Duisburg, Germany | Greenwich Mean Time City of Duisburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany Duisburg Time Germany Time: Central European Time (CET) Clock showing current time now in Central European Time Zone Duisburg Map View Larger Map City of Duisburg, Germany Duisburg is a German city in the western part of the Ruhr Area in North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located in the Lowland Rhine area at the confluence of the Rhine and Ruhr rivers and near the outskirts of the Bergisches Land. The city spreads along both sides of these rivers. With the world's biggest inland harbour and its proximity to Düsseldorf International Airport, Duisburg has become an important venue for commerce and steel production. It is officially regarded as a "seaport" because sea-going river vessels go to ports in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Numerous docks are mostly located at the mouth of Ruhr river where it joins the Rhine. Duisburg hosts a comprehensive range of cultural facilities and events. A highlight is the annual "Duisburger Akzente", a festival focusing on modern social, political and cultural topics.

The city also offers a variety of architectural places of interest, ranging from old churches such as "St Johann Baptist", built in 900, to modern age buildings like Micro-Electronic-Centrum, built in 1995. Another subject of interest is the Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord, an abandoned industrial complex open to the public and an Anchor Point of The European Route of Industrial Heritage. The city also contains two botanical gardens, the Botanischer Garten Duisburg-Hamborn and the Botanischer Garten Kaiserberg. City of Duisburg, Germany official website: Rate this page Duisburg travel guide - Wikitravel Understand[ edit ] Duisburg is a German city in the western part of the Ruhr Area (Ruhrgebiet) in North Rhine-Westphalia. It is an independent metropolitan borough within Regierungsbezirk Düsseldorf. With the world's biggest inland harbor and its proximity to Düsseldorf International Airport, Duisburg has become an important venue for commerce and steel production. Today's city is a result of numerous incorporations of surrounding towns and smaller cities.

It is the twelfth-largest city in Germany and the fifth-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia with 486,800 residents as of December 2012. The city is renowned for its steel industry. There is still one coal mine in operation, but Duisburg has never been a coal-mining center to the same extent as other places in the Ruhr. All blast furnaces in the Ruhr are now located in Duisburg. 49% of all hot metal and 34.4% of all pig-iron in Germany is produced here (as of 2000). The University of Duisburg-Essen, with 33,000 students, ranks among the 10 largest German universities. By plane[ edit ] Düsseldorf International Airport ( IATA : DUS) [2] 20 km south of Duisburg is home of several airlines. Niederrhein airport, also know as Airport Weeze, is a short distance from the city. There is a regular taxi bus service or you can take the bus to Weeze train station where there is an infrequent train service to Duisburg. Ryanair offers regular flights from many European destinations.

Duisburg's central station (Duisburg Hauptbahnhof) is the main junction of regional, nationwide and international railway lines. VRR (local trains, in German) [3] Deutsche Bahn (nationwide and international trains, in English) [4] Thalys (international trains to Belgium and France, in English) [5] Get around[ edit ] It's easy to get around by Tram, U-Bahn, S-Bahn, or Bus. The easiest way to buy a ticket is at a vending-machine (wich is available at all tram and train stations). A one-way ticket is 2,60€. With such a ticket (valid for 90 minutes), you can make use of every line within Duisburg. Changing between different lines is possible with a one-way ticket, but you are only allowed to travel in one direction. There are also 24h, 48h or 72hour passes for unlimited rides available from 9€. If you buy multi trip tickets, please make sure du validate your ticket at the begin of your journey at the orange or red col coloured validation machines.

Network maps are available for download or in printed form at the DVG-Service-Center near Duisburg HBF. Public transportation is Duisburger Verkehrsgesellschaft AG [6] . Drink[ edit ][ add listing ] Duisburg is the home of the beer König Pilsener [18] . One can buy it in supermarket, kiosks and in almost every restaurant. There are two small breweries producing their own beer: Webster Brauhaus [19] and Brauhaus Urfels [20] . Both of them have restaurants too. Sinalco is a lemonade brand quite known throughout Germany - and a company situated in Duisburg. Finkenkrug, Finkenstrasse 8, 47057 Duisburg, [21] . A pub with a huge amount of beers. At least 222 different kinds from all over the world are available. You will find a lot of university students here. edit Sleep[ edit ][ add listing ] City Hostel, Friedenstraße 85, ☎ +49/203/9356362 ( info@hostel-duisburg.de ), [22] .

Dorm bed from €21. edit Jugendherberge Duisburg Sportpark, Kruppstr. 9, 47055 Duisburg, ☎ +49 203 3639960, [23] . A modern youth hostel next to Duisburg´s sports park from 29,95€. edit Air Ambulance Duisburg, | Air Medical Flight Services | Repatriation Contact Us Air Ambulance Duisburg, Germany Air Critical Care has proven itself to be the worldwide leader in air ambulance services, providing air medical flight and ground repatriation both to and from Duisburg, . Air Medical Transport Services Our first class air medical transport services include our "personal touch" which is our way of saying nothing is too much to ask. We offer complete bedside-to-bedside services, including ground ambulance transportation to and from the airports and facilities. We accept patients from the most basic level of service to critical care cases and provide medical crews who never leave their side to ensure the highest level of care for our patients and their families. ONE CALL does it all. Let us handle all your worries.

CALL 1-800-550-1025 OUR "PERSONAL TOUCH" means we take care of everything for you, just like family. FIRST-CLASS CARE is provided by Air Critical Care from bedside-to-bedside. FULLY EQUIPPED Air Fleet, Medical Professionals, Transport Coordinators, Pilots. Message from the Medical Director Dr. Blane M. Crandall Medical Director and Specialist in Internal Medicine We are extremely proud of the pioneering service we have built and wish to offer you the highest standard of care in the industry during your transport. Service Areas Duisburg - Alchetron, The Free Social Encyclopedia I Live my life to the Fullest!!! coz you know you only get one !!! Duisburg Colleges and Universities University of Duisburg-Essen, University of Duisburg, Gerhard Mercator University Points of interest Duisburg Inner Harbour, MSV-Arena, Lehmbruck Museum, German Inland Waterways Museum, Duisburg Zoo Duisburg ( ) is a German city in the western part of the Ruhr Area (Ruhrgebiet) in North Rhine-Westphalia. It is an independent metropolitan borough within Regierungsbezirk Dusseldorf.

With the worlds biggest inland harbor and its proximity to Dusseldorf International Airport, Duisburg has become an important venue for commerce and steel production. In the early Middle Ages it was a royal court of the Franks, first mentioned in writing in 883. Map of Duisburg Sponsored Links Like many other cities, todays Duisburg is a result of numerous incorporations of surrounding towns and smaller cities. It is the fifteenth-largest city in Germany and the fifth-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia with 486,855 residents at the end of 2013. The city is renowned for its steel industry. The last remaining coal mine closed down in the summer of 2009, but Duisburg has never been a coal-mining center to the same extent as other places in the Ruhr region. All blast furnaces in the Ruhr are now located in Duisburg. In 2000 49% of all hot metal and 34.4% of all pig iron in Germany was produced here. It also has a large brewery, the Konig Brauerei, located in Duisburg-Beeck, which makes the Konig Pilsener brand.

