Where can your dog run off leash in Krefeld, where does the leash stay on, and where are you both welcome? The city's dog areas, the rules for forest, lake and Rhine, and what applies on buses and trains.
Krefeld with a dog means: more than a dozen city dog areas, large forests such as Hülser Berg and the Stadtwald, and a city ordinance with no general leash rule. Where the leash has to stay on is mostly set by the NRW Dog Act. For large dogs, that covers almost every built-up part of the city.
ant to head out right away? The directory of dog-friendly places in Krefeld sorts places by category. This guide explains the rules behind them, so your walk stays relaxed.
Section 3 of the City of Krefeld's ordinance (German) asks one main thing of you: make sure your dog endangers no one, and pick up after it right away. It contains no citywide leash rule, not even for the Stadtwald, Forstwald or Hülser Berg. If you come across older information that says otherwise, the current version in the city's local law is what counts.
There are clear bans all the same. Animals may not be taken onto children's playgrounds, school grounds, kickabout pitches, play and sunbathing areas, or into swimming and sports facilities, not even on a leash. Guide dogs, assistance dogs and working service dogs are exempt.
State law applies on top. Section 2 of the NRW Dog Act requires a leash:
For large dogs, meaning from 40 cm height at the withers or 20 kg, section 11 adds: inside built-up areas they stay leashed on public streets, paths and squares. Dangerous dogs and certain listed breeds have further duties. Krefeld's dog areas do not automatically lift these state rules.
In its leaflet on dogs (German), the Kommunalbetrieb Krefeld, the city's public works, lists the off-leash dog areas in the city. They include:
| Dog area | Location according to the Kommunalbetrieb |
|---|---|
| Stadtwald | dog area in the Krefeld Stadtwald |
| Stadtpark Fischeln | between Kölner Straße and Altmühlenfeld |
| Stadtpark Süd | northern section |
| Elfrather See | off-leash area on the west shore |
| Dahlerdyk | green space between Dahlerdyk and Nassauerring |
| Fütingsweg | along the K-Bahn line |
| Zur Eibe/Haus Rath | north of Europaring |
More areas are on the K-Bahn at Bessemerstraße/Hafelsstraße, on Emil-Schäfer-Straße, on Fabritiusstraße, at Feldstraße/corner of Fütingsweg and at Fischelner Wiese/Heyes-Kirchweg, among others. The leaflet has no date. So check the signs on site before you unclip the leash.
Off-leash running applies on the designated area, not in the whole park around it. On the way there, the rules above apply. Before you go in, look at how many dogs are already playing and whether that suits yours today. Bring your own poop bags and water. For tips on choosing, see our guide to a dog park near you.
Krefeld has around 1,300 hectares of forest. According to the Kommunalbetrieb (German), the largest areas are Hülser Berg, Hülser Bruch, the Südpark in Forstwald and the Stadtwald. NRW has no general leash rule in forests. On forest paths your dog may run free if it comes when called and stays in sight. If you leave the path, the leash goes on. That is how both the Kommunalbetrieb and Wald und Holz NRW (German) describe it. The Kommunalbetrieb recommends leashing dogs on the paths too.
In nature reserves your dog always stays on a leash, and you both stay on the paths. The city (German) lists Latumer Bruch, Hülser Bruch, Egelsberg, Niepkuhlen, Die Spey and In der Elt among Krefeld's nature reserves.
For the breeding and rearing season, Wald und Holz NRW names no statewide legal leash rule, but it recommends leashing dogs on paths as well to protect wildlife. Follow that, even if your dog recalls reliably.
On the west shore of Elfrather See in Uerdingen there is a large off-leash area for dogs. The new bylaw for the recreation and sports park (German), in force since late August 2026, is clear: dogs need supervision and must be on a short leash outside the off-leash area. Steps lead down to the water there, but swimming in the lake is prohibited. According to the city's masterplan (German), an agility area is to be added to the off-leash zone.
Hülser Berg is forest, so the forest rules apply: running free on paths only with a reliable recall, leashed off the paths. There is also a wildlife enclosure at Hülser Berg. Nearby Hülser Bruch is a nature reserve. The leash stays on there the whole time.
The city describes the Stadtwald as really a park, with a dog area and plenty of paths. The zoo is not far away. According to Zoo Krefeld (German), dogs are welcome in the park on a short leash and with their own dog ticket. They may not enter the rainforest house, the butterfly house or the bird house; there are tie-up points outside. For more ideas, see our overview of day trips with a dog in Germany.
We found no designated dog swimming spot in Krefeld. Section 8 of the city ordinance prohibits bathing in publicly accessible waters such as gravel pit lakes and city ponds, except at designated outdoor pools. At Elfrather See, the city says swimming is prohibited.
For the Rhine, Krefeld has had a swimming ban for people (German) since August 2025, limited until the end of 2030. The ordinance says nothing about dogs. Currents and ship traffic are just as dangerous for dogs, though. Do not let your dog swim in the Rhine. What else to keep in mind near water is covered in our guide to swimming with your dog at lakes and the sea.
These venues are confirmed as dog-friendly in the Souldog map data:
Ask before your visit whether this also applies indoors and whether there is room for you. House rules can change. You will find all confirmed places in the Souldog app and a selection in the directory of cafés and restaurants with a dog in Krefeld. For a relaxed visit, see our guide to dog-friendly cafés in Germany.
Krefeld is in the VRR area. With a valid VRR ticket, your dog travels free, even several dogs, within the ticket's area of validity. It must be supervised by a suitable person, kept on a short leash and stay on the floor. If it could put other passengers at risk, it needs a muzzle. That is what the VRR help page (German) says. According to the zoo, tram lines 042 and 043 run to the Grotenburg/Zoo stop.
If you travel beyond the VRR area, check the other network's rule in advance. How other cities compare is shown in the comparison of dog rules in German cities.
Start with a dog area from the list above or a spot from parks and forests in Krefeld. In the Souldog app you can see places nearby on the Discover map, plus somewhere to stop afterwards. On site, the signs are what count.
For trips to the neighbours, see our guides to Düsseldorf with a dog, Duisburg with a dog and Mönchengladbach with a dog.
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