Dortmund

Dortmund is a city in the North Rhine-Westphalia region in Germany.

Getting there

By plane

Dortmund airport (DTM) is home of several low-cost airlines (eg. easyJet, Wizzair, Air Berlin) and serves mainly national and european travellers. There is no direct train or tram connection to the airport, however there are shuttle busses between the airport and Dortmund central station or Holzwickede Station.

• From and to Central Station: A non-stop shuttle-bus can be found opposite the main railway station. The journey lasts 25 - 30 minutes and costs €5.50 per passenger (6-14 y.o. children €2; younger children free). This bus service is not covered by a travelcard.

• via Applerbeck The 440 bus travels past Applerbeck where passengers can change to the U-bahn U47 which will go to the Hbf via the major U-bahn hub, Stadtgarten. The journey is approximately 45min. Tickets cost 2.30 or a travelcard can be used. This service runs more frequently than the shuttle bus.

• From Holzwickede Station: A bus service (1€/passenger), runs regularly about every 15 minutes between 5 a.m. and 11 p.m. Trip to the terminal building takes approx. 5 minutes.

• By taxi: currently costs around 25 Euros to the City Centre. Drivers operate on the meter, if they don't get a different taxi !

By train

Dortmund's central station (Dortmund Hauptbahnhof) is the junction of many railway lines in Germany.

• Deutsche Bahn

By car

Dortmund can be reached using the motorway (Autobahn) A1, A2, A40, A42, A44 and A45, as well as the (Bundesstraßen) B1, B54 and B236

Travelling around

Public Transport

Dortmund is part of the VRR (Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr) a cooperation of the regional transportation companies, giving easy access to public transportation in the whole Ruhr District in S-Bahn, regional trains, subways and busses.

Dortmund's central station (Dortmund Hauptbahnhof) is the junction of the national railroad system with the city subway system und the regional train system. From here you can easily get transport into the center or any suburb via subway and bus or to the neighbour cities as Bochum, Essen, Düsseldorf, Münster, Köln (Cologne), Wuppertal and the rest of Northrhine-Westphalia and Germany by different regional or national train-lines.

• Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr)

• Deutsche Bahn

See

Visit the television tower Florian. Take a ride on the H-Bahn.

• Zoo Dortmund, Mergelteichstr. 80, +49 0231/50 - 28581

• Rosarium (Deutsches Rosarium VDR), Westfalenpark - An der Buschmühle 3, Tel. +49-231-50-26100 or -26116, Fax +49-231-5026111. This rosarium has a collection of more than 3000 rose species.

• Hohensyburg Popular destination in the south of Dortmund, Ruins of the Syburg (year 1100) Vincke-Tower and a beautiful view over the Ruhr Valley from the Kaiser-Wilhelm Memorial (end of 19th century)

• Reinoldikirche* Marienkirche Churches in the city of Dortmund

Parks

• Westfalenpark

• Rombergpark

• Fredenbaumpark

Museums

• Museum of Art and Cultural History (Museum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte Dortmund) Hansastraße 3, 44137 Dortmund, Tel +49 231 50-2 55 22, Fax +49 231 50-2 55 11). The Museum building is an old art deco-style municipal savings bank. Apparently 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.

• Museum am Ostwall , Ostwall 7, Tel. +49-231-5023247, Fax +49-231-5025244. This museum hosts art objects from the 20th & 21st centuries.

• Museum of Natural History (Museum für Naturkunde) (Münsterstraße 271, Tel. +49-231-5024856, Fax +49-231-5024852.)

• German Cookery Book Museum (Deutsches Kochbuchmuseum), An der Buschmühle. Tel. +49-231-5025741.

• Steinwache’ Memorial and Museum (Mahn- und Gedenk-stätte ‘Steinwache’) (Steinstr. 50 , 44147 Dortmund, Tel +49 2 31 50-2 50 02) The former police station and Gestapo headquarters just north of the central railway station. Hosts the permanent exhibition ‘Resistance and Persecution in Dortmund 1933-45’.

Things to do

• The Christmas Market in Dortmund is one of the largest in Germany and host of the largest christmas 'tree' in the world (in fact a collection of many smaller trees). It is open from late November.

• Borussia Dortmund are former European Champions and one of Germany's top soccer clubs in the Bundesliga.

• Fan Hall Dortmund

• Westfalenhallen Dortmund

Eat

If you find yourself in a traditional pub drinking beer and you need some food to accompany your beverage it is the best idea to ask the innkeeper for a "Salzkuchen mit Mett" or a "Mettente".

The "Salzkuchen" is a bagel-like, caraway spiced roll with seasoned mincemeat and onions. The "Mettente", a smoked sausage, normally comes with spicy mustard.

Also you can eat some sausages in one of the typical "Bierhäuser" or in one of the big restaurants.

• nastraj, Leopoldstr. , 231 / 4862

• Eiskaffee Roma, Neugasse, 231 / 4863

• Mykonos, Schönstr. , 231 / 17195

• Hellas7, Alte Gasse, 231 / 4127

• Zum Goldenen Anker, Lorchheimer-Str, 231 / 22734

• Bacchus, Ringstr., 231 / 24687

• Dilo, Eichenweg, 231 / 29018

• Drei Groschen Keller, Allers Weg, 231 / 15318

• Vetter, Promenadeplatz, 231 / 7732

• Schneider, Breisacherstr. , 231 / 22514

• Golden Tweenis, Tiergarten, 231 / 23785

• Brinkhoff, Leisberg, 231 / 72

• Pamukkale Grill, Luisenstr. 36/Dudenstr., 231 / 163324 City South, Famous Döner Restaurant on the way to Westfalenhalle

Vegetarian:

• Kartoffel Lord, Gerberstraße 1 (city center), has tasty Soy-Burgers, Wraps with soy-"meat" and filled potatoes. Many vegan options as well. But beware: The sign at the entrance says "vegetarian cuisine" but the menu contains some dishes with killed sea animals. (example: "Krabben" means crabs)

Drink

Dortmund is home of some world famous breweries and you would therefore miss something if you haven't tasted at least some of its "liquid gold".