The University of Duisburg-Essen, with 39,000 students, ranks among the 10 largest German universities. Bmx guettler 2nd place tmobile playgrounds duisburg 2010 Mtb soderstrom 1st placetmobile playgrounds duisburg Geography Duisburg is located in the Lowland Rhine area at the confluence of the Rhine and Ruhr and near the outskirts of the Bergisches Land. The city spreads along both sides of these rivers. History A legend recorded by Johannes Aventinus (fl. 1525) holds that Duisburg, (along with Deutz, Cologne, Duisdorf in Bonn, and Doesburg in the Netherlands, all on the Rhines right bank) was built by the namesake Tuisto, mythical progenitor of Germans, ca. 2395 BC. There is nothing to establish any historical basis for such an early founding of Duisburg, which would make it among the earliest cities in Europe. Culture Duisburg hosts a comprehensive range of cultural facilities and events. A highlight is the annual "Duisburger Akzente" [1], a festival focusing on modern social, political and cultural topics.

Sponsored Links Besides Dusseldorf Duisburg is a residence of the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, one of the major opera houses in Germany. The Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra is one of Germanys orchestras with an international reputation. Thanks to its history as a harbor city and a trade and industrial center Duisburg offers a variety of architectural places of interest, such as the German Inland Waterways Museum. The spectrum goes from old churches such as "St Johann Baptist" in Duisburg-Hamborn, which was built in 900, to modern age buildings like Micro-Electronic-Centrum in Duisburg-Neudorf, built in 1995. Another subject of interest is the Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord an abandoned industrial complex open to the public and an Anchor Point of ERIH, The European Route of Industrial Heritage. The city center locates the Wilhelm Lehmbruck Museum, the municipal theatre [2] and the shopping street known as "fountain mile". The city also contains two botanical gardens, the Botanischer Garten Duisburg-Hamborn and the Botanischer Garten Kaiserberg, as well as a number of municipal parks.

On 24 July 2010, 21 people were killed and hundreds injured in the city during the Love Parade, an electronic music procession and party. Street food festival schlemmen bis der arzt kommt References Duisburg – Travel guide at Wikivoyage Understand[ edit ] Tiger & Turtle—Magic Mountain landscape sculpture, a more recent landmark of Duisburg Contemporary Duisburg is a result of numerous incorporations of surrounding towns and smaller cities. It is the twelfth-largest city in Germany and the fifth-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia. The core city was founded in the 5th century AD as a marketplace on the Westphalian Hellweg traderoute, a ford on the river Rhine and the border between the Frankish Empire and the Duchy of Saxons. Around 740 it became one of several royal courts of Francia, it was first mentioned in a chronicle dated 883 AD as one of the Rhenish places conquered by Normans . 16th-century cartographer Gerardus Mercator, creator of seminal globes and atlases as well as the Mercator projection still used in modern world maps, lived, worked and tought in Duisburg for forty years.

Since the late-19th century, the city is renowned for its steel industry, being Central Europe's leading site in this sector. All seven blast furnaces in the Ruhr are now located in Duisburg, producing half of the pig iron and a third of the crude steel made in Germany. Coal-mining, on the other hand, has never played the big role it had in other places on the Ruhr. As Germany's heavy industries have lost importance since the mid-20th century (due to the rise of plastics and relocation of production to low-wage countries), Duisburg had to go through a major structural transformation, losing 10,000s of jobs in the steel mills while creating new ones in the services and logistics sectors. Duisburg-Ruhrort, on the confluence of rivers Ruhr and Rhine, has long been and still is Europe's biggest inland harbour. It has successfully kept up with the times, replacing its facilities for break bulk and dry bulk cargo in favour of container shipping and modern logistics infrastructure as well as minimising the average laytime of ships from more than a day to only a few hours.

Duisburg also aims to be the terminal of a "New Silk Road ", offering direct freight train links from China. The University of Duisburg-Essen, with 42,000 students, ranks among the 10 largest German universities. By plane[ edit ] Düsseldorf International Airport ( IATA : DUS) is just 20 km south of Duisburg. Take the SkyTrain people mover to the airport's long-distance train station and board any regional train going northwards - Duisburg Hauptbahnhof is the immediate next station, the trains take under 10 minutes to get there. You can also take the S1 S-Bahn train, with several stops on the way, taking c.a. 20 minutes. The journey is covered by the B-level fare of the local public transportation authority, VBB. Frankfurt Airport ( IATA : FRA) is Germany's busiest airport with a wealth of short-haul and intercontinental connections. Direct high-speed trains take you from Frankfurt Airport to Duisburg Hauptbahnhof in c.a. 1.5h, departing frequently in daytime.

Tickets can be had for EUR 29 if booked in advance with Deutsche Bahn, passengers of many airlines serving Frankfurt Airport can also take advantage of the Rail&Fly offer. Dortmund Airport ( IATA : DTM) to the east of Duisburg sees some regular service from several European airlines. To get to Duisburg, take the Airport Express bus (25 mins, EUR 8.50 one way) and change to a Duisburg-bound train at Dortmund Hauptbahnhof. There are multiple trains every hour between both cities, including high-speed ICE and regional RE trains - both take between 30-40 minutes to cover the distance. The low-fare airline Ryanair flies from some European destinations to Niederrhein Airport Weeze ( IATA : NRN) northwest of Duisburg, near the Dutch border. The only practical way to get from there to Duisburg is by ordering a minibus airport transfer, as there is no direct train connection. Duisburg Hauptbahnhof By train[ edit ] 51.43 6.7725 1 Duisburg Hauptbahnhof (central station) is the main junction of regional, nationwide and international railway lines.

Deutsche Bahn offers hourly ICE high-speed trains from Berlin (under 4 hours), Hanover (2:15), Munich (5 hours) and Frankfurt (1:45). Moreover there are two-hourly ICEs from Amsterdam (2 hours), Stuttgart (under 3 hours), as well as intercity trains from Hamburg (3½ hours) and Bremen (2½ hours). Four times a day, the Thalys from Paris (4 hours) and Bruxelles (2½ hours) stops in Duisburg. Moreover there is a wide range of frequently running local trains linking Duisburg with other cities in the Rhine-Ruhr region ( VRR network ), e.g. from Essen in 10–15 minutes, Düsseldorf in 15 minutes, Dortmund in 35–40 minutes. By car[ edit ] Duisburg is part of the Ruhr's very dense Autobahn network (located on the junctions of A3, A40, A42 and A59), which is however prone to traffic jams.

