Optional activities
The tEAM organized a few tours, but as there is so much to discover and experience in the Ruhrgebiet, we also created a list of suggestions for those wanting to venture out on their own. Let us know if you plan to go and we’ll add it to the EAM calendar.
Wednesday April 30th
Hike
Come and join us for an approx. 3.5 hour hike and see that the Ruhrgebiet is by no means only grey.
After meeting at the hotel, we start at the botanical gardens, where the Chinese Pavilion sits right next to American Sequoias. From here, we make our way to the Kemnader See, the youngest quarry lake of the Ruhr valley. Our destination is the ruins of Burg Blankenstein. Its tower offers a sweeping view of the Ruhr valley.
On our way back we can spend some time in the old part of the town of Hattingen and fill up with food and drink there.[add space] The hike is a total length of 10km, many of it on paved ways. We will return from Hattingen to the hotel by public transportation.
Start: at the hotel at 9:30 a.m.
Costs: public transit
Or, if you prefer, come on a
Bicycle tour around lake Kemnade (Kemnader See)
Our day trip takes us on mining-railroads-turned-bike-paths from the heart of Bochum city out to Kemnader See and back. Pick and choose which part you like best, or join us for the whole ride!
Each stop is accessible by public transport and close to a drop-off point for nextbike / metrorad rental bikes (English app, € 15/24h max charge, 20 rental & drop off points within the inner city of Bochum):
10:00 am, part 1: We are heading out from Bochum city on the dedicated bike path
Springorumradweg to the railway museum Dahlhausen.
(10.6km , approx. 1h)
11:30 am, part 2: Moving on, we ride through green meadows alongside castle Burg Blankenstein, stepped barrages, and the monument blast furnace Henrichshütte until we reach the southern tip of Kemnader See (lake Kemnade).
(17.5km, approx. 1,5h)
The long rest is well earned. The restless among us are free to rent canoes, pedal boats, or inline skates (good weather provided), or circle the lake on foot, bike, or dedicated inline skate trails.
4:00 pm, part 3: Time to return home. Riding through Feldmark we end up back on the
Springorumradweg and find our way back to our accommodation in time for dinner.
(15km, approx. 1h)
Bermuda3Eck
Stühle raus! All day event to celebrate the start of summer at Bermuda3Eck, check website for times of various events (mostly free)
“Live in den Mai”
Party at RuhrCongress (ticketed external event, buy your own ticket)
Thursday May 1st
Bus Tour
Take a trip through time with a visit to Margarethenhöhe, Zeche Zollverein and see the area from way up high!
Join us for a bus tour of the area.
We’ll start towards Margarethenhöhe, a residential area comprised of single family homes built to house employees of the Krupp company between 1909 and 1938. Among the first of the so-called Gartenstädte (garden cities), Margarethenhöhe offered living with nature and subsistence gardening.
Next up is Zeche Zollverein. It is a landmark and the symbol of the Ruhrgebiet. From 1847 until 1986, up to 8,000 workers hauled 240 million tons of coal from the pit. We will go on a guided tour of the preserved above ground compounds of Zeche and Kokerei (mine and coke oven) Zollverein, and learn about the structural change of the Ruhr region.
The Ruhrgebiet ist originally flat, but as you drive around you realize it is dotted with mesas; flat-topped hills created from debris from the mines. After lunch we will visit one of them and enjoy the vistas from the top of the Tetraeder, a 50m-high steel construction built on top of the Halde near the city of Bottrop.
Time: 10:00am – 4:00pm.
Price: € 45 excl. lunch, max. 26 persons
Bus and Boat Tour
Join us for a bus tour through Bochum! We’ll pass the planetarium, mining museum, observatory and other sights before getting on a boat for a tour of Kemnader See, one of the quarry lakes of the Ruhr. We’ll enjoy the one-hour tour with coffee and waffles.
Time: 11:00am – 2:00pm.
Price: € 39 incl. waffles and coffee
max. 23 persons
Dortmund: DASA and Soccer Museum
DASA: Fascinating Working Worlds.
DASA is Germany´s largest exhibition on the world of work. Covering an area equivalent to two football pitches, it contains a variety of exciting interactive experiences for visitors to discover and get involved. This is the place where work is fun!
Open monday – friday 9am – 5pm, weekend 10am – 6pm.
Tickets: € 6 adults, kids free
Getting there: 15 km, approx. 30 minutes by public transit.
https://www.dasa-dortmund.de/en/
Musical Starlight Express
Our location Hotel Moxy is right next to the musical theater housing a show that has been continuously running for more than 35 years now: Starlight Express!
It tells the story of a child’s dream about the world championship of trains: electric engine vs steam train, Shinkansen vs ICE, Rome-Milano-Express vs Trans-Siberian Express… The stage is a giant skate rink and cast members race each other at break-neck-speed (some race tracks run through the audience!) Join us on Thursday evening to experience this amazing show!
The show is in German but we’re happy to provide info on the content.
