The nearest international airport is Düsseldorf, about 50 km from Bochum. From Düsseldorf airport, you can get to Bochum by train S1 towards Dortmund or with some Regional Trains.
Regional airports nearby are Dortmund, Münster or Weeze.
Bochum is situated at the intersection of highway A40 (eat/west) and A43 (north/south). Avoid the rush hour.
Left side of main station the is the sculpute called "Terminal" by Richard Serra. It consists of four steel-plates with a hight of 12 m. In spite of their weight the visitor becomes a vision of lightness in a different way on every side.
* Crossing Kortumstrasse/Huestrasse is situated the sculpture "Ohne Titel" (without title) of Ulrich Rückriem. (currently removed due to construction works)
* Memorial of the herdsman at Massenberg-Boulevard: shown is the historical person "Fritz Kortebusch", the last herdsman of the town. In 1870, he guided the cattle of the citizens the last time to the "Vöde", a grassland outside the town limits, which is today the municipal park.
* Engelbert-fountain at Kortumstrasse, in memoriam of Earl Engelbert II, who granted town privileges to Bochum in 1321-1324. (currently removed due to construction works)
* Josiade-fountain at Husemann-Suare. Shown is a scene of the examination of Hieronymus Jobs, the main character of the "Jobsiade", a comical poem of the poet Carl Armold Kortum.
* "The envolvement of the City", sculpture of Professor Karl Henning Seemann at Schützenbahn street
* Collection of sculptures inside the municipal park.
* The bell in front of the city hall reminds of the improvement of steel-casting in Bochum. The bell was built in 1867 for the world exhibition in Paris.
* So called stumbling stones, little brass plates in the pavement with the names of Jewish citizens arrested and murdered during the period of National-Socialist dictatorship.
* Cenotaph for the victims of the mine desaster at "Vereinigte Präsident" in 1936. The sculpture was created by Wilhelm Wulff. In spite of the strict gidelines for artworks during the National-Socialist dictatorship, only parts of the sculpture follow those gidelines. Also the legend avoids typic National-Socialist terms.
The Botanic Garden [url=http://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/boga/],]oposite of the Ruhr, University offers plants from allover the world, a warmhouse (humid) and a cactus house (dry). Entry admission free.
* Chinese Garden [url=http://www.boga.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/chinagarten.html[/url]](part of the Botanic Garden), the only one in south chinese stile in Germany. Entry admission free.
* River Ruhr and Lake Kemnade are situated at the southern limits of Bochum. The lake offers walking- and biking-tracks, a boat rental, boat trips and some leisure equipments. The course around the lake has a length of about 10 km. On weekends and on holy days, the area is often crowded. The pathes beside river Ruhr are excellent for jogging or biking. Also ther are guided canoe-tours on the river.
* Zoo Bochum [url=http://www.tierpark-bochum.de/[/url],]situated inside the municipal park, is quit small. Worth seeing is the aquarium and fossil house. The entrance is situated at Bergstraße.
* Municipal Park Wattenscheid with aviary, admission free.
* Geological Garten [url=http://www.bochum.de/C125708500379A31/vwContentByKey/W275QB44990BOLDDE?open&MCL=78FEXS450BOLD[/url]]at Querenburger Straße next hand to school-center. It is a former quarry which had been extended with pathes and information boards. Excellent suitable for a little walk and if you want with some information about the geological structure of Bochum.
* Lake Uemmingen, small lake nearby the district of Langendreer. The path around the lake has an extension of about 2 km. You will find a playing ground for children, a halfpipe for scaters, a training ground for inliners and a beer garden. Sometimes you will find there guys with model ships.
* Municipal Park at the nothern end of Kortumstraße with Bismarck-Tower and zoo, very old trees, 2 ponds, rosarium
* West-Park, situated at Alleestraße about 1 Km beyond the city hall. It is not a park with pretty flowers and arranged nature. His charm is his history as a ground of the steel mill "Bochumer Verein". After the buildings had been pulled down nature has recaptured the area. Still left is the surface of the ground, some walls, waterponds and the Hall of the Century. All this was integrated in the new created park which offers also some grassland and much space. Joggers like the area. At his nothern end begins the Ore-Route, a 10 km walking- and biking-trail without street-crossings.
* Forrest Weitmarer, a small, but the biggest one inside of Bochum, forrest nearby the districts of Weitmar and Sundern.
* Kortumpark is situated at Wittener-Str. next hand to main station. It is a very old park with graves of some famous citizens which offers a good view onto the city at some locations.
* Gysenberg Park, leasure park between Bochum und Herne. You will find there a bath, leisure equipments, a little zoo, playing grounds for children and a small forrest.