See[ edit ] Inner Harbour (Innenhafen) with Museum Küppersmühle (left), Werhahnmühle (centre) and Explorado children's museum (right) 51.43583 6.76083 1 Salvatorkirche (Church of Our Saviour), Burgplatz (Tram 901 "Rathaus" or bus 929, 933 "Schwanentor"). Duisburg's oldest church. A church has existed at this place since the 9th century, then being part of the Frankish royal court. It was rebuilt after burning down in the 13th century, the current Gothic-style building commissioned by the Order of Teutonic Knights being completed in 1415. (updated Oct 2016) 51.43539 6.7613 2 Rathaus (City hall), Burgplatz 19 (opposite the Salvatorkirche). Located at the exact place of the former royal court, the present Renaissance revival building from 1902 has replaced several predecessor buildings.

In front of it stands the 19th-century Mercator well, dedicated to the famous cartographer, one of the gratest Duisburgers of all times. (updated Oct 2016) Old Market archaeological zone, Alter Markt (behind the city hall). Findings from the earliest stages of Duisburg's history (updated Oct 2016) 51.43722 6.76139 3 Museum of Cultural and Local History (Kultur- und Stadthistorisches Museum Duisburg), Johannes-Corputius-Platz 1 (Tram 901, bus 929 or 933 "Schwanentor"). Monday: closed. Includes also the Mercator Treasury (a collection of globes an maps made by Gerhard Mercator, the inventor of the atlas) and a museum on the city of Königsberg.

51.46 6.73 4 German Inland Waterways Museum (Museum der Deutschen Binnenschifffahrt), Apostelstraße 84 (Train "Duisburg-Ruhrort", tram 901 "Ruhrort Bahnhof" or bus 907 "Binnenschifffahrtsmuseum"), ☎ +49 203 80889-40 , e-mail: service@binnenschifffahrtsmuseum.de . Tue-Sun 10AM-5PM. Located in Europe's biggest inland harbour, the museum informs about the history and present of inland navigation, illustrated by several museum ships. 51.43028 6.76611 5 Lehmbruck Museum , Friedrich-Wilhelm-Straße 40/Düsseldorfer Str.

51 (Kant-Park; 750 m from main station; bus 912, 921, 923, 924, 926, 929, 937, 939, 944, SB10, SB30 "Lehmbruck Museum"). Tue-Fri 12PM-5PM, Sat-Sun 11AM-5PM. Internationally reknowned collection of modern and contemporary art, especially statuary and sculptures. Admission €9, reduced €5. 51.44111 6.775 6 Museum Küppersmühle , Philosophenweg 55 (at the inner harbour; bus 934 "Hansegracht"). Centre for modern and contemporary art in a former brick warehouse at the inner harbour.

51.440549 6.770668 7 Explorado Children's Museum , Philosophenweg 23-25 (At the inner harbour; bus 934 "Hansegracht"), ☎ +49 203 29823340 . Tue-Thu 9AM-6PM, Fri-Sun and public holidays 10AM-7PM. Huge children's museum with a "hands on—hearts on—mind on" concept, primarily designed for children aged four to twelve. There is a mix of fun activities, physical training and (subtle) learning on the history of grain processing in the inner harbour, archeology, building, communication and media. For younger children there is a pirate-themed area. Day ticket €16.50, reduced €12.50, afternoon ticket (Tue-Thu after 3PM, Fri after 4PM) or miniticket (one hour) €5, children under 4 years free.

51.43528 6.80528 8 Zoo Duisburg , Mülheimer Straße 273 (Tram 901, Bus 924 or 933 "Zoo"). Great collection of primates, dolphinarium and koala bears. Botanical Garden Kaiserberg, Schweizer Straße 24 (Bus 937 "Botanischer Garten"). 51.48707 6.76684 9 Botanical Garden Hamborn, Fürst-Pückler-Straße 18 (Bus 908, 910, 917 "St.-Johannes-Hospital"). 51.48028 6.78 10 Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord (LaPaDu) (Tram 901, Bus 906 or 910 "Landschaftspark Nord"). Former ironworks complex which has been transformed to a park.

Discover the cultural heritage of the Ruhr area [1] 51.37556 6.73803 11 Tiger & Turtle, Heinrich-Hildebrand-Höhe, Angerpark, Duisburg-Angerhausen (Tram 903 "Tiger & Turtle"). Every day and night. Landmark and huge sculpture created during the 2010 Capital of Culture period of the Ruhr. It looks a lot like a rollercoster, but has no carts, instead you may walk on it. Illuminated at night. Free. (updated Oct 2016) 51.50944 6.75389 12 DİTİB Merkez Mosque, Duisburg-Marxloh, Warbruckstraße 51 (Tram 903 "Heckmann" or bus 919 "Warbruckstr."). Completed in 2008, held in a traditional Ottoman style, with 1200 places one of the largest mosques in Germany. In addition to being a house of worship, it also hosts a centre for encounter as well as a library and archive of Islamic documents.

(updated Oct 2016) Dragonboat racing on the Innenhafen Do[ edit ] Theater Duisburg, housing the Deutsche Oper am Rhein (opera) and Duisburg Philharmonic Orchestra Boat trips on Duisport (Weisse Flotte Duisburg), "Schifferbörse" pier, Duisburg-Ruhrort, Gustav-Sander-Platz 1 (Tram 901, bus 905, 907, 911, 925 or 929 "Friedrichsplatz"). Europe's largest inland harbour. 51.434863 6.770727 1 Duisburg Opera (Deutsche Oper am Rhein), Neckarstraße 1 (Bus 934 "Stadttheater"). Eat[ edit ] Poukhoun, Heerstraße 256 (Bus 937, 944 "Bethesda-Krankenhaus"), ☎ +49 203 72999533 . An inexpensive Laotian restaurant in a residential district that has had enough rave reviews to merit taking reservations.

(updated May 2015) Mongo's , Philosophenweg 17-18 (At the inner harbour; bus 934 or night bus NE4 "Hansegracht"). A Mongolian buffet restaurant - and a part of a bustling chain thereof to boot! - is perhaps the last thing you expect in Duesseldorf, but the terrace overlooking the Innenhafen and simply good food make it a pleasant surprise. (updated May 2015) Enoteca La Trattoria , Friedrich-Wilhelm-Platz 2 (Tram U79 or 903 "Steinsche Gasse" or bus 923, 924, 926, 929, 937, 939, SB10, SB30 or night bus NE1, NE2, NE4 "Friedrich-Wilhelm-Platz"). An Italian restaurant with a sizeable wine cellar, popular with local businessmen and well-to-do, many of whom grew to be friends with its host, Massimo.

(updated May 2015) Drink[ edit ] Duisburg is the home of König Pilsener (KöPi), one of Germany's best-selling mainstream beers. One can buy it in supermarket, kiosks and in almost every restaurant. There are two small breweries producing their own beer: Webster Brauhaus and Brauhaus Urfels . Both of them have restaurants too. Sinalco, a lemonade brand quite known throughout Germany (claiming to be the oldest brand of carbonated soft drinks in Europe) is produced in Duisburg. Finkenkrug , Sternbuschweg 71. Home to over 222 varieties of beer from all over the world.

