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Gelsenkirchen:

The Gelsenkirchen area was sparsely populated and agrarian in nature up until the 18th century. The discovery of coal in 1840 and the building of a train station led to a transformation of the city. Within a very short period of time Gelsenkirchen became a centre of heavy industry. It assumed the dimensions of a major industrial city with a population of nearly 400,000 and came to be known as the 'city of a thousand fires'.

Gelsenkirchen combines the appeal of the Ruhr with a charm all of its own. Many of the town's trademark features are just a couple of minutes' walk from the centre, so you're never more than a few steps away from surroundings which are impressive because they're so unique, or from scenery which brings abstract ideas like structural change and the history of industry unexpectedly to life.

Here you'll find not a slick facade but real life, bursting with colourful tradition of all kinds. Various hiking and cycling trails, designed around regional routes that trace the links between industry and culture, nature and architecture, invite you to discover the charm of the city.

Trivia: Owing to its location in the heart of the Ruhr area, Gelsenkirchen was a centre of wartime industry. The city naturally became the target of many heavy Allied bombing raids during the Second World War, which destroyed three fourths of Gelsenkirchen. Even today, many old above-ground air-raid shelters can be found in the city, and some of the city's official buildings such as Hans-Sachs-Haus downtown and the town hall in Buer have air-raid shelters still kept more or less in their original form.

Today, Gelsenkirchen is a centre for sciences, services, and production, with good infrastructure. 

Transport I Hotels I Car Hire I Entertainment I Food I Sport I Stadium I Tourist Tips I History 

Transport:

Gelsenkirchen lies on various autobahn routes: A2, A40, A42 and A52, as well as on Federal Highways B224, B226 and B227.  Gelsenkirchen's main railway station lies at a major junction of lines.

Local transport in Gelsenkirchen is afforded by trams and buses run by the BOGESTRA, as well as by Vestische Strassenbahnen GmbH in the city's north end (despite its name, it nowadays runs only buses). There is also a Stadtbahn service connecting Buer to Essen which is operated by EVAG. Tram lines connect the city to Bochum and Essen. All these services have an integrated fare structure within the VRR. There are three tram lines, one light rail line, and about 50 bus routes in Gelsenkirchen.

Getting There:

The closest airport is Dusseldorf (DUS) located 25 miles away, served by direct flights with British Airways and Lufthansa. Fellow Host City Dortmund is just 30 minutes away by motorway, while the stadium in Cologne can be reached in an hour.

Hotels:

5 Star Options:

• Essen Sheraton Hotel

4 Star Options:

• Maritim Hotel Am Stadtgarten
• Hotel Astoria

3 Star Options:

• Courtyard by Marriott Gelsenkirchen
• Hotel Buerer Hof
• InterCity Hotel
• Hotel Restaurant La Scala
• Hotel Zur Post Rathausplatz
• Art Hotel Monopol
• Blumenhof im Floristikpark
• City Hotel Essen
• Hotel Atelier Garni
• Hotel Restaurant Schloss Berge 

Car Hire:

Please call Stuart Stamp for advice and rates on 01903 832888. Alternatively you can email us, or click here to see rates online and request a vehicle.   

Entertainment:

Culture:

Gelsenkirchen has undergone a process of structural transformation that has seen the development of a diverse art and cultural scene.

Musiktheater:

Gelsenkirchen's music theatre (Musiktheater im Revier) has long played a central role in the northern part of the Ruhr. In a region that has been affected by economic and structural change over several decades, the MIR provides a rich offering of opera, operetta, musical and ballet productions that attract audiences from far and wide.

This traditional theatre, which established a name for itself in contemporary Regietheater many years ago, has been headed by artistic director Peter Theiler since the summer of 2001. With a young team of singers, directors and stagehands, he puts on a varied repertoire ranging from rarely performed baroque works to contemporary music, with the focus on romanticism and bel canto, and exhibits a clear commitment to 'entertainment with attitude' in the form of the classical American musical. The MIR has been a listed building since 1997. 

