Before you jump onto the map, explore some general facts about 
the city.
You can find the city of Dortmund in the West of Germany, in the state of North-Rhine Westphalia. It is located in the Ruhr area – the most populated region in Germany. That gives you a bunch of big cities right next to each other which are easy to reach with public transit.
Dortmund is the biggest city in this region with a population of approx. 580,000. It started out as a trading town, became an important industry city with several coal mines and developed into a modern location for IT companies with supra-regional significance. In addition, it has a flourishing creativity scene which is growing and growing, opening up more and more parts of the city. A great example is the biggest Poetry Slam of the Ruhr area taking place once a month in the FZW located in the City Centre West or art exhibitions which are held in converted industrial warehouses, providing a unique atmosphere.
Or bars and clubs are taking over such places, turning them into modern spaces.
That makes night life in Dortmund rich and diverse.
I promise that you will find something for every taste! Electronic Dance Music, jazz club, opera and theater (both free for students!), what-ever-you-can-imagine or just some drinks with friends while watching Dortmund’s soccer club, the BVB, play. Because this is the big thing here. Even though you might have never been a fan of the sport, as soon as you live in Dortmund, you will be. Or will at least stay updated on the team – basically without a choice as you can hear people talk about it everywhere. Especially after a defeat. And if you then became a fan after a few weeks, a visit to the Signal Iduna Park in the City Centre West or the public training of the team in Brackel are essential.
Next to being sports-mad, Dortmund is a green city.
Therefore, it won several awards for its sustainability projects and also offers a lot of places for your own athletic activity or recreation. There is a park at every corner, several indoor pools and – yes – lakes and the Dortmund-Ems-canal where you can swim in the summer. The canal and its surrounding are personally my favourite part of the city – the harbour district in the City Centre North. Maybe that’s because I lived there and used to sunbath at the canal or because my favourite bar is here or because you can enjoy scenes like that. I don’t know.
But I know that it is the combination out of all these things that makes me love to live here as much as I do.
Now, feel free to explore the city on your own. Enjoy!
explore dortmund 