Dortmund holidays

How to reach Dortmund

Flight time: Flights to Dortmund from London take around 1 hour 30 minutes.

Transfer time: The airport is connected with the Hauptbahnhof by airport express buses and with Holzwickede suburban station by airport shuttle buses.

Price: The AirportExpress costs around €9 for a one-way ticket. Taxis from the airport to the city centre range from €25 to €30.

Best time to visit Dortmund

This will depend on what you want to get out of your trip, as some attractions are seasonal. Also, the weather might play a part in your decision!

• April to June: Spring brings milder temperatures of around 10°C to 18°C, though expect plenty of rain, so bring a jacket. You’ll enjoy around 6–7 hours of sunshine a day.

• July to August: High season, so expect larger crowds and slightly higher accommodation prices. It’s warm and sunny, with temperatures around 22°C to 25°C. You can expect 7–9 hours of sunshine daily and limited rainfall (40–60mm).

• September to November: Cooler but still very pleasant weather, with temperatures ranging from 10°C to 20°C. This is the best time to explore Dortmund’s many cultural assets, but do expect the city's museums to be busy.

• December to March: The famous Christmas market is a winter highlight, but pack warmly as it can get quite chilly - snow is likely and temperatures drop to between 3°C and -1°C.

Practical information

• Spoken languages: German is the official language, but English is widely spoken throughout the city.

• Local habits and customs: When tipping in a café, round your bill up to the next €0.50 or €1 and give the total directly to the waiter; at restaurants, you should leave around 10 percent of the bill. When you are in a group, you should wait until everybody has their drink and only start drinking after clinking glasses. When clinking glasses, it is essential to look into each other's eyes.

• Currency: Germany uses the Euro (€), with credit and debit cards accepted in most places.

• Getting around: If you’re visiting museums outside the centre you may need to use public transport which includes trams, buses and the U-Bahn, and is integrated with neighbouring cities in the VRR regional transport network for the Ruhr. A single journey ticket on public transport costs around €2.90, and day passes are available for unlimited travel for around €7.20.

• Electricity and plug types: Dortmund uses the standard continental European two-pin plugs, so UK travellers will need an adaptor.

• Time zone: Dortmund operates on Central European Time (CET), which is 1 hour ahead of GMT.

Best things to do in Dortmund

A former free imperial city, the surviving medieval street pattern and a scattering of worthwhile sights ensure that Dortmund preserves a sense of its long history.

Viewpoints and panoramas

• Florianturm: Standing tall in Westfalenpark, the 212m-high Florianturm TV tower offers superlative views of the city and beyond.

The best districts

• Kreuzviertel: The leafy Kreuzviertel district has fantastic visual appeal, particularly around Arnecke Strasse, Vincke Platz and Liebigstrasse. Here, lovely Jugendstil facades rise above relaxed neighbourhood cafés and bars, making this a good part of town to let the pace slip.

• Nordstadt: A sprawling mix of docks, industry and close-packed 19th-century housing that has lately acquired an arty, hip overlay, with several artists’ studios and one or two interesting bars and restaurants.

Museums

• Deutsches Fussballmuseum: Celebrating all things associated with German football, not least four World Cup victories – the most recent in 2014 – and the worldwide renown of the Bundesliga, of which local favourites Borussia Dortmund are a prominent member.

• Museum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte: The eclectic and engrossing Museum for Art and Cultural History holds everything from Meissen porcelain and Tiffany glass to groovy modernist furniture by Marcel Breuer and Verner Panton.

• Museum Ostwall: An impressive collection of 20th- and 21st-century art in reverse chronological order, including everything from Joseph Beuys and works of the Fluxus movement of the 1960s to Expressionist works by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner.

Parks and gardens

• Westfalenpark: One of the largest urban parks in Germany, Westfalenpark has all kinds of attractions, not least the Deutsches Rosarium and its 2,000-plus varieties of roses.

• Rombergpark: Another vast green oasis, Rombergpark can rate botanical gardens and walking trails aplenty.

Historical monuments

• Marienkirche: The oldest of the city’s medieval churches, and though it was heavily damaged during World War II, its treasures were saved. Foremost of these is the radiant red, gold and blue Gothic altar triptych painted by local boy Conrad von Soest in 1420 and considered one of the masterpieces of German medieval art.

• Petrikirche: Its chief treasure is an extraordinary 16th-century Flemish altar originally carved for the city’s Franciscan monastery; the largest surviving Flemish altar of the period, it’s also one of the largest works of Gothic church art anywhere.

