Ruhr Tourismus Achim Meurer (www.achimmeurer.com)
Dortmund speaks clear words. Rural Westphalia and the industrial Ruhr Area combine in a single large city here. A love of football, a unique beer culture, colourful trendy districts, and impressive industrial culture all add to the city’s flair. There is no end to the discoveries that can be made here.
Borussia Dortmund GmbH & Co. KGaA
Dortmund and football
You'll never walk alone
The south stand of the Signal Iduna Park, nicknamed the Yellow Wall, with its 35,000 seats is by far the largest standing-room stand in Europe. This is where the BVB’s loyal fans are standing during every home match, braving any weather, to sing their football anthem together. You don’t have to be a die-hard football fans to have goosebumps rise on your arms when witnessing this.
If you are interested in the history of football, you can enjoy it coming alive in the German Football Museum, located centrally at the main station. Visit it to relive essential football moments such as Oliver Bierhoff’s golden goal, the summer fairy tale of 2006 or Germany’s 5:0 lead against Brazil at half-time.
Frank Vinken | dwb
Dortmund and its beer
An inseparable pair
The Dortmunder U, the former fermentation and storage cellar of the Union brewery, is considered one of the city’s landmarks. Visible from afar, it has become a centre of art and creativity. Its roof terrace gives visitors a wonderful view of the city. Even though the U hasn’t seen any beer brewing in quite some time, it continues to host annual beer festivals.
DAB and other beers have made Dortmund world-famous. While beer used to be brewed at any number of different locations throughout the city, only two brewing sites remain active today. One of them is the small Brauhaus Hövels, a particularly quaint place that also hosts brewing seminars. An independent brewery at the Phoenix-See has been brewing Dortmund’s Bergmann beer since 2005. A stand-up beer hall serves as a place where day-trippers can take a break and enjoy a pint.
Did you know that Dortmund’s traditional pubs, e.g. around the Alter Markt, serve beer from a “Stößchen” glass? This slim beer glass widens at the top and is designed for snacking on beer. Discover this and other traditions surrounding Dortmund beer in the brewery museum.
LWL-Industriemuseum, Martin Holtappels
Highlights of industrial culture
Best visited with the photo camera
The LWL industrial museum Zollern colliery is one of the most beautiful industrial monuments in Germany and a unique photo spot. The façade of the wages hall, the entrance portal of the machine hall, two classic conveyor frames, and ornaments and onion domes all around make it hard to associate hard work with the colliery’s playful architecture today.
The Hansa coking plant, where coal used to be baked into coke, remains memorable to visitors as well. An adventure trail through the former “forbidden city”, with streets and bridges, halls, and towers that used to be covered in coal dust now takes visitors high up into the coal tower, to the furnace battery, and into the machine hall.
The Skywalk Phoenix West offers a walk with impressive views: A view of the former steelworks as well as the green east of the city gives visitors a very special glimpse of Dortmund and some unique photo perspectives at the same time.
Johannes Höhn
Colourful trendy districts
Dortmund’s trendy quarters
Each of the Kaiserviertel, Kreuzviertel, Nordstadt, and harbour districts has its own special charm. The Kreuzviertel, for example, is particularly popular for its impressive old buildings, small cafés, and restaurants as well as some trendy shops. The quarter’s main meeting point is the Möllerbrücke, where buying beer at the kiosk and toasting friends on the bridge is a favourite pastime. The courtyard flea markets are popular as well. As residents sell their junk in courtyards and gardens, they offer a great opportunity to have a look into the backyards of the charming old buildings.
A multicultural flair, the record stores, pubs, and creative locations are characteristic for Dortmund’s north. From the Nordstadt, we move on towards the harbour. Students, freelancers, and artists are busy in the residential district. The harbour area itself is marked by old red brick warehouses. Anyone who enjoys the countryside can walk through the harbour area all the way to the Fredenbaumpark. A particularly popular medieval illuminated Christmas market is held here every winter.
Mark Clemens
The rainbow bridge
A special photo spot
The rainbow bridge crosses the A40 motorway in Dortmund-Dorstfeld, connecting the German Occupational Safety and Health Exhibition DASA to the Technical University for pedestrians and cyclists. As night falls, the bridge lights up in rainbow colours to turn into a unique photo spot.
