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Germany City Travel Guide: Dortmund

Dortmund

• In NW Germany: a city in the province of North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen).
• Traditionally famed for its ‘coal, steel and beer’.
• A member of the pan-European Hanseatic trading league from the 13th century.
• Biggest city in the Ruhr area, and the center of its burgeoning IT industry.
• Connected to seven autobahns and with a railway station serving over 150,000 passengers per day.
• Largest canal harbor in Europe.
• Home of the famous Borussia Dortmund founded 1909.
• Soccer-crazy: more than 38,000 Dortmundians actively play for a club.
• Mild summers and temperate winters, averaging a year-round 9-10 degrees Celsius (48-50 degrees Fahrenheit).
• Population: 587, 288 (1 January 2004)

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Dortmund, first mentioned in about 880AD, found its place on the map in 1152 when the legendary German emperor ‘Barbarossa’ (Frederick I Hohenstaufen) rebuilt what had been a mere village and lived there for two years. It began to flourish in the 13th century after becoming a member of the Hanseatic League. It became an Imperial Free City in 1220, i.e. under the direct rule of the Emperor as opposed to a local duke or prince – a status it maintained until 1803.

Lying at the eastern end of the Ruhr region - famous for its once prodigious deposits of coal, especially the high quality coking coal used in steel manufacture – Dortmund was back on the world stage from the mid 19th century as one of the world’s biggest industrial centers. However in 1980 its traditional industries fell into severe decline. Having in the ‘90s made yet another comeback, it is now equally prominent as a center of computer and internet technology, with well over half the population employed in commerce and service industries serving the whole North Rhine-Westphalia region.

While the 'coal, steel' part of its old reputation may have disappeared, 'beer' is alive and well. In the 1960s its beer output was second in the world only to Milwaukee, USA. While no longer the eight-brewery colossus that it was, its two consolidated and restructured breweries maintain its beer-producing distinction. And in this city of half a million, no less than 1,500 licensed premises sell the legendary 'Dortmunder Bier'.

A far cry from its nineteenth century image, about half of modern Dortmund’s urban area is green, and virtually every street gracefully tree-lined. Besides parks and gardens and a zoo, there are excellent museums and galleries, and a fair share of memorable historical buildings, churches, and monuments.

Due to extremely heavy bombing during WWII, very little remains of pre-war Dortmund other than the layout of its streets, which harks way back to its medieval days. The center of the city is unmistakably marked out by a ring of no less than seven streets all ending with the word ‘wall’ punctuated at roughly the four points of the compass by ‘tor’, or gates.

The Hauptbahnhof, i.e. Dortmund Railway Station, is just outside the ring, at about ’11 o’clock’, facing Königswall. It is one of Germany's busiest with approximately 150,000 passengers using it every day for the 130 EC, IC and ICE trains to other large cities in Germany and Europe.

The Dortmund Kongress Tourismus Service (Dortmund Tourist and Information Office) is in front of the station. (See details at bottom.)

On the corner of Freistuhl and Konigswall is a big stone memorial to the original Freistuhl which was the seat of the League of the Holy Court, or Vehmgericht. This was a secret tribunal of the middle ages with the power of life and death, headquartered in Dortmund, and in which any free man could be a lay judge. Its present location is not actually where the original Freistuhl was, as it often changed location.

The next street east along Königswall is Hansa-straße, named after the Hanseatic League that Dortmund joined in the 13th century (and of which nearby Cologne was the founding city). Here you can visit the Museum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte Dortmund (Museum for the Art and Cultural History of Dortmund) at Hansastrasse 3 (Tue,Wed,Fri,Sun 10am-5pm; Thu 10am-8pm; Sat noon-5pm). Housed in an attractive old art deco-style municipal savings bank, this is the oldest museum of its kind in the Ruhr district and tells the story of everyday life in Dortmund and the rest of Germany for the past 300 years.

Hansa-straße itself is the high fashion showcase of Dortmund’s shopping.

A short walk down it or Katharine-straße or Freistuhl will take you to the east-west running Kamp-straße. Where Kamp-straße meets Katharine-straße is the rebuilt St Petri Kirche, (Tue-Fri noon-5pm; Sat 11am-4pm) a protestant church dating from the 14th century. It is most worth visiting for its huge carved altar – known as the ‘Golden Miracle of Dortmund’ - dating from 1521 and made up of 633 gilt carved oak figures depicting 30 scenes from the Easter story.