Tickets are € 90, for an additional €15 we can go in early to watch warm up. Highly recommended!
For children under 15 years a ticket will be € 68.50.
Start skate warm up: 5:00pm.
Start show: 6:30pm.
Doors open 1 hour before listed time.
Food Lovers Street Food Market
May 1st – 4th: at Fiege Brauerei (free)
Friday May 2th
We prepared a list of options for you to spend the morning exploring the area on your own.
Prison Tour – Offener Vollzug (9:00am – 1:00pm)
Christiane will take a group of 12-20 people (>18 years) to visit the open prison in Bochum Langendreer to learn about the system of open prison, get a tour, and maybe start a conversation about how it is handled in different countries. We may or may not visit with inmates, that is tbd. (free, sign up by email)
Mining museum Bochum
tEAM suggestion: The museum is REALLY big, it’s actually several museums in one. So we suggest you get your ticket in the morning (re-entry is allowed) and split up your visit if you want to take in as much as possible. Allow plenty of time to go back in time to when coal was formed, discover and experience how mining shaped the life in the area, learn about mining and visit the mine, go on a scavenger hunt (not only) for kids, enjoy art pieces throughout and enjoy the vistas from up high. tEAM-tested and approved!
Learn about the history of hard coal mining from early times to today: every-day items as well as technical equipment and mining gear tell stories about the life of miners through time. Want to experience what it was like? One highlight of your visit is a trip deep down… we enter the mine and its maze of tunnels by taking a trip in the cage, dropping down 1,200m through the shaft … simulated, but still impressive.
Going back up, the elevator takes us all the way to the top to the platform of the 71m-high headframe, offering amazing vistas of the surrounding area.
The museum offers tours about hard coal, mining, mineral resources, and art. Audio guides offered in various languages are available through the app (don’t forget your headphones!). The last tour of the visitor’s mine starts at 4pm, last trip to the headframe is at 5pm, before the museum closes at 5:30pm.
The museum is within easy walking distance from the hotel and next to a park.
Tickets:
€ 15 adults,
€ 8 kids 5-17 y.,
€ 40 families (2 adults, <4 kids), free with RuhrTopCard
Download the App to use as Audio guide and bring your own headphones: iOS or Android
Bochum: City park and Zoo
Are you looking for an escape into nature without leaving the city? Bochum has a beautiful city park, not far from the hotel. Right next to it is a small but beautiful zoo. In addition to fish tanks and terrariums, travel into the Jurassic period and discover the flora and fauna of primeval times!
Tickets:
Park: free
Zoo: € 8 adults 17+ / € 4.50 kids 3+ and teens (open 9am – 6pm)
Getting there: walking distance from the hotel
https://www.tierpark-bochum.de
Line Dance Workshop with Pati (11:00am – 12:00pm)
Join Pati Schmidt for a fun Line Dance Workshop at beginner level and get ready to show off your new skills at the party!
Brewery Tour – Only in German
Alternatively, join us for a tour of “Fiege”, a local brewery. Learn what it takes to brew this delicacy and get to taste a little bit as well: not only a variety of beers, but also a sausage-lunch.
12:00 – 3:00pm, € 27 , limited to 30 persons.
Definitely do not miss what we planned for the afternoon!
Sunday May 4th
10:45am – 3:00pm
Breast cancer awareness run – 5k Run / 3k Walk / Teddy Run for breast cancer awareness – 13. Lauf “Aktiv gegen Brustkrebs – Bochum läuft!”
Suggestions for self-guided exploration
We’re happy to help coordinate! Just let us know what you’re interested in and we’ll help match you. Let us know if you plan to go and we’ll add it to the EAM calendar
Bochum: Botanical Gardens
Discover the University of Bochum’s Botanical Gardens with their tropical, savannah, and desert halls, enjoy “Quian Yuan”, a Chinese house garden. Open 9am – 6pm
Tickets: free
Getting there: 8 km, approx. 30-45 minutes by public transit.
Bochum: Planetarium
Take a trip to the stars! The planetarium offers a 360° view of space and various productions turn the day into night.
Tickets: € 10,50 adults / € 4,00-7,50 kids, students, retirees
Getting there: walking distance from the hotel
Bochum-Dahlhausen: Train museum
The centerpiece of this museum is a large engine shed with a 20m-turntable, water tower, workshops and engine treatment facilities to fill them up with water and coal. The museum has a fully functioning narrow-gauge railway and two more exhibit halls. The whole complex is a protected monument. The historic Ruhrtalbahn is scheduled to resume operation on May 1st.
Tickets: € 10 adults / € 5 children <14 years
Getting there: 20km by car, approx. 1.25 hours by public transit
Bochum: Climbing gym Hapik
A unique climbing experience! Various unusual climbing elements offer routes for all ages and abilities, including zip lines, tower jump, rope course, and a soft play area for the littlest.