(updated Nov 2016) Go next[ edit ] Mülheim an der Ruhr , 10 km to the east, the cities are effectively grown into each other (5 minutes by train) Oberhausen , 12 km to the northeast, the cities are effectively grown into each other (5 minutes by train) Essen , 20 km to the east (10–15 minutes by train) Krefeld , 20 km to the southwest (15–25 minutes by train) Düsseldorf , 25 km to the south (15 minutes by train) This city travel guide to Duisburg is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page . Map of Duisburg - Duisburg Map Search Engine Map of Duisburg World Map Finder, Map of Duisburg. The best web resource for Map of Duisburg. World Map Finder - helping you find your way. Duisburg Duisburg is a German city in the western part of the Ruhr Area (Ruhrgebiet) in North Rhine-Westphalia.

It is an independent metropolitan borough within Regierungsbezirk Düsseldorf. With the world's biggest inland harbour and its proximity to Düsseldorf International Airport, Duisburg has become an important venue for commerce and steel production. Today's city is a result of numerous incorporations of surrounding towns and smaller cities. It is the fifteenth-largest city in Germany and the fifth-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia with 488,218 residents as of the end of 2010. The city is renowned for its steel industry. The last remaining coal mine closed down in the summer of 2009, but Duisburg has never been a coal-mining centre to the same extent as other places in the Ruhr region. All blast furnaces in the Ruhr are now located in Duisburg. 49% of all hot metal and 34.4% of all pig-iron in Germany is produced here (as of 2000). It also has a large brewery, the König Brauerei, located in Duisburg-Beeck, which makes the König Pilsener brand.

The University of Duisburg-Essen, with 37,000 students, ranks among the 10 largest German universities. Ruhr travel guide - Wikitravel Talk[ edit ] The pronounced Ruhr dialect of the 20th century is generally disliked and hardly spoken. The openness of the people of the region is shaping now a new dialect, which was enriched by linguistic and grammatical elements of its immigrants from 167 nations. Only some people understand English. You will have fewer problems if you are able to communicate in German . Communication in English is possible if you ask the next person if the first one does not understand you. In some areas, you will find a lot of people able to talk Turkish , Polish or Russian . Other languages are not very common. By plane[ edit ] Düsseldorf international (DUS) [2] Düsseldorf has excellent highway connections. By car, you can be inside the Ruhr Area in about 15 minutes. Or take the train. The airport has two stations. Take the S-Bahn from the terminal station to Düsseldorf main station and from there the Regional-Express towards Duisburg.

Or use the overhead railway 'Skytrain' to get to long-distance station (about five minutes) and from there the Regional-Express towards Duisburg. For early morning departures, a direct RegionalExpress train runs from the Ruhr area to Düsseldorf Flughafen Terminal station. Airport Dortmund (DTM) [3] Shuttle buses to Dortmund main railway station and Holzwickede railway station. Public transport buses towards Unna and Dortmund-Aplerbeck Stadtbahn station. Airport Weeze-Niederrhein (NRN) [4] Public transport bus towards Duisburg and Essen. By train[ edit ] The cities of Duisburg, Mühlheim (note that not all trains stop here), Essen, Bochum, Dortmund and Hamm are situated on the main south-north route and are therefore often served by long-distance trains. From there, there is a sufficient network of commuter trains and subways into other cities in the Ruhr. By car[ edit ] Highways lead to the Ruhr from all directions. In the north-south direction, the A1 (Hamburg-Cologne) leads through the eastern Ruhr area.

The A3 (Arnhem-Cologne-Frankfurt) opens to the west part and Oberhausen and Duisburg. In east-west direction, the A2 (Oberhausen-Hannover) runs through the northern part of the Ruhr. The central and southern area around Duisburg, Essen and Dortmund is accessible from the A40 (Ruhrschnellweg). East of Dortmund, the A40 changes its name to A44. Directly from the north, crossing the Münsterland, the A31 leads to the center of the region, from the south the A45 (Sauerland line) leads the Ruhr.There are numerous other highways which run through the different regions of the Ruhr. Get around[ edit ] In general inside the big cities public transport is well developed and faster than going by car. But outside the car is often the better choice. Public Transport[ edit ] Since most cities have their separate transport association, coordination is not always the best.

But they are all linked together including trains like S-Bahn and Regionals-Express by Verkehrsverbund Rhein Ruhr (VRR) and Tarifraum Münsterland/Ruhr-Lippe (VRL) at the eastern limits. Look for tarifs and timetables there. Within a city use bus, tram or underground. Many lines cross city limits several times during their route, this is common and should not be considered alarming. Since most cities in the region blend into one another, traveling across cities is possible but slow. However riding a bus or tram can give you insights you will get nowhere else. If you are short on time, use the S-Bahn or Regional-Express. These are trains, and you will have to get to the nearest station. They all have the same pricing system so that the tickets are valid for all vehicles within the borderlines of the VRR on one hand and VRL on the other hand. For change from VRR to VRL and vice versa exists special conditions. Refer to the internet sites or contact one of the information offices of the organisations.

Generally, onesingle tickets are quite expensive, usually cheaper are day tickets, group tickets, family tickets or for longer stays, tickets with a monthly pass. There are 5 fare levels. As a rule of thumb: if you travel 3-4 bus stops or 1.5 km (different rules for each city) you need level K, for travelling within one city or two adjacent suburbs you need level A, for a ride to the next neighbour city fare level B is needed, if you transit to a neighbour city of a neighbour city use level C, and level D is for rides to any location within the area of VRR. You can obtain tickets from the customer offices of the local transport association, from the ticket-machines at the subway stations, from ticket machines within the trams, from bus drivers and from designated kiosks. The surface of the ticket machines can be switched to several languages, english is always among them. If there is a ticket machine at a station, it is usually not possible to buy a ticket within the vehicle. Even if you just enter the platforms of a subway station without holding a valid (stamped) ticket, you may be fined. Tickets are rarely checked on platforms.

Since tickets are not stamped when bought, you have to do it by yourself before entering a vehicle. The orange stamp boxes are located at the entrance of the platforms of subway and trains and within trams and busses. If you depart from a station without being able to buy tickets and without a ticket machine onboard the train, you need to ask the conductor or, if there is none, the driver what to do. By taxi[ edit ] Going by taxi is quite expensive. Calculate a price of about 1.60€/km plus a onetime charge from the approach. By car[ edit ] The sometimes very long distances let rise the idea to head for the desired goals by car. You can do so, the road network is consistently good, the orientation due to the numerous places and highways difficult. Avoid the rush hour, which is not so shaped as you might be expect by experience with other cities but more extended to the early morning and late afternoon. All highways are very prone to traffic jam.