• Drink a "Stösschen" in any of the old fashioned pubs. This beer specialty is served in a small glass and can be drunk in about two draughts. The portion varies from innkeeper to innkeeper. Is best relished with a "Salzkuchen mit Mett" (see Eat)

• Caicco, Kronprinzenstr. 140, Tel./Fax +49-231-9961557.

Sleep

• Dortmund City Hotel , 02 31 477966, Silberstrasse 37-43 44137 Dortmund, Very pleasant hotel and staff. Extremely nice rooms, and central. Hostel Ruhgebiet , 8-bed-dorms from 17€, located in the Kreuzviertel, one of Dortmund's most vibrant areas with many bars and restaurants

Stadthotel Drees , 4* city hotel, friendly staff, supernice owners, reasonable prices, near to Westfalenhallen, Westfalenstadion and City

Mercure Grand Hotel Dortmund An Den Westfalenhallen (Lindemannstrasse 88, 44137 Dortmund, (+49)231/91130 ) This 4 star hotel is South of the centre (about 15 to 20 minutes walk, or around 7 Euro in a taxi) but very handy (less than 5 minutes walk) for the Westfalenhallen (Exhibition Centre) and the football stadium.

Mercure Hotel Dortmund City (Kampstrasse 35-37, 44137 Dortmund, (+49)231/58970 ) This 3 star hotel is in the centre of the city, less than 5 minutes from the main station and a few minutes from the main shopping street.

Ibis Dortmund (Märkische Strasse 73, 44141 Dortmund) This Ibis is South of the centre, around 10 to 15 minutes walk away. It is only 1km from the Westfalenhallen and the football stadium.

• Savoy Hotel, Haupstr, 231 / 1367

• Kaiserhof, Neugasse, 231 / 15451

• Carlton Hotel, Kumlbacher Str., 231 / 10855

• Hotel President, Jahnstr. , 231 / 24690

• Quality Hotel, Schönfeldstrasse , 231 / 24706

• Colour Hotel, Alter markt, 231 / 2784

• Colour Hotel, Kaulbachstrasse , 231 / 18698

• Concord, Pfaffengrund, 231 / 18897

• Hotel Union, Nymphenburgerstr., 231 / 29998

Buy

The center of the city is a shopping mile with impressive stores on everything from clothing and shoes over books and media to electronics or jewelry, stretching along the Hellweg, the Rheinoldi-Church in its center.

Around the big shopping mile the "Hellweg" are a lot of typical "Bierhäuser" and a lot of departments like Saturn, Karstadt (3), Kaufhof and C&A.

Other big Shopping Miles are in the centers of the parts of Dortmund. So a lot of them are around the Hellweg for example in Brackel or Wambel.

Cope

Dortmund Tourist and Information Office , Königswall 18a, Tel. +49-231-18999222, Fax +49-231-18999333, info@dortmund-tourismus.de

Get out

Bars

• Happy Happy Ding Dong

• Hövels Hausbrauerei (Hoher Wall 5, 44137 Dortmund, +49 231 914547) This bar is part of the local Hövels brewery, for those seeking a more authentic local watering hole. The locally brewed beers are on offer, and some great pub grub is served too.

• Limericks Irish Pub (Kampstrasse 45, 44137 Dortmund, +49 231 160175) This Irish Theme bar is a few minutes walk from the main station, literally cross the road and up the steps and you're right outside. The usual Guinness and Irish style pub grub is on offer, as well as live music at weekends. One of the livelier spots in the city.

• Lousiana

• Boomerang Australian pub.

• Sissi King Kong

• Uncle Tom's (Arneckestrasse 76, 44130 Dortmund, +49 231 4774303). Typical American furnished bar in the Kreuzviertel where you can get some of the best cocktails in town and a lot of american styled food.

Clubs

• Domicil (Hansastr.7-11, 44137 Dortmund) One of the best jazz clubs in Germany and repeatedly voted as one of the "100 best places to listen to jazz" by New York Down Beat Magazine.

• FZW

• Justin's (Markt 6-8, 44137 Dortmund) Modern styled club where you can see some celebritys from time to time.

• Keller

• Liquid Lounge (Martinstr. 10a, 44137 Dortmund, +49 231 2266501). A crossover bar/club with no admission price where the beautiful people tend to hang out. Saying that a very relaxed door policy generally means no trouble getting in. Quite small and intimate, but well worth a visit if you're into dance music. Easy to find, as it's right next door to Sixx.PM

• Nightrooms

• Hösls (Every 3rd Friday: Herbe the Party)

• Prisma

• Sixx.PM (Hövelstr., Dortmund, +49 231 16 57 454) One of the main clubs in the city, with a variety of music on offer on different nights. The owners have gone for the industrial look inside, making it very quirky ! Admission ranges from 5 to 8 Euros on standard nights.

• Spirit Rock, Metal, Heavy Metal, Pop Rock. It's got a reputation for cheap drinks like 1EUR/beer and excellent Foozball ("Kicker"). You'll meet some of the best players there.