Dortmund: Industrial Heritage, Parks and PHOENIX Lake

Water and routes through the city

From April to October, you can rent a pedal boat or rowing boat at the PHOENIX Lake harbour, even if you don’t have your own boat. You can also learn to sail at the sailing school there. This offers two different ways to enjoy the water: a trip in a rental boat or an introduction to sailing. When planning a trip, families can decide whether they’re more interested in spending time together on the water or taking a course.

The Hoesch-Hafenbahn trail offers a different perspective on Dortmund. It follows a disused railway line running between PHOENIX Lake in the south and Westfalenhütte in the north of the city. The trail is part of a regionally important north–south route for pedestrians and cyclists. If you’d like to explore Dortmund on foot or by bike, you can take this into account when planning your day. Its former use as a railway line also connects the trail to the city’s industrial history.

Green spaces and views

Westfalenpark brings together a variety of gardens and the German Rosarium. It also features creative playgrounds for children, sports facilities, family activities and educational programmes. Alongside strolling through the gardens, visitors can choose from activities and options to suit a range of interests. The Florian Tower in the park offers sweeping views over Dortmund. A visit to the gardens, time at the playground and a view from the tower can each be a focus of a visit to the park.

Rombergpark Botanical Garden offers a different experience. Its outdoor areas are open around the clock every day, and visitors can also join public or pre-booked guided tours. You can explore the garden on your own or include a guided tour in your plans. If spending time in a green space is important to you, Westfalenpark and Rombergpark each offer their own reason to visit: Westfalenpark focuses on its gardens, rosarium, play and sports facilities, and the view from the Florian Tower; Rombergpark offers outdoor areas and the option of joining a guided tour.

Industrial heritage and art

Zeche Zollern is an anchor point on the Route of Industrial Heritage and the European Route of Industrial Heritage. It bears witness to Germany’s industrial past. A particularly striking feature is the machine hall, built of steel and glass, with its stained-glass Art Nouveau entrance portal—an icon of industrial heritage. Visitors can climb the headframe, follow the path of the coal and step into the world of hard work underground. Those interested in industrial history will find both distinctive architecture and insight into the processes involved in coal production.

In the heart of Dortmund’s city centre, the Dortmunder U is a hub for art, culture and creativity. The restaurant on the top floor has an observation platform with sweeping views over the city centre. This makes the venue both a cultural destination and a viewpoint. Together with Zeche Zollern, the Dortmunder U showcases two different sides of a stay in Dortmund: art and creativity in the city centre, and industrial heritage at the former coal mine.

Choose the right accommodation for your travel interests

When choosing a holiday apartment, your preferred pace of travel may matter more than fitting in as much as possible. Think about whether you’d rather spend more time enjoying a few experiences or combine a variety of things to see and do. This way, you can plan around what matters to you on holiday.

You can also visit Eichlinghofen. You can also explore Wuppertal, Solingen, Bochum, Herne, Oberhausen, Mönchengladbach and Bottrop.

For the broader travel overview: North Rhine-Westphalia.