This is particularly true for the A1 around Dortmund, the A3 between Dusseldorf and Oberhausen, the A40 along the entire length between Duisburg and Dortmund, the A42 between Oberhausen and Herne and the A43, between Bochum and Recklinghausen. By 2010, the A40, between Bochum and Gelsenkirchen will be expanded, which means additional risk of traffic jam. But this highway should be avoided anyway. The better alternative is the A2 or change to bus and train. Only the major traffic jams will be reported during rush hours in the radio program of WDR, information about all jams is available on medium wave 720 KHz. Those who are familiar with the road network can avoid some congestion. Jam forecasts for the next hour with great accuracy is available from road NRW. There, long-term forecasts as well as a travel time calculator are offered, which is very useful for travel planning. Parking garages you will find in adequate number inside the cities, but mind the opening hours. Some close at late evening. By bicycle[ edit ] The Ruhr is not a good spot for cyclists.

In the northern part, the situation is perhaps a little better because of the spirit of the Münsterland region nearby than in the southern part, which is quite mountainous. But there are exceptions. The Ruhr Regional Association is buying disused industrial railway lines and converts them to cycle paths. If your target is beside such trails the bike is an opportunity on fine days. But remember, even the core of the Ruhr is 50 km long and the sights are spread over the entire area, in contrast to classical capitals. A list of routes can be found at item “sport”.

Bochum : Eisenbahnmuseum (Railway Museum) - one of the biggest of its kind Dortmund : Zeche Zollern (Mine Zollern) - a mine with the sharpe of a palace Duisburg Inner Harbour - from industrial plant to an fascinating residential and leisure quarter Duisburg : Binnenschifffahrtsmuseum (Inland Waterway Museum) - all about inland water transport Duisburg : Landschaftspark (Landscape Park) - the steel plant Meiderich as a park, highlight is the accessible furnace Essen : old synagogue - an exhibition about jewish life and culture Essen : Villa Hügel - the palace of the family Krupp Hagen : Hohenhof - the villa of the Hagener Impulse, an ensemble of art nouveau Hamm : Tamil Temple Sri Kamadchi Ampal Marl : Chemiepark - the superlative chemistry set Mülheim an der Ruhr : Aquarius - an exhibition about water with lots of hands on activities Oberhausen : Centro/neue Mitte (new center) and Gasometer (Gas-Tank) - most modern shopping center and largest exhibition hall Industrial Heritage Trail[ edit ] The most interesting sites of the industrial heritage are combined under the keyword Industrial Heritage Trail [6] .

The is a fine brochure which you can download as a pdf-file here . Objects[ edit ] Zeche Zollverein [7] and Red-Dot-Museum. Colliery Zollverein, World Heritage Site, has become a symbol of the structural transformation. See that functional architecture can also be beautiful. There is also an information office for the Ruhr Area and the Industrial Heritage Trail.

Open (Information Office) (April-Oktober) daily 10-19.00, (November-March) daily 10-17.00, fridays till 19.00, Gelsenkirchener Straße 181, 45309 Essen, Tel: 0201 83036 - 36, free entrance, guided tours are charged Gasometer Oberhausen [8] Europe's largest disc-type gas holder (117 m high) has been converted into an extraordinary exhibition hall Open Tue-Sun, holidays 10-18.00, Arenastraße 11, 46047 Oberhausen (Neue Mitte), Tel: +49 208 850 37 30 Mine Zollern [9] in Dortmund is a large old coal mine in the art nouveau style. A mine like a palace.

Open Tue-Sun, holidays: 10-18.00, Grubenweg 5, 44388 Dortmund (suburb Bövinghausen), Tel: 0231 6961-111 Characteristic for The Ruhr are Workers Settlements and Rock Dumps. Between 1850 and 1900, the population of Bochum increased from about 4500 to 100,000 by immigration. It would be absolutely impossible to offer enough living space and infra structure by the commune. In order to avoid slums, companies began to erect settlements, supermarkets and hospitals for their employees aside their grounds. Even if the companies knew to combine this with their own benefits, it was also a social act. It prevented ghettos and poverty. The living conditions in those settlements was above the standard of that times. Often build in the style of a garden city they are preferred quarters today. The most interesting settlements are the following: Workers Settlements[ edit ] Miners settlement Dahlhauser Heide Eisenheim in Oberhausen was founded in 1846 for the workers of steel plant Gutehoffnungshütte.

The still remainingt 38 houses are the oldest workers settlement at the Ruhr. Margarethenhöhe in Essen is the best known and and probably nicest settlement at the Ruhr. It bases on a foundation of Margarethe Kupp as a garden city ba plans of architectc Georg Metzendorf. Dahlhauser Heide in Bochum -Hordel: certainly the showcase mine of Krupp needed a adequate settlements for its workers. The settlement Dahlhauser Heide, the name was given by a former estate, was built from 1907 to 1915 in a style of a garden city. Settlement Teutoburgia in Herne -Börnig, is traeted as one of the nicest garden cities at the Ruhr. The variation of only 4 different types of houses resulted in a very diversified ensemble. It was built in 1909 to 1923 for the employees of mine Teutoburgia. Rock Dumps[ edit ] With increasing degree of mechanisation of mining the part of unusable rocks brought to daylight increased. Onla a part of them could used to fill those given up galleries underground.

The rest was dumped to sometimes to considerable hills. Within the flat landscape of the northern Ruhr they form a apparent skyline. Most of the dumps are opened for public now. Dump Haniel in Bottrop is with its 160 m one of the highest dumps. The peak bears a crux made by guide rails, which is the end of a Via Dolorosa. Elements of mining technology form the 15 stations of the Via Dolorosa, copper plates designed by the artist Tisa von Schulenburg - also known as nun Paula - connect to religios topics and the Good Friday procession here in industrial surrounding has a long tradition. Also beneath the peak you will find a amphitheater with 800 seats, called the Mountain Arena. It is stage for some theater-plays and events. And last not least the dump bears an installation of the spanish sculptor Agustin Ibarrola. Its name is „Totems“ and it consists of 100 railroad ties. It forms a link between the industrial ambiente and nature. The Dump of Mine Prosper in Bottrop , about 90 m, with the Tetraeder, a accessable framework of steel tubes of 60 m high.

Here you can experience whether you a really free from giddiness. But from top the panorama is grand. At nighttime the Tetraeder is illuminated and forms a visible landmark. Hoppenbruch in Herten , has a level of 70 m. This dump is opened for public since many years, its trees and vegetation are rown up to goody hight. So you can walk on fine tracks or small pathes to the peak, which are two of them. On the northern one you will find a windmill and a lot of plates giving some information about wind. Also mountain bikers like this dump for training. Location: map . Hoheward in Herten has with 150 m a respectable level. It is situated right hand to Hoppenbruch, together they form the most extended dump scenery in Europ. The eastern part is opend for public. The plateau bears the season observation plant. As of January 2010, the plateau is accessible, but not open to the public. Even without the observatory there is a stagering view of the surrounding cities. They also plan to build a open air stage with catering in 2009.

