Traffic chaos and brawls: Düsseldorf Christmas market in danger!

Traffic chaos and brawls: Düsseldorf Christmas market in danger!

On the second Saturday of Advent, December 8, 2024, Düsseldorf city center experienced dramatic traffic chaos, which was due to a high number of visitors despite the unfavorable, cold, wet weather. Loud T Online The parking garages were overcrowded from midday onwards, which led to significant backlogs and a widespread standstill of traffic. Police took measures to ease the traffic situation, including closing lanes and roads. At 1 p.m., the left-turn option from the Kö-Bogen tunnel onto Heinrich-Heine-Allee was closed due to massive traffic jams, which led to some drivers getting out of their vehicles and walking in the tunnel.

Occasional violence at the Christmas market

In addition to the traffic problems, there was an incident in the afternoon in which a visitor to the Christmas market on Schadowstrasse/Königsallee was slightly injured. Unknown people hit him, which is why the police initiated criminal proceedings, while the search for the perpetrators was unsuccessful. Despite these events, the police took a positive look at the day, as the overall appearance of visitors and the streets was peaceful, apart from the tense traffic situation RP Online reported.

In order to counteract further problems, Kasernenstrasse was completely closed between 3 and 7:30 p.m. In addition, from 4:30 p.m. onwards, passage on Königsallee between Königstrasse and Corneliusplatz was impossible. The police appealed to visitors to use public transport more during the Christmas period and to leave their cars on Saturday if possible. This event impressively shows how important good planning in the run-up to Christmas is in order to overcome such challenges.