Dortmund's shopping is one of its most modern and irresistible faces, for whatever reason you're in the city. Running parallel to and just south of Kamp-straße is Westenhellweg: the traditional heart of the city's retailing. Westenhellweg becomes Ostenhellweg a little further east from where it is bisected by Klepping-straße, offering the quiet sophistication of more trad tastes, not only in clothing but in eyewear and accessories too. For the young 'street' look go to Bruck-straße with its ultra-modern specialist shops, sportswear boutiques and salons.

Just south of where Westenhellweg intersects with Hansa-straße – just south of the taxi rank – is the big Hansa-platz square, the main open part of which which hosts a market on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The southern end has steps, a fountain, and two rows of plane trees. A Napoleonic general is said to have planted a plane tree there and during the November 1918 revolution, the wall surrounding it was used by orators to speak from, thus the tree became known as the ‘Revolutionary Tree’ – only to be cut down for that reason by the Nazis.

Just to the west of Hansa-platz is Hiroshima-platz, a memorial to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima opened in 2000. However the bronze statue ‘Mother Hiroshima’ by Anselm Treese that is the focus of the square had already been there for several years.

West of Hiroshima-platz is the Catholic Propstei-Kirche (Propstei Church) built in the Gothic style and dating from the 14th century. Originally attached to a Dominican monastery, it was destroyed in WWII and rebuilding was completed in 1956. It’s primary focus is the panels on the high altar by Derick Baegert.

Continue walking down Hansa-straße to Hiltropwall and you come to the Opera House on Synagogue Square. Completed in 1966, it stands on the site of the grand old synagogue that the Nazis destroyed in 1938. The square was renamed in 1988 to commemorate it.

A short walk east along Südwall brings you to the Stadtgarten (City Gardens), which incorporates in its southern section alongside the wall a garden for the blind that offers the extra stimuli of smell, touch and hearing in its displays.

A little north-east of the Gardens is Friedens-platz square dominated by the Peace Column in its center. Friedensplatz 1 is the address of the City Hall, opened in 1989. The old Civic Hall, dating from 1899, still stands nearby. Also on the square is the Berswordt-Halle, a community complex housing various shops and a café. The Berswordts were one of Dortmund’s wealthiest and most influential merchant families from as far back as the 13th century.

A few minutes south-east of Friedenplatz, on the Ostwall near where it meets Klepping-straße, is the Adlerturm (Eagle Tower), a watchtower from the 14th century that was rebuilt in 1992. The only difference is that now it is on stilts to allow inspection of the original foundations.

Still on Ostwall, for things cultural, keep walking west for the Museum am Ostwall (Sun, Wed, Fri 10am-5pm; Thu 10am-8pm; Sun noon-5pm) with its huge collection of mainly 20th century art, including paintings, sculptures (in the park), objets d’art, photographs and prints.

Up Klepping-straße to where it meets Westenhellweg/Ostenhellweg is the Europa Fountain. The surrounding area has several cafes ideal for relaxing in and taking in the pleasant scenery, part of which is the Vehoff House, dating from 1607 and, after being destroyed in WWII, rebuilt in the 1940s and 50s.

Nearby on the north side of Ostenhellweg is Reinoldi-Kirche (the Church of St Reinoldi), with its distinctive and elegant needle-like spire. Dating from the 13th century, this church is the main one of Dortmund and is dedicated to the city’s patron saint. The bell tower is accessible, up 207 steps, between 10am and 7pm and offers magnificent views of the city. The war-damaged bell itself now sits at ground level in front of the church as a symbol of peace.

Across from it, south of the street, is the Romanesque Marienkirch (Church of St Mary) (Protestant, in spite of its name) built between 1170 and 1200. It’s rebuilding after destruction in WWII was completed in 1959. It’s focal point is its altar, dating from 1420, featuring an exquisite by the old master Conrad von Soest. Probably the church most worth visiting if time is limited.

The church looks out west over Alter Markt square, which was the center of business transactions in the 12th century. It is still a popular meeting spot, but for more leisurely transactions and is full of lively street cafes.

Directly north of Alter Markt and across Westhellweg is the city’s oldest extant arcade, the Krüger Arcade, notable for its Art Nouveau decorations.

Dortmund’s newest building of note, opened in 2002, is its Konzerthaus Dortmund - die Philharmonie für Westfalen (Dortmund Concert Hall-Westphalia Philharmonic Hall), up Brück-straße where it meets Ludwig-straße.

Around Dortmund
Kreuzviertel
In spite of all the above being inside the boundaries of the old city walls, arguably the most happening area in Dortmund when it comes to contemporary culture and entertainment is the Kreuzviertel area. It is just south of the city center, bounded to the north by Sonnen-straße, to the south by Rheinland-damm, to the west by Lindemann- straße, and to the east by Hohe-straße (the easiest route from the city center) which Kreuz-straße branches off west from. With hundreds of bars and music venues, this is the true and thriving heart of the Dortmund after-dark scene.