Day trips in the area

• Essen: There are many good reasons to visit Essen, chiefly the ​​Museum Folkwang, which houses superstars of French and German 19th-century art in elegant modernist premises designed by a British architect.

• Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord: Industrial heritage meets nature and science fiction at this remarkable, recycled steelworks.

Activities for families in Dortmund

Dortmund offers a surprisingly diverse number of family-friendly things to do, from industrial heritage to football and zoos.

• Industrial Heritage: Instead of bulldozing redundant industrial sites, many have been preserved in acknowledgement of their historical significance and tourist potential, such as Aquarius Wassermuseum, a splendid mock-medieval water tower housing a water-themed museum on 14 levels.

• Signal Iduna Park: For family footie fans, pay a visit to the home of Borussia Dortmund, one of most atmospheric stadiums in Europe - and if you can’t get a ticket for a game, take a tour.

• Aquariums and zoos: Home to over 1,500 animals from around the world, Dortmund Zoo is a great place for a family day out. The zoo focuses on South American species, and kids will love the interactive exhibits.

Free things to do in Dortmund

There are plenty of free things to do on your Dortmund holidays, from admiring the local street art to dancing in the open air.

• Street art: Explore the vibrant Brückstrasse Quarter, an up-and-coming neighbourhood whose walls are adorned with murals and graffiti, providing a unique cultural experience at no cost.

• Open air dancing: Yes, really! Every Friday in summer, dozens of people gather for Salsa Open Airs at Dortmund’s Westpark; everyone is welcome, regardless of whether you’re a professional or a newbie.

• Public parks: Dortmund boasts several superb green spaces, notably Westfalenpark and Rombergpark, both of which are free to enter and where you can engage in various activities at no expense.

Nature and outdoor activities in Dortmund

Dortmund has used its industrial heritage to brilliant effect, fashioning all kinds of outdoor pursuits from the region’s many redundant sites - moreover, there are fantastic walks in the nearby Sauerland region.

• Cycling: A major undertaking, this 200km of well-signposted cycle trails form the Route der Industriekultur (Industrial Heritage Trail), linking former steelworks, coal mines and slag heaps to offer a fascinating insight into the technology of heavy industry. You can rent bikes from one of the many cycle stations scattered across the region – such as Metropolradruhr.

• Watersports: Head to Lake Phoenix, a former industrial site turned scenic lake, for some water-based fun, be it paddleboarding or kayaking, or just relax by the water’s edge with a picnic.

• Hiking: Just a short drive from Dortmund, the Sauerland region is crisscrossed by a number of themed hiking trails such as the Sauerland-Höhenflug – a high-altitude route that takes in four 800m peaks – and the 240km Waldroute, which links the towns of Iserlohn, Arnsberg and Marsberg to provide a close-up view of the region’s forests and fauna.

Local dishes in Dortmund

One of the joys of holidays to Dortmund is delving into the local food, and while meat (especially sausages) dominates, there’s plenty more to enjoy. Oh, and it's also Germany’s beer capital in terms of volume.

Some typical dishes

• Westphalian ham: Known locally as “Westfälischer Schinken,” this dry-cured ham is a regional speciality, usually served with dark bread and pickles.

Meat dishes

• Saumagen: Very much an acquired taste, this is pig’s stomach stuffed with cabbage, something like a German haggis.

• Schweinshaxe: A huge crispy knuckle which could grace a medieval banqueting table, served with potato dumplings or sauerkraut.

• Wiener Schnitzel: Originating from Austria, this breaded and fried veal or pork cutlet comes with potato salad and a wedge of lemon.

Street food

• Bratwurst: The common or garden sausage, served countrywide. Varies by region but usually made of finely minced pork and marjoram.

• Brezen (Pretzels): A staple of the streets, these pretzels - covered in salt crystals - are far superior to their American counterparts.

Sweets and desserts

• Pfefferkuchen: Dortmund’s take on gingerbread is a sweet, spicy treat traditionally enjoyed during the Christmas season.

• Waffeln: German-style waffles, served warm with a dusting of powdered sugar or topped with fruit and cream.

Local drinks

• Dortmunder Export: The city is renowned for its Export beers, the finest of which is Altbier, a darker, more robust version brewed using traditional methods and with a slightly bitter taste; in summer it’s served with fruit and known as Altbierbowle.

• Ahr wines: Small wine valley south of Dortmund specialising in reds, chief amongst which is the light, sometimes elegant, Spätburgunder.