Dortmund

The city of Dortmund is the 7th largest city in Germany and is the 34th largest in the whole of the European Union. It is situated in the Bundesland on North Rhine-Westphalia, which is in the Ruhr area. Dortmund has two rivers in it -- the Ruhr River that flows in the southern part of the city, and the smaller river Emscher that flows through the city's municipal area. Dortmund is popularly known as Westphalia's "green metropolis" because of its waterways, woodland, agriculture and green spaces.

More about the city of Dortmund

Dortmund is a social and democratic city which is led by the Lord Mayor serving as the political leader. The population of Dortmund is mostly composed of Christians and protestants where the church is led by bishops and the archbishops.

It is best to visit Dortmund during Christmas season as during this time, Dortmund sets up the so called Christmas Market which is one of the best and largest in the whole of Germany. The Dortmund Christmas market also hosts the largest Christmas tree in the world, which is actually a collection of smaller Christmas trees. The market usually opens in late November.

Just like any other cities, Dortmund proudly offers an array of scenic historical and cultural sites. Dortmund is home to famous historical churches that include the Reinoldikirche which was built during the Second World War and is also known as the "Wonder of Westphalia"; the Petrikirche, which is a protestant church built in the 14th century and contains the huge carved altar "Golden Miracle of Dortmund" and lastly, the Marienkirche, which is also a protestant church built in 1170-1200 that was rebuilt after the World War II. Dortmund also presents beautiful parks for recreation like the Signal Iduna Park which is a large soccer ground where lots of sports events are held. The Opera House which was built in 1966 is also one of the best assets of Dortmund. Moated castles like the Haus Rodenberg and the Haus Dellwig, both built in the 13th century, are magnificent sites frequently visited at Dortmund.

Dining out at Dortmund

People usually visit Dortmund not only for its churches and parks but also for its food. The people of Dortmund specialise in serving varieties of sausages. An example of a Dortmund sausage is the Mettente which is a smoked sausage that normally comes with spicy mustard. This cuisine entices the visitors to come back for more of Dortmund's local delicacies.

For foreigners and visitors, you can reach Dortmund with a choice of varying flights through the Dortmund airport when traveling by plane. You can also reach Dortmund through train via the Dortmund Central Station, also called as the Holzwickede Station. You can also travel by boat or ship to Dortmund through the Dortmund Port, the largest canal port in Europe.

The city centre of Dortmund retains the outline of a medieval city. A ring road marks the former city wall, and the Western-Osterhellweg, part of a medieval salt trading route, which is still the major street that bisects the city centre.