And they think about the realisation of a "sky lake". Dump Großes Holz (big forrest) in Kamen Palaces and Castles[ edit ] The former house of the industrial family Krupp Villa Hügel (in english: "House Hügel") is situated in a pitoresque hillside above lake Baldeney. What Alfred Krupp called a country estate is in fact the "Buckingham Palace of the Ruhr". Open: the park is open daily from 8.00 to 20.00, the estate is open daily apart from Mondays from 10.00 to 18.00, Villa Hügel, 45133 Essen, Phone: + 49-(0)201-61-62-90, Technical Museums[ edit ] German Mining Museum Bochum in Bochum , one of the largest of its kind.

Open Tue-Fri: 8.30 - 17.00, Sundays, Saturdays and holidays: 10.00 - 17.00, Am Bergbaumuseum 28, 44791 Bochum German Railway Museum Bochum in Bochum's suburb Dahlhausen. Open from March till mid od November, Tue-Fri and Sun: 10-17.00, Dr.-C.-Otto-Straße 191, 44879 Bochum The Museum of Heavy Industry [10] in Oberhausen presents an overview of heavy industry at the Ruhr. Open Tue-Sun: 10-17.00, Hansastraße 20, 46049 Oberhausen Deutsche Arbeitsschutz Ausstellung (DASA) [11] in Dortmund. In spite of the name German Occupational Safte and Health Exebition it is a very interesting museum dealing with many branches of work with a lot of hands-on activities.

Open Tue-Sat: 9-17.00, Sundays: 10-17.00 charge 3 €, Friedrich-Henkel-Weg 1-25. 44149 Dortmund Open air museum of craftmanship [12] in Hagen. Over 60 crafts and trades of a period from the late 18th century to the end of the 19th century are presented. You can watch working methods in action inside a lot of authentic buildings that strech over a lovely hillside. Open from April to the end of October, Tue-Sun: 9-18.00, Mäckingerbachtal, 58091 Hagen The Muttental [13] a nice valley within a forrest near Witten (Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis) presents equipments and galleries from the beginning of mining. Open every time, free entrance Art[ edit ] Worth seeing are the changing exhibitions in the Folkwang Museum in Essen.

Open Tue-Sun: 10-18.00, Kahrstraße 16, 45128 Essen, Phone: +49 (0)201 8845301 The Museum am Ostwall [14] in [Dortmund] is dedicated to arts of the 20th and 21st century. open Tue, Wed, Fri, Sun 10-17.00, Thu 10-20.00, Sat 12-17.00, Ostwall 7, 44122 Dortmund Tamil Tempel Sri Kamadchi Ampal in Hamm web , Open outside of servie times, free entrance Zoos, Gardens and Parks[ edit ] A special kind of zoo is Zoom Erlebniswelt [15] in Gelsenkirchen , it is imitating the natural surrounding of the animals. The Chinese Garden [16] in Bochum is the only one in south chinese style. It is situated inside the botanic garden of the Ruhr University.

Open (April–September) 9:00-18:00, (October-March)9:00-16:00, free. Theatre, Musicals[ edit ] The municipal Theatre in Bochum has an excellet repution. A lot of private Theatres in all cities offer excellent shows. Ask at the tourist offices of the cities for addresses and shows. Musical Starlight Express [20] in Bochum is amoung the most successful musicals worldwide. Visit Colosseum Theatre [21] in Essen. It is a former production hall with an wonderful industrial ambiente. The play and concert festival Ruhr Triennale [22] offers a wide range of events spread all over the region. Another example for the re-use of a former industrial building is the Jahrhunderhalle (Hall of the Century) in Bochum - one of the most extraordinary stages worldwide. Festivals[ edit ] Every year at the first weekend of summer schoolout starts Bochum Total [23] . For 4 days the city turns into a stage for rock music.

Sport[ edit ] In May the Ruhr Marathon [24] takes place with about 20.000 athletes and 100.000 viewers. You must have seen it. Football/soccer is the most popular sport in the region. Every town has several pitches and in the summer there are few grassy areas not used for playing. The Ruhr also has several professional football teams, creating at times an intense rivalry. The most intense is between supporters of Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04. As a rule of thumb you should avoid wearing football jersies in blue and white in Dortmund and yellow and black in Gelsenkirchen. The rivalry between these two teams rarely turns into violence, but the atmosphere can get a bit hostile, especially if you don't understand the people. Bochum, Oberhausen and Duisburg also have professional teams, but these are considered non-contenders by supporters of the two big teams. Matchdays are between Friday and Sunday and can lead to heavy traffic at the roads and public transport. You should behave like the locals and avoid the playing cities on match day unless you have tickets for the match.

Excellent conditions for cycling offer the Ruhrtalradweg [25] with a length of about 230 kilometers through rural regions, the Emscher Radweg leads 225 km beside river Emscher and Rhein-Herne-Canal through industrial panorama. For short trips Lake Kemnade and Lake Baldeney (not at the weekend) as well as the Ore-Route (Erzbahntrasse - without any crossing) from Bochum Westpark to river Emscher with connection (from October 2008) to Emscher-Route and Kray-Wanner-Route (5 street-crossings) from Colliery Zollverein towards to the city of Wanne-Eickel with connection to Ore-Route. Both routes offer an excellent view on industry surroundings, settlements and suburbs. Inline scating you can do very well around Lake Kemnade (910 km) at the southern limits of Bochum and Lake Baldeney (16 km) at the southern limits of Essen. But avoid to visit this locations at the weekend - it will be too crowded.

For jogging, the routes above are very suitable but also there are Nordsternpark at Gelsenkirchen, Gyserberg-Park at Herne and Rombergpark at Dortmund (for all of them entry admission free) Shopping[ edit ] Characteristic for the Ruhr are lots of kiosks in the suburbs, smallest shops for nearly erverything. Opened mainly from afternoon till late night they act also as a communication spot for the neighborhood. The city centers of Duisburg, Essen, Bochum und Dortmund offer excellent shopping conditions. Popular shopping centers are Centro [26] at Oberhausen, Rhein-Ruhr-Zentrum [27] at Mülheim, Limbecker Platz [28] in Essen and Ruhr Park Bochum [29] . But the centers of the major cities offer also best shopping conditions. Restaurants[ edit ] The traditional Ruhr cuisine has died out. Today it is mainly an international cuisine with influences from Westphalia and Rhineland as well as from the mediterranian cuisine. Since a high percentage of the population has a migration background and germans like to taste foreign food you will find a lot of foreign restaurants.