Stadtisches Museum:

If you're open for new experiences and enjoy losing yourself for a while away from all the hustle and bustle, why not pay a visit to the kinetic exhibition at Buer Museum. It's free of charge and the only one of its kind in Germany.

Kinetic art is an avenue of modern art that primarily attempts to create fascinating effects through motion or reflections of light, focusing our concentration fully on the senses. On the basement floor of the new section of the museum, more than 70 exhibits await you, ranging from mobiles and motorised works to figures in light and sound.

You can also interact with many of the exhibits, your movements triggering mechanical or electrical pulses to create the desired effects.

Documentation Centre:

The Institute of Urban History (ISG) opened this impressive house in the suburb of Erle to the public in 1994. It not only provides a vivid insight into life in Gelsenkirchen during Nazi rule, but also highlights the causes behind the rise of the Hitler regime. The consequences for the various groups in society are explained by way of personal accounts and exhibits.

The building at Cranger Strasse 323 was the headquarters of the Erle NSDAP and SA. One room was used for interrogating and torturing prisoners. In another, which was first used as an office and then as a training room, you can see a Third Reich inscription stretching right across the wall and detailing the NSDAP manifesto of 1920. It is one of the few authentic relics from the era of National Socialism in Gelsenkirchen. The centre also has teaching rooms and holds a collection of literature that has been prepared especially for children and young people, as well as an exceptional archive of contemporary Nazi literature for academic and educational purposes.

Shopping:

Gelsenkirchen has two central shopping areas. Bahnhofsstrasse in Gelsenkirchen city centre and Hochstrasse in the heart of Buer offer something for everyone. Essen has been dubbed the "shopping city", and not without reason. The city centre is the largest conventional shopping area in the Ruhr and is a great shopping experience.

Probably the best-known shopping centre in the Ruhr is the CentrO in Oberhausen. Europe's largest mall was built on a former derelict industrial site.  

Food:

Ruhr cuisine isn't Paris haute, but it's suitable for many travellers. Most dishes are heavy but hearty: lots of meat, and few potatoes or vegetables. Some of the brands of beer of the Ruhr are famous: Dortmund, named for the city where it's made, is equal to most Munich brands, and every city has its own local brewery.

Some suggested restaurants:

Kronski
Markthalle Buer
Springemarkt 2
Tel: 209 7022535
International cuisine. The restaurant offers a different menu each day. The Kronski is also a club with varying party evenings.

La Scala
Schlesischer Ring 3
Tel: 209 3809185
Italian/Mediterranean cuisine in an exclusive, yet relaxed atmosphere. Includes a small hotel (11 rooms).

La Vecchia Osteria 
Horsterstrasse 10
Tel: 209 31130
Italian cuisine.

Parkrestaurant 
Im MARITIM Hotel am Stadtgarten
Am Stadtgarten 1
Tel: 209 176-2084
Park restaurant with view over city gardens.

Schloss Berge 
Adenauer Allee 103 
Tel: 209 59958
Extraordinary ambience, world food cuisine based on fresh, seasonal products.

Restaurant Laurin 
Owner: Kurt Plank
Grenzstrasse 97b 
South-Tyrolian and Mediterranean cuisine

Trattoria Vitali 
Lindenstrasse 112
Tel: 209 32414
Upmarket Italian/Sardinian/Tuscan dishes.

Xenos the Greek 
Cranger Strasse 188
Tel: 209 72914
Stylish, modern Greek restaurant.

Zum Burgerplatz 
Trinenkamp 22
Tel: 209 9304667
Serves national and international cuisine.

La Grappa 
Rellinghauser Strasse 4
Essen
Tel: 201 231766
Considered by many the noblest Italian restaurant in the Ruhr. Besides Italian cuisine it also serves French dishes.

Sport:

Gelsenkirchen is home of the football club FC Schalke 04. Schalke's home ground, Veltins-Arena, is generally regarded as one of the most innovative stadiums built in recent years.

