Dortmund

Dortmund, Germany

Located in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of the country, modern Dortmund is vibrant and cultural, known for its good shopping, beer and football. But there is another, altogether gentler, side to this former industrial powerhouse. Dortmund has great theatres and cultural centres, a range of fascinating museums and, with half the city given over to parks and gardens, enough green areas to sooth the senses.

Population:

587,000

Currency:

Euro, € 1 = 100 cents

Emergency Numbers:

Police 110
Ambulance 115
Fire brigade 112

Opening Hours:

Shops generally hold open between 9am and 6pm (8pm). Pharmacies tend to open earlier, at 8am.
Banks and post offices have more traditional hours: most open at 8.30am, close for lunch at 1pm, reopening at 2.30pm until 4pm.
The liberalising of opening hours in Germany means that some shops will stay open much later in Dortmund and surrounding areas.

Newspapers:

Ruhr-Nachrichten (German)
Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (German)
Westfälische Rundschau (German)

The City

In the 19th century Dortmund was a smoky, sweaty and extremely prosperous city. The industrial revolution bought mines, mills and manufacturing – and jobs by the thousands. Within a century, the population grew from a paltry 4,000 to a staggering 140,000, making Dortmund the largest city in the Ruhr region. The Second World War devastated much of the city – around 70 percent of the buildings were flattened – and the 1950´s saw an intense period of rebuilding.

Much of what you see in Dortmund today was built in the last 50 years. The coking plants, mines and steel plants have gone or be turned into funky museums, while Dortmund’s citizens work in the city’s burgeoning I.T., insurance and services industries. Nor is leisure time neglected – Germans flock to Dortmund for the excellent shopping and the city has good restaurants, bars and theatres (cabaret being a particular speciality), including a superb purpose-built concert hall.

Do & See

Dortmund offers visitors a wide range of interesting museums, theatres and of course, world-class football. The city has a lively and versatile cultural life, and there are a million ways to spend your time, such as visiting the Museum of Art and Cultural History or going to the widely praised opera. There is also the brewery where you can learn more about the history of industrially brewed beer in Dortmund.

Dining

Dortmund’s traditional food is simple and hearty. Local dishes include Westphalian Grünkohl – ham and cabbage soup – and Pfefferpotthast, a stew made with peppered beef and onions. There are a number of traditional German restaurants in the centre of the city near Alter Markt and along Wallring, just outside the centre. International food is well-represented in the city, with a range to suit all tastes and budgets.

Cafes

A quick cappuccino or home-made cake in a pleasant atmosphere are the things that you need for reading your newspaper in peace and quiet or leisurely observing people. You will find some cafes around the Alter Markt (with outdoor seating in the summer time). When the weather turns to being a bit colder, there are plenty of cafes with interiors you wouldn't want to miss.