Dortmund – a city of steel and beer

Hard work is the hallmark of Dortmund and its people. Steel, coal and beer gave the city a worldwide reputation. But today no one travels down into the mines, and the blast furnaces have long since cooled. Nevertheless, the spirit of the past is very much alive and the former sites of industry have been assigned new duties – as monuments, museums and venues for entertainment.

The steel industry played a huge part in Dortmund's development, but the city has long since turned its hand to business, leisure and culture. Culture in particular is the catalyst for the new Dortmund, which today offers music, modern lifestyle trends and a high level of support for art and creativity. This became evident in the leading role played by Dortmund in the Ruhr's year as European Capital of Culture in 2010. Another fresh perspective on the past is offered by the 3D steelworks experience – the main attraction in the Hoesch Museum. This virtual tour puts visitors at the heart of a gargantuan steelworks. Further insights into heavy industry can be gained on the nature and technology discovery trail at the Hansa Coking Plant, which closed in 1992. The route initially scales the heights of the coal tower before proceeding into the heart of the coking plant, where hard coal was once baked into coke at temperatures of more than 1,000°C. The appeal of this industrial heritage site lies in its blend of new architecture, old technology and concession to nature, which is slowly but surely reclaiming its former territory.

The Brewery Museum highlights another important part of Dortmund's identity. Housed in the machine room of the former Hansa Brewery from 1912, the exhibition tells the story of brewing in Dortmund from the Middle Ages to the present day. Schwerpunkt dabei ist die Zeit der Industrialisierung im 19. und 20. It focuses on the era of industrialisation in the 19th and 20th century, and particularly the period from the 1950s to the 1970s when Dortmund was widely renowned as the beer capital of Europe.

Evidence that Dortmund has more to offer than beer and industrial heritage is provided by the opera house, the Schauspielhaus, the youth theatre, the newly opened children's opera, the Ostwall Art Museum and the Adlerturm, the Dortmund Philharmonic and the Domicil, the Ruhr region's number one venue for jazz, world music and alternative sounds. Stores of all description – from offbeat to exclusive – offer unlimited retail therapy on Alter Markt square, in the Krüger shopping arcade, along the Westenhellweg in the heart of the city centre, on Kampstrasse and in the Brückstrassenviertel district. Those weary from shopping can be sure to find a cosy spot to enjoy a delicious Dortmund beer in the cafés, restaurants and bars that abound in the city centre.