stadium at Flinger Broich, where we received a great pin as a souvenir to conclude the event.

In conclusion:
It was an overall enjoyable and relaxed day with friends and acquaintances. The route could have been more focused on nature, but it was about Fortuna Düsseldorf and the shared sporting experience. The organization at the finish point could also be improved, there is certainly room for improvement.
We are already looking forward to the next season and, of course, to the second Fortuna Wandertag.