Tickets: € 18,90 adults / € 15,90 kids 4+
Getting there: 12 km, 35 min by public transit
Duisburg: Zoo
Explore a large variety of animals from all over the world! Visit the ape and monkey enclosure, the delphinarium, the tropical hall “Rio Negro”, a reef basin, the Chinese Garden and much more!
Tickets: €19.50 adults, discounts available for students and retirees.
Getting there: 36km, 1 hour by public transit
Duisburg: harbor
Discover amazing architecture at the world’s largest inland harbor! The Binnenschifffahrtsmuseum (inland water navigation museum) is host to Germany’s largest collection about water navigation on rivers, canals and lakes, ranging from the stone ages to today.
Tickets museum: € 4,50 adults, family tickets discounted, book online!
https://www.binnenschifffahrtsmuseum.de/en/opening-hours-and-prices/
Getting there: ~40km, approx 1 hour by public transit
Duisburg: Tiger & Turtle Magic Mountain
There are many “Halden” – flat-topped, mesa-like hills consisting of mining debris. This one is an exceptional one: up top, discover “Tiger & Turtle”, a walkable sculpture shaped like a roller coaster.
https://www.ruhrgebiet-industriekultur.de/angerpark/
Tickets: free
Getting there: 48 km, 1.25 hours by public transit
Essen-Kettwig: Historic old town
The town of Kettwig only joined the city of Essen in 1975 and is in large parts conserved in its original state of the 17th-19th centuries. Visit the old timber-framed houses spread out in a small labyrinth of alleys and discover its cafés, restaurants and shops.
Getting there: 32 km, 1.25h by public transit
Essen: Villa Hügel
The Krupp family is one of the most known and renowned German entrepreneur families. Living in this magnificent villa of 269 (!) rooms and a large private park above Baldeney lake from 1873-1945, the family shaped German history since the inception of the cast steel factory in 1811.
Tickets: € 5
Getting there: ~30km, approx. 1 hour by public transit
Hattingen: Old town and Haus Kemnade
Not far from Bochum lies the small town of Hattingen with its 150 beautiful timber-framed houses in the old part of town. Explore the medieval water fortress Kemnade and learn about musical instruments, the history of money, rural life and bees in its several museums.
Getting there: 14 km, 40 min by public transit
https://www.hattingen.de/stadt_hattingen/Standort/Tourismus/
Gelsenkirchen: Zoom Adventure World
Visit the “Zoo of the future”! Here, the animal species are not housed in separate enclosures but jointly inhabit “Adventure Worlds”, modeled on their natural habitat with the respective culture, architecture, and peculiarities of the individual continents.
Tickets: € 21 adults / € 16 students / €14 kids 4+ – book online!
Getting there: 20 km, approx. 1 hour by public transit
https://www.zoom-erlebniswelt.de/expeditionsplan
Oberhausen: Centro
Experience the results of structural change by exploring Europe’s largest Shopping Mall. Established on the land of the former industrial site “Gutehoffnungshütte”, the new urban quarter “Neue Mitte” (literally “new middle”) was created, including a mall, movie theater, Sea Life, Legoland Discovery Center, Gasometer, and much more. The mall “Centro” houses 250 shops, an American-style Food Court “Coca-Cola-Oase”, as well as a 400m promenade of international restaurants and cafés.
Getting there: 35 km, approx. 1 hour by public transit.
Oberhausen: Gasometer
Experience Europe’s largest disc-type gas holder turned into an exhibition hall of enormous size, boasting large-scale photographs, a 40m high screen and reshaping the experience of exhibitions. “Planet Ocean” presents the fascinating beauty of the world’s oceans and their diverse life forms. It also shows how fragile this beauty is, threatened by pollution and overfishing, and offers suggestions for a way out of this crisis.
Tickets: € 14 adults / € 11 children, students 5+, open 10am – 6pm.
Getting there: 35 km, approx. 1 hour by public transit.
Oberhausen: Sea Life
The perfect addition to “Planet Ocean” at Gasometer is an aquarium visit. Go on a journey from Rhine to Amazon, discover 5,000 creatures in 50 basins, some of them rare and mysterious, all of them deserving protection.
Tickets: € 23 adults 15+ / € 19 kids 4-15J. (save money if you buy online in advance!), combo ticket with Legoland Discovery Centre Oberhausen available. Open 10am – 6:30pm
Getting there: 35 km, approx. 1 hour by public transit.
https://www.visitsealife.com/oberhausen/tickets/
German Football Museum
The German Football Museum in Dortmund is the national museum of German football. They are more than a museum. They are a world of experience for the whole family. A cultural place of the past, present, and future of football. Vivid – emotional – interactive.
Tickets: € 24 adults, € 19 kids up to 14 years, Family ticket (€ 20 adults, € 16 kids)
Open 10am – 6pm.
Getting there: 18 km, approx. 30 minutes by public transit.
https://www.fussballmuseum.de/en/start
Even more here:
https://www.ruhr-tourismus.de/en/
Updated April 9, 2025, for most current version see online calendar