Most of all Italian, Greek or Chineses restaurants, but there are also Spanish, Portuguese, Turkish, Egyptian, Arabic, Mongolian, Russian, Indian and Japonese restaurants. All those who like pancake should visit a 'Pfannkuchenhaus'. There is a wide variation of covering: you can get them sweet or with bacon, meat or vegetables. Dishes of the season[ edit ] During all months ending with letter 'r' (in german January and February also) blue mussels are offered. During May fresh asparagus (white or green)is available. Fast Food[ edit ] Takeaway bars can be found everywhere. The most common fast food is Pizza, Döner as well as chips and fried sausage. The typical German 'Currywurst', a fried sausage with ketchup and curry powder is available everywhere. But insiders say the best one you will get in Bochum made by 'Dönninghaus'. Cafes[ edit ] Cafes and ice cream palours are very common. On warm days many of them offer some tables at the pavement where you can see and watch and beeing watched. Drink[ edit ][ add listing ] The traditional drink is Pils, simply called beer.

Not so long ago, the region had the highest density of brewing houses in Germany. The decline of heavy industry followed a decline of breweries. Local breweries are still Fiege from Bochum, Stauder from Essen and König Pilsener from Duisburg. An excellent beer from a smaller brewing house with smooth taste is 'Borbecker Dampfbier', but it is not available everywhere; the same applies to 'Rüttenscheider' which you will only get in Rüttenscheid (a suburb of Essen). Of course you can also get non-local beers in most bars and restaurants. Recently, lots of cocktail bars opened in the region, especially in the cities of the bigger towns. Many restaurants also offer a huge variety of wines. In the last years, there has been a tendency to drink German white wine, but grape varietys from all over the world are also common. Stay safe[ edit ] The cities within the Ruhr area are amoung the safest in Germany. Since the Ruhr area has fewer tourists than the rest of Germany, it is not in the focus of pickpockets. Still, it is a good idea to take the usual precautions.

Never leave your camera unattended or flash around a fat wallet. Since many citizens are from elsewhere anyway, strangers are widely accepted, and you are unlikley to encounter racism or other prejudices. Because of unemployment and the demise of the German social system, beggars and bottle collectors are becoming rather common, but they are usually harmless. Wuhan - Duisburg, Germany Wuhan Source: hubei.gov.cn Wuhan and Duisburg, Germany have been established sister city since 8th October, 1982. Duisburg, Germany is a German city in the western part of the Ruhr Area (Ruhrgebiet) in North Rhine-Westphalia. It is an independent metropolitan borough within Regierungsbezirk Düsseldorf. With the world's biggest inland harbour and its proximity to Düsseldorf International Airport, Duisburg has become an important venue for commerce and steel production. Today's city is a result of numerous incorporations of surrounding towns and smaller cities. It is the fifteenth-largest city in Germany. The Hubei establishment of international sister provinces and cities began in 1979.

By the end of 2010, 67 sister provinces and cities have been established between Hubei province and provinces and cities of 28 countries around the world (18 sisiter province relationship, 16 sister city relationship with Wuhan city and 33 with other cities). The sister province and state relationship between Hubei and the State of Ohio was the first sister province and state relationship between China and the United States. SEARCH the SITE Duisburg Duisburg Duisburg Excerpted from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Duisburg is a German city in the western part of the Ruhr Area (Ruhrgebiet) in North Rhine-Westphalia. It is an independent metropolitan borough within Regierungsbezirk Düsseldorf. With the biggest inland harbour in Europe and its proximity to Dï¿½sseldorf International Airport Duisburg has become an important venue for commerce and steel production. Since the 1960s the Universität Duisburg-Essen (University of Duisburg-Essen) has educated students from all over the world.

With its 13 departments and more than 33,000 students (as of Winter Semester 2005/06), the University of Duisburg-Essen ranks among the 10 largest German universities. Today's city is a result of numerous incorporations of surrounding towns and smaller cities. It is the 12th-largest city in Germany and the fifth city in North Rhine-Westphalia with 506,496 residents as of 31 December 2003. The city is renowned for its steel industry. There is still one coal mine in operation, but Duisburg has never been a coal-mining location to the same extent as the other places in the Ruhr. All blast furnaces in the Ruhr are now located in Duisburg. 49% of all hot metal and 34.4% of all crude steel in Germany is produced here (status 2000). Population 502,522 source (2005) A few skyline pics I took yesterday. - SkyscraperCity A few skyline pics I took yesterday. User Name As a general reminder, please respect others and respect copyrights.

Go here to familiarize yourself with our posting policy. A few skyline pics I took yesterday. I shot the from a new watch tower here in my hometown. Skyline of Duesseldorf Should be a few smaller towns. (Maybe Krefeld, Meerbusch and Neuss) Probably the skyline of Ratingen The HKM steelplant in Duisburg Commieblock sundown Posts: 64 Likes (Received): 0 Marcin, looks like Duisburg is quite an idustrial city. Just curious, what's the population like? What percentage of the population is German, what are the (approximate) percentages of other ethnic groups? Posts: 362 Likes (Received): 792 Of course it is an industrial city, Duisburg has the biggest inland harbour in Europe and is the biggest steel production site in the world. The population is a little more than a half million.But Duisburg belongs to the Ruhrgebiet which is an industrial manufactoring belt, the whole population in the area is 5.3 million. I canï¿½t find an overview of the ethnics living in duisburg, but I know we have about 8% muslims.

And about 14% of the people havenï¿½t a german passport. Here you have some more information-> and here you have my fotothread about Duisburg on SSC-> There is also a link in my signature about projects in Duisburg. Duesseldorf strikes me as a very gloomy city. Bayer Works at the river Rhine Commieblock Dreams Posts: 1,879 Likes (Received): 1 too much industry. wouldn't want to live there. skyline is bad btw but the pics are good. even stevan can't make this city look good. lol. sorry man. Quote: Originally Posted by lakerdar123 too much industry. wouldn't want to live there. skyline is bad btw but the pics are good. even stevan can't make this city look good. lol. sorry man. Sure, but that are only pics of industry. The industry is very concentrated in a few locations and in compare to other countries the industrie isnï¿½t that bad, because we have though environmental regulations, you can even eat fish from the Rhine without unworried. There is also a lot of woods all around.

Check out my Duisburg thread for more pics, not just industry! Originally Posted by Vasya Pupkin Duesseldorf strikes me as a very gloomy city. Oh and Duesseldorf isnï¿½t gloomy at all! BTW a very nice summary about the whole area from another user from another thread! Quote: Originally Posted by Kalitos North Rhine-Westphalia (German: Nordrhein-Westfalen, short: NRW) is the largest in population (though only fourth in area) among Germany's 16 federal states. It has about 18 million inhabitants and comprises 34,080 kmï¿½ (13,158 square miles) in western-northwestern Germany. North Rhine-Westphalia contributes about 22 percent of Germany's gross domestic product; its capital is Dï¿½sseldorf. The state is centred on the sprawling Rhine-Ruhr urbanised region, which contains the cities of Cologne, Dï¿½sseldorf, and Bonn, as well as the Ruhr industrial complex.

