Dortmund (Low German: Düörpm; Latin: Tremonia) is a city with a population of about 600,000 in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany. It is in the middle part of the state and is considered to be the administrative, commercial and cultural centre of the Ruhr area, which has some 5.21 million inhabitants (2017). The city is famous for its beer, football, events and shopping.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
The city pops up first when people think of the Ruhr valley, and that's no surprise. It is the largest Ruhr city, the third largest by population after Cologne and Düsseldorf, and the geographical centre of the North Rhine-Westphalia state. Worldwide, the city is foremost known for beer (pale export/lager beer called Dortmunder) and the famous sports club Ballspielverein Borussia 09, Borussia Dortmund or BVB for short. But there is another gentler side to this former industrial powerhouse.
Getting around in Dortmund is easy. The centre of Dortmund is not that big for a city of half a million. It is entirely feasible to walk between both ends of the centre. Dortmund is in the VRR (Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr), a regional co-operation of local and regional transport that allows seamless transfers across cities and transport modes with the same ticket. The backbone of public transport is the Stadtbahn, a system of fast metro-style trams, that cross the city centre underground in three tunnels. These tunnels from a triangle beneath the centre, crossing at Kampstraße, Reinoldikirche and Stadtgarten stations.
1 Alter Markt. Dortmund’s marketplace for almost 900 years may have a modern aspect today, but it is still the sociable centre of the city. Up to the Second World War the town hall for the Free and Hanseatic City was located on Alter Markt. In warm weather outdoor bar and cafe seating fills the plaza and turn the square into a giant beer garden, if Borussia Dortmund plays the Alter Markt completely black and yellow. There’s a reminder of the square’s trading history at the Bläserbrunnen fountain: the horn-player stature sculpted in 1901, and the pool underneath used to be a drinking fountain for livestock. 2 Altes Stadthaus (Old Civic Hall).
1 Bergmann Kiosk, Hoher Wall 36, 44137 (at Phoenix-West next to the Skywalk), ☏ +49 231 7002590. 16:00-21:00. Exceptional location but an absolute must for every beer lover. Old and converted bus stop with charm of "the good old days". 2 Borussia Dortmund, Westfalenstadion, Strobelallee 50, ☏ +49 231 9020 6600. Die Borussen (The Prussians) play soccer in Bundesliga, Germany's top tier. Their home ground is Signal Iduna Park (Westfalenstadion), capacity 81,359, which in 2024 hosted games in the UEFA Euro Finals. It's 2 km south of city centre with its own U-bahn and regional DB stations. Stadium tours are available. (updated Jul 2024) 3 Deusenberg, Lindberghstraße 51, 44369.
Traditional meals in the region are Pfefferpotthast (kind of Goulash with a lot of beef), Balkenbrij, Heaven and Earth (Himmel und Äd; black pudding with stewed apples mixed with mashed potatoes), Currywurst and Pumpernickel with Griebenschmalz (German lard with crispy pieces of pork skin). In summer the people like to eat a Dortmunder Salzkuchen (Bread buns with caraway fruits, salt, meat and onions). Also a special meal in the winter is Reibekuchen (fried potato pancake served with apple sauce). All these are in the city centre: 1 Böckels Beste, Ostenhellweg 5. Very good German currywurst and fries. (updated May 2022) 2 Crepe-Moni, Westenhellweg 73. Offering savoury and sweet crepes.
A quick cappuccino or home-made cake in a pleasant atmosphere are things that you find around the old medieval "Wallring" 1 Kieztörtchen, Essenerstraße.12, ☏ +49 23133037302, postmaster@kieztörtchen.de. It's one of the favorite cafes of the Dortmund locals, which says a lot! €10-20. (updated Mar 2024) 2 OmaRosa, Chemnitzerstraße. 9, ☏ +49 23122388788, post@omarosa.de. The philosophy of this cafe is that everything that is homemade doesn't only taste better but it's also healthier. €20-30. (updated Mar 2024) 3 Herr Liebig Kaffeehaus, Liebigstraße.24, ☏ +49 2312223308. Bagels. If there has to be one word to describe Cafe Asemann, its just a bagel. €10-20.
Dortmund is a relatively safe and welcoming city on the whole. As it is not a big tourist destination, it does not suffer from rampant pickpocket issues. Due to the decline of its prominent heavy industries, Dortmund and most of its neighboring suburbs (Castrop-Rauxel, Waltrop, Witten) are less well-off than other major cities in Germany, and socioeconomic disparities are some of the most glaring in the country. But this has surprisingly not translated to widespread crime. Some poorer neighborhoods in the northern quarters of the city may not look appealing, but being wary of your surroundings will suffice during the day.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Dortmund typically sees ~24°C daytime highs and 19 rainy days.
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