Dortmund

Introducing Dortmund

Dortmund, the largest city in the Ruhrgebiet, once built its prosperity on coal, steel and beer. These days, the mines are closed, the steel mills quiet and more Zeitgeist-compatible hi-tech industries have taken their place. Only the breweries are going as strong as ever, churning out huge quantities of delicious beer and ale, much of it for export. Trading has always been big in Dortmund, which was a major stop on the Hellweg, a medieval trading route, and a big player in the Hanseatic League. Even today, the city centre is tops for shopping. Football (soccer) is another major passion. Borussia Dortmund, the city’s Bundesliga (Germany’s first league) team, has been national champion six times, although not since the 2001–2 season. Its home base, the 67, 000-seat Westfalenstadion (now Signal-Iduna Park) was one of a dozen FIFA World Cup venues in 2006.

Last updated: Mar 2, 2009