Further south
Westfalenpark is south-east of the city center (U-bahn Märkischer Straße or Westfalenpark). These 70 hectares of greenery are home to the German Rose Society with its Deutsches Rosarium (National Rosarium) as well as the 212m Florian Radio and TV Tower which houses a rotating restaurant, and the Deutsches Kochbuchmuseum (German Cookery Book Museum) which aims to present the life of women in 19th century Dortmund through displays of cookery books and kitchen utensils.

Further south at Mergelteichstrasse 80 is Dortmund Zoo (Stadtbahn railway, U49 line, Hacheney station) with over 320 kinds of animals, specializing in South American species.

In the same area, adjacent and just to the north-west, is the Botanische Garten Rombergpark (Romberg Park Botanical Gardens) with their educational Schulbiologisches Zentrum (Biological Study Center) in the north-western corner.

In the opposite direction, south-east of the zoo, is the Automobil-Museum Dortmund (Motor Car Museum Dortmund), at Brandis-strase 50, (daily 11am-6pm) with a high-class restaurant (daily noon-3pm & 6-11pm).

Westfalenstadion (Westphalia Stadium) was built for the 1974 World Cup. With a crowd capacity of 83,000, it is one of Germany's largest. It boasts an undersoil heating system, sophisticated video coverage with 350 TVs placed throughout the stands – as well as two huge ones visible from anywhere in the stadium - restaurants as well as a plethora of other forms of entertainment and service. Behind the North Stand is the Borussia Museum.

North
Mahn- und Gedenk-stätte ‘Steinwache’ (‘Steinwache’ Memorial and Museum) is a former police station and Gestapo headquarters just north of the central railway station on Steinstraße 50. It hosts the permanent exhibition ‘Resistance and Persecution in Dortmund 1933-45’.

The Museum für Naturkunde, (Museum of Natural History) Münster Strasse 271 (U-bahn Fredenbaum) (Tue-Fri 9.30am-5pm; Sat, Sun, public holidays 10am-6pm; last admission 30 minutes before closing; closed Mon) is part of Berlin’s Humboldt University and has displays of over 150,000 insects, 30,000 minerals, stones and fossils, dinosaurs, and one of the biggest freshwater aquariums in the whole country, which includes even specimens from the Amazon.

West of the museum is the huge park, Dortmund’s oldest, Freizeitpark Fredenbaum with its two lakes and the ‘world’s biggest Native North American wigwam’ for the kids.

A kilometer or so south of the park is the Port of Dortmund (U-bahn Hafen) opened in 1899 and now the largest canal port in Europe. The Altes Hafenamt (Old Port Authority Building) houses an exhibition showing the port's history and its present-day role.

West
If you conuine west along Mallinckrod-straße which runs east-west just south of the port, you will reach Bövinghausen and the Zeche Zollern II/V (Zollern Colliery II/IVb), Grubenweg 5, (10 minutes walk from Dortmund-Bövinghausen station) (Tue-Sun 10am- 6pm; final admission 5.30pm). The colliery closed in 1966 but reopened in 1999 as a monument to the city’s past, and was the first industrial complex to be given the same official historical status as old churches and castles. Guided tours in English are available, but must be pre-booked.
The museum also houses the pub/restaurant, ‘Pferdestall’ (‘The Horsestable’) Tel. 231 6903236.

The Colliery forms the headquarters of the Westfalisches Industrie-museum (Westphalian Industrial Museum), made up of a total of eight such disused industrial sites from the nineteenth century. The other sites consist of two more mines, one each in nearby Witten and Bochum, the Henrichenburg ship lift-lock at Waltrop; the Henrichshutte iron and steel works in Hattingen; the Gernheim glassworks in Petershagen and a fully functioning textile museum in Bocholt that uses late nineteenth-century methods and machinery. The Lage brickworks are being restored and converted into museums.

Out in the same direction in nearby Huckarde is the Industriedenkmal Kokerei Hansa (The 'Hansa' Coking Plant - an Industrial Monument), Emscher-allee 11. From its construction in 1928 this was the focus of both Dortmund's coal and steel industry. As an eloquent tribute to the city's heavy industrial past, the coking plant, closed in 1992, has become an 'industrial monument', i.e. a classic industrial ruin delivered over to the hands of nature. Too dangerous to see much of just by wandering around, the guided tour is definitely recommended.