The Ruhr area consists, among others, of the cities of Essen, Dortmund, Duisburg, Bochum and Gelsenkirchen. For many people North Rhine-Westphalia is synonymous with industrial areas and agglomerating cities. But the largest part of the state is covered with forests and fields. The southern parts of the Teutoburg Forest are located in the northeast. In the southwest, North Rhine-Westphalia shares in a small part of the Eifel, located on the borders with Belgium and Rhineland-Palatinate. The southeast is occupied by the sparsely populated regions of Sauerland and Siegerland. The northwestern areas of the state are part of the Northern European Lowlands. The most important rivers that run at least partially through North Rhine-Westphalia include: Rhine, Ruhr, Ems, Lippe and Weser. The Pader, which runs through the city of Paderborn, is the shortest river in Germany. See also List of places in North Rhine-Westphalia.

The state consists of 5 administrative regions (Regierungsbezirke), divided into 31 districts (Kreise) and 23 urban districts (kreisfreie Stï¿½dte). In total, North Rhine-Westphalia has 396 municipalities (1997), including the urban districts, which are municipalities by themselves. The Ruhr Area (German Ruhrgebiet or, colloquially, Ruhrpott) is an urban area in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, consisting of a number of large industrial cities bordered by the rivers Ruhr to the south, Rhine to the west, and Lippe to the north. Southwest it borders the Bergisches Land. The area, with some 5.3 million people, is considered part of the larger Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan area of more than 12 million people.

Going from west to east, the area includes the city boroughs of Duisburg, Oberhausen, Bottrop, Mï¿½lheim an der Ruhr, Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Bochum, Herne, Hamm, Hagen, and Dortmund as well as parts of the more "rural" districts Wesel, Recklinghausen, Unna and Ennepe-Ruhr. These districts have grown into a large complex forming an industrial landscape of unique size, inhabited by some 5.3 million people, the fourth largest urban area in Europe after Moscow, Greater London, and Paris . The Ruhr area is often mistakenly perceived as a single city because many maps do not show the boundaries between the individual cities. Essen Essen [ˈɛsn̩] is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Located on the Ruhr river, it ranks as the second largest city of the Ruhr area and as the 8th largest city in Germany. Population: 586,205 (as of 30.06.2004). Despite its size, Essen has less prominence than other cities of comparable size.

Essen remained an insignificant agricultural town until the 19th century, although founded as early as about 845. The mining of coal and ore led to the growth of the city and of the entire Ruhr area. The Krupp family comes from Essen; their works established steel production in Essen in 1811. After having undergone major economic changes after World War II, Essen now hosts a high-class college of art, many industrial sights (Zeche Zollverein) and a major collection of art (Folkwang Museum). Dortmund Dortmund is a city in Germany, located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Population: 587,830 (20 June 2005). The Ruhr river flows south of the city, the small Emscher river flows through the municipal area. Linking Dortmund to the North Sea, the Dortmund-Ems Canal terminates at Dortmund Harbour, the largest German canal port. Dortmund is the home of the famous football club Borussia Dortmund (BVB 09), whose home ground is the Westfalenstadion.

Opened in 1974, it is Germany's largest football stadium with a capacity of 82,932 spectators. Having already hosted some World Cup matches in 1974, Dortmund will be hosting several matches in the 2006 World Cup, including a semi-final. Dortmund is known as Westphalia's "green metropolis". Nearly half the municipal territory consists of waterways, woodland, agriculture and green spaces with spacious parks such as Westfalenpark and the Romberg park. This after nearly a hundred years of extensive coal mining, coking, and steel milling within the city limits. The Christmas market (Weihnachtsmarkt) is one of the largest in Germany, and is host to the largest "christmas tree" in the world, formed by stacking hundreds of trees into the shape of a pyramid. Westfalenstadion Duisburg Duisburg is a German city in the western part of the Ruhr Area (Ruhrgebiet) in North Rhine-Westphalia. It is an independent metropolitan borough within Regierungsbezirk Dï¿½sseldorf. The harbour of Duisburg is the largest inland port in Europe.

There is a university in the city which merged with the University of Essen in 2003 to form the University of Duisburg-Essen. Today's city is, as is the case with all big cities in Germany, a result of numerous incorporations of surrounding towns and smaller cities. At the beginning of the 20th century the city surpassed the 100,000 limit. Today it is the 12th-largest city in Germany and the fifth city in North Rhine-Westphalia with 506,496 residents (as of 31 December 2003). The city is renowned for its steel industry. There is still one coal mine in operation, but Duisburg has never been a coal-mining location to the same extent as the other places in the Ruhr. All blast furnaces in the Ruhr are now located in Duisburg. 49% of all hot metal and 34.4% of all crude steel in Germany is produced here (status 2000). Duesseldorf Dï¿½sseldorf is the capital city of the German federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Located on the Rhine near Cologne, it is one of the main centres of the densely populated Rhine-Ruhr area. Dï¿½sseldorf is not only widely known as a stronghold of the German advertising and fashion industry. In the last few years the city on the Rhine has become a top telecommunications center in Germany. Today, there are 18 internet providers located in the capital of North-Rhine Westphalia. With two of the four big German providers of mobile frequencies, D2 Vodafone and E-Plus, Dï¿½sseldorf is leading the German mobile phone market. This pioneer position is being demonstrated by the presence of the many foreign trading centers in Dï¿½sseldorf such as NTT, Ericsson, Nokia or GTS. Along with the abundant advertising industry, these companies serve as an important motor for the new economy. There are 400 advertising agencies in Dï¿½sseldorf, among them three of the big ones in Germany: BBDO Group, Publicis Group and Grey Group. A number of affiliates of foreign agencies have to be mentioned as well, such as Ogilvy & Mather, Dentsu, Hakuhodu, Digital District and DDB.

Against this background so many internet agencies in Dï¿½sseldorf have their roots in the classical world of advertising. The city of Dï¿½sseldorf plays an important role in the financial world: some 170 national and international financial institutions and about 130 insurance agencies are based here. Furthermore, one of the biggest German stock exchanges is located here. The print media, represented in Dï¿½sseldorf by around 200 publishing houses, have adjusted to the requirements of various fields of the economy - online and offline. Important newspapers and journals such as Handelsblatt, Wirtschaftswoche, Deutsches Wirtschaftsblatt, VDI nachrichten or DM are being published in the city on the Rhine. Almost all of these papers are available online on the Internet. Further, Genios, the daughter of publishing group Handelsblatt runs Germany's biggest online economic database from here. Renowned film making companies, such as Germany's biggest cinema enterprise the Riech-Group and TV-channels such as CNN, NBC Giga and QVC have made Dï¿½sseldorf a city of moving images.

The "Kï¿½", which stands short for Kï¿½nigsallee (King's Avenue) is the street to go shopping in Dï¿½sseldorf. Some of the most reputated jewelry shops, designer labels and galleries have their stores here, such as Cartier, Aigner, Lacoste, Eickhoff, Jil Sander, Benneton, Gucci, Esprit, Laurel, Armani, Chanel, Escada, Hugo Boss, Joop, Kookaï¿½, Prada and many more.

Question: Which German city in the western part of the Ruhr Area has the world’s biggest inland harbour?
Answer: DUISBURG