Nothing brings the people of Gelsenkirchen together more so than football. The sport enjoys both a great tradition - with FC Schalke 04 having brought seven league titles to the city - and passionate supporters. The Aufschalke Arena is regularly sold out at home games.  

Stadium:

Veltins Arena:

The Veltins-Arena is the football stadium in Gelsenkirchen. Originally named the Arena AufSchalke, it opened in 2001 as the new home ground for the Bundesliga football club FC Schalke 04 and will host 5 matches in the 2006 World Cup, including a quarter-final. Accredited as a UEFA Five-Star Stadium, it has a league capacity of 61,524 (standing and seated) and an international capacity of 53,994 (seated only). The naming rights to the stadium were sold on July 1, 2005 to the German brewery Veltins.

The site chosen for Schalke 04's new stadium is in the direct vicinity of the old Parkstadion, on an extensive piece of club owned property known as the "Berger Feld".

The Veltins-Arena was created as a multi-functional arena of two tiers that completely surround the playing field. These allow for a league capacity of 61,524 spectators (standing and seated) and an international capacity of 53,994. For league matches, the North stand is left as standing rows (capacity: 16,307) to accommodate the Schalke 04 fans, while for international matches, these are converted to seats (capacity: 8,600).

The 72 VIP lounges form a ring around the entire stadium, separating the first tier from the second tier. On the main Western grandstand, the VIP capacity is increased by a second level of lounges directly beneath the main belt.

The Veltins-Arena features a teflon-coated fiberglass canvas retractable roof, which spans the entire stadium. The roof is supported by a rectangular truss that is suspended above the field, which is in turn connected to the main building via 24 steel pylons. The centre of the roof can be opened into two halves, allowing for an opened and covered stadium, depending on weather and venue. In order to reduce the exterior noise of up to 105 decibels during concerts, a second layer of teflon-coated fiberglass canvas was added over the first, creating a dampening air cushion. Hanging 25m over the center of the pitch are four video screens, each with a surface area of 35 square metres.

Like the Sapporo Dome in Japan, and Gelredome in the The Netherlands before it, the Veltins-Arena features a slide out pitch. Supported by 11,400t substructure, the playing field can be moved in and out of the stadium within 4 hours. This has several advantages:

• The grass playing surface can grow under normal outside conditions without suffering from a lack of circulation and light as in other arenas.
• The football pitch is not damaged during indoor events such as concerts.
• The floor of the multi-functional hall can be converted and retro-fitted within a short amount of time.
• The outside area that is not occupied by the field can be used as parking facilities for buses during football matches.

Directions:

To get to the Arena and the other club facilities users of public transport should take tram No. 302 from the lower level of Gelsenkirchen railway station (Hauptbahnhof) in the direction of Gelsenkirchen-Buer as far as the "Arena" stop.  The local transport authority runs plenty of extra trams to all matches and other major events held in the Arena. Holders of match or event tickets are entitled to use all public transport services in the Rhine-Ruhr Transport Authority (VRR) region free of charge.

World Cup Stadium Schedule:

• 09th June 2006 Group A: Poland - Ecuador 9pm
• 12th June 2006 Group E: United States - Czech Republic 6pm
• 16th June 2006 Group C: Argentina - Serbia Montenegro 3pm
• 21st June 2006 Group D: Portugal - Mexico 4pm
• 01st July 2006 Quarter Final: Winner R3 - Winner R4 5pm

Tourist Tips:

Industrial Heritage:

Coal, steel and smoking chimneys, football and allotments - images people associate with the Ruhr to this day. The cliches cling on stubbornly, even though they have been obsolete for a long time. Hardly any other region in central Europe has undergone as big a transformation in recent decades as the Ruhr. The coal mines have been closed, the blast
furnaces taken out of service. Hi-tech, retail and services are the economic sectors of the future.