Just outside the Westentor and along Rheinische-straße is the Ehemalige Braustätte der Union-Brauerei (the former Union Brewery), with its distinctive letter U on the roof, built in 1927, closed in 1994, and now undergoing refurbishment.

Following Rheinische-straße way west is the suburb of Syburg with its forested park Hohensyburg. From the park’s Emperor Wilhelm Monument there are views of the River Ruhr and the River Lenne. It is also the site of the Hohensyburg Casino.

The reality of the Deutsche Arbeitsschutzausstellung der Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin (German Occupational Safety and Health Exhibition of the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) (Mon-Fri 9-noon; 1-3pm) in nearby Dorstfeld, is a far-cry from its dour name, offering a huge range of hands-on exhibitions devoted to the idea – in its various expressions - of creating future, more human workplaces.

Dortmund Tourist Office

Königswall 18a (between Katharinestr. and Freistuhl)
44137 Dortmund
Tel +49(0)231 18-999-222
Fax +49(0)231 18-999-333
Mail: info@dortmund-tourismus.de
Open daily 9am-10pm
Images of Dortmund courtesy of Dortmund Tourist Office

Getting to Dortmund

Air

Dortmund Airport (DTM): served by Air Berlin, easyJet, Hapag Lloyd, Sunexpress, LGW, Lufthansa, City Air and Czech Airlines, has connections to cities all over Europe.
From Dortmund Airport There is a direct shuttle bus (5 Euros/25 minutes) from the airport to Dortmund Central Station. Alternatively, you can take Bus no. 440 to Dortmund Hörde Stn, and then U-Bahn train U41 to the Dortmund Hauptbahnhof (Dortmund Central Station) It takes about 45 minutes. Or Bus no. 440 to Alperbeck Stn (12 mins) then train U47 to the center of town. It takes about 35 minutes.
Bus #C41 runs between Unna rail station and the airport (6.06am-10.06pm).
Taxis cost around 25 Euros for the 25-minute trip.
Mini-bus - Awomobil.de Transport & Travel Service runs mini-bus transport for groups of 8 people to your hotel and the match.

Düsseldorf International Airport (DUS): Only 60km south-west of Dortmund, Düsseldorf Airport is a viable means of getting there. Serves 90 airlines connecting to 172 destinations, the vast majority of them in Europe, but a few in America and Africa, and two in Asia (2002 statistics). There are several trains available. For train timetable information, click here and in the top line type or paste in 'duesseldorf', in line 2 'flughafen', in line 3 'dortmund', line 4 'hauptbahnhof' (i.e. central railway station), then click 'Submit' for the transport alternatives. You will be asked to specify exactly which 'duesseldorf flughafen' station you are leaving from (there are several). Click 'Submit' again, and the options will appear. The ride north-east to Dortmund generally takes about an hour and a quarter, depending on the kind of train.

Awomobil.de Transport & Travel Service for mini-bus transport for groups of 8 people to your hotel and the stadium. Mini-bus shuttle-service from Düsseldorf, Cologne, Münster and Paderborn Airports (All North Rhine Wesphalia & Ruhrgebiet).

Train

The Hauptbahnhof (Central Station), one of Europe's largest, connects to any German city and is serviced by several kinds of high speed train.
Dortmund's excellent public transport system integrates subway, buses and trams within the larger Ruhrgebiet region.

Bus/Road

Dortmund is an autobahn hub with connections to all parts of Germany via the A1, A2, A3 and A5 autobahns and other regional roads.

Car Hire

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Accommodation

Featured Hotels

Akzent Hotel Esplanade - 3-star hotel near the station
Bornstrasse 4-6 / Ecke Burgwall, Dortmund

Mercure Grand - 4-star modern hotel situated directly across from the Westfalenhallen event venue
Lindemannstrasse 88, Dortmund

Mercure Hotel Dortmund City - 3-star modern hotel located in the heart of Dortmund
Kampstrasse 35-37, Dortmund

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Eating

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Drinking

The center of town south of the main station has a number of good bars, as does the Kreuzst area. Bochum and its 'Bermuda Triangle' of bars and pubs is also within easy reach.

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Internet Cafes

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Local football teams

Borussia Dortmund or BVB (Ballspiel Verein Borussia) were founded in 1909 and were the first German side to win a European competition when they lifted the European Cup winners' Cup in 1966. They have also won the European Cup in 1997 and have been Bundesliga champions six times, the last occasion in 2002. The 60,000 capacity Westfalenstadion will undergo slight reconstruction in preparation for the 2006 World Cup.

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