To the south of the Science Park lies the Rheinelbe Park, which used to be the site of one of the region's largest coal mines. The once forbidden territory is now a haven of art and nature, and the place where the artist Hermann Prigann implemented his concept of a "forest of
sculpture".

Finally, climbing the "Stairway to Heaven", which affords magnificent views from the second-highest spoil heap in the Ruhr, is an ideal way to end any excursion through Gelsenkirchen's industrial heritage.  The Landmark Art and Industrial Heritage Trail illustrates how nature
is making a comeback on derelict sites and spoil heaps and how artists and others are responding to this advance.

Schloss Horst:

Between 1555 and 1578, in the middle of a sparsely populated lowland area close to the Emscher, which was only a stream back then, a nobleman called Rutger von der Horst had the manor house built in replacement for a 350-year-old castle that had burnt down. Today, the building is a monument to the Renaissance in the north-western part of Germany.

Rutger's seat is also considered a model for a Renaissance architectural style known as Dutch mannerism, for it was a Dutch master builder who set the four-winged castle, with its solid corner towers, wide moat and elaborate facade and interior design, in the landscape. Boasting the first internal, fully integrated, representative staircase in Westphalia, the
building was very modern for its time and possesses an impressive array of ornamentation and sandstone sculptures in previously unheard of variety and quality.

Unfortunately, the castle decayed over the centuries and some building segments no longer exist. But thanks to the efforts of a very committed 'society of friends', the castle was renovated with the help of state and council funds. Some sections were refurbished and others carefully added, turning the castle into a new meeting place in the west of
Gelsenkirchen.

Solar Factory:

From the summer of 1998, six building firms were busy translating the plans of Hamburg-based architects Hohaus into reality. Some 1,800 cubic metres of concrete, 190 tonnes of reinforcing steel, 230 cubic metres of masonry and 110 tonnes of girders were put together to create a factory building in six sections, each with a pitched roof, and an elliptical four-storey administration block.

Solar cells that generate 120 kilowatts of power were installed on the admin wing and part of the factory roof. At just over 83m long, 47m wide and 12m high, the solar factory is lent a dynamic and futuristic appearance by a front section that looms up like a wave. Its steel and
glass façades allow the 45 or so people who work here to exploit and enjoy the warmth and light of the sun in equal measure. More information on photovoltaic energy can be found in the visitors’ centre alongside the world’s most modern solar cell factory.

Berge Castle:

Berge Castle, constructed in the style of the late baroque at the turning point to classicism, stands in the center of a greenery-filled park. Originally built by Gerlach von Strünkede in the year 1264, it was converted into a stately home around 1700. From 1785 to 1788 it was
enlarged and given the architectural style it has today. Its variously styled gardens are pleasant to walk through and, together with Berger Lake, constitute an attractive recreational opportunity and aesthetic contrast to the surrounding industrial landscape.

Other suggestions for sightseeing:

• Science Park
• Nordsternpark
• Deutschland Express
• Berge Castle
• Luttinghoff House
• Hans Sachs House
• Nienhausen Revierpark
• Ruhr Zoo
  

History:

Gelsenkirchen was first documented in 1150, but it remained a tiny village until the 19th century, when the Industrial Revolution led to the growth of the entire area. In 1840, when the mining of coal began, 6000 inhabitants lived in Gelsenkirchen; in 1900 the population had
increased to 138,000.

In the early 20th century Gelsenkirchen was the most important coal mining town in Europe. It was called the "city of thousand fires", due to the burning stacks. In 1928 Gelsenkirchen was merged with the adjoining cities of Buer and Horst. The city bore the name Gelsenkirchen-Buer, until it was renamed to Gelsenkirchen in 1930.

During the Nazi era Gelsenkirchen remained a centre of coal production and oil refining, and for this reason it was bombed by Allied air raids in World War II. Most of the city's collieries are now closed and Gelsenkirchen is searching for a new image. Today Germany's largest solar power plant is located in the city.
 

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