* Mont Tippelsberg is the highest hill at the northern limits of Bochum. According to a legend, long time ago the giant Tipulus settled down there, and when he removed the soil from his boots, the Tippelsberg formed. A visit of Tippelsberg is highly recommended, the view from top onto the middle part of the Ruhr Area being excellent. Information boards advise of the landmarks around.
* Mutten-Valley [url=http://www.muttental.de[/url]]at Witten. It offers many relicts from the beginning of the mining period: mouth of galleries, machines, models of old mines. It is very impressive seeing it.
Those who like it should visit the ruin of
* Castle Hardenstein [url=http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burg_Hardenstein[/url]]nearby, an about 15 minutes walk aside river Ruhr. Accourding to legends gnome Goldemar should have lived there 700 years ago.
* Industrial Heritage Trail [http://www.route-industriekultur.de//menue/menue.html&lang=2[/url] recommended sites of the industrial heritage
Jumble Sale [url=http://www.flohmarktbochum.de/index.htm]]in front of the city hall every third Saturday per month
* Steam-Festival [url=http://www.dampf-festival.de/[/url],]presentation of old, steam-powered street-vehicles, about every second year on the ground of Mine Hannover in Bochum-Hordel
* FIDENA [url=http://www.fidena.de/[/url]]Marionette Theatre
* Bochum Maiabend [url=http://www.bochumer-maiabendgesellschaft.de[/url]]festival with medival roots at last weekend in April.
* Bochum Total [url=http://www.bochumtotal.de]]Rock-Music-Festival, one of the largest and most-important admission-free music-festivals in Germany. It starts every year at fist Thursday after schoolout in summer and lasts for four days in the city.
* Fiege Kino Open Air cinema outside in the yard of Fiege Brewery next to main station.
* Sparkassen Giro siehe unter Sport
* Bochum7up in Bochum Lagendreer - festival in suburb 7, derivated from times where old zip-code was valid
* Uemminger-Summertime [url=http://www.uemminger-summertime.de/[/url]]at lake Ümmingen
* Kemnader See in Flammen
* Kemnader See- und Hafenfest
* Extraschicht [url=http://www.extraschicht.de[/url]]the night of industrial heritage at June, refer also section "Culture".
* Open Flair [url=http://www1.openflair.de/flair/index.htm[/url]]one weekend at September, Raree Show, admission free
* Bochum Kulinarisch [url=http://www.bochum-kulinarisch.de[/url]]in August chifs of Bochum and nearby conjure up delicacies of their cuisine for low budget to taste.
* Bochumer Musiksommer [url=http://www.bochumer-musiksommer.de[/url]]Music-Summer, a weekend full of music from Classic to Rock at Massenberg Boulevard, admission free
* Kemnade International Festival of World Culture
* Piano-Festival-Ruhr [http://www.klavierfestival.de[/url]
* Bochumer wine-market during September
* Oktober-market
* Bochum's Christmas [url=http://www.bochumer-weihnacht.de]]including medival christmas market around Paulus-church, craftsmanship and the sound of historical instruments
* Ruhrtriennale [http://www.ruhrtriennale.de[/url] classical theatre in industrial ambiente in and all around Bochum
The Bermuda3eck (Bermude-Triangle) is the trendy district in Bochum and at the Ruhr as well. About 75 Bars, Restaurants, Cafes und Bistros are located here. They offer 10,000 seats, in summertime 3,000 of them open air. The Bermuda-Triagle is located around the Engelbert-Square.
Comödie Bochum [http://www.comoedie-bochum.de/]
* Schauspielhaus Bochum [url=http://www.schauspielhausbochum.de/]]
* Varieté et cetera [url=http://www.variete-et-cetera.de/[/url]]Herner-Strasse 299
* Prinzregenttheater [url=http://www.prinzregenttheater.de/[/url]]Prinz-Regent-Strasse 50-60
* Theater Thealozzi [url=http://www.thealozz.de[/url]]Pestalozzistrasse 21
* Theater Thespis [url=http://www.theater-thespis.de[/url]]Baaker Mulde 3
* Theater Zauberkasten [url=http://www.zauberkasten.de[/url]]Lothringer Strasse 36
* TheaterTotal [url=http://www.theatertotal.de[/url]]Hunscheidtstrasse 154
* Constantin Musik Theater [url=http://www.constantin-theater.de[/url]]Widume Strasse 6
* Starlight Express [url=http://www.starlight-express-musical.de/[/url],]the probably most successfull musical worldwide.
* Bochumer Symphoniker [url=http://www.bochumer-symphoniker.de[/url]]
* Freilichtbühne Wattenscheidt [http://www.freilichtbuehne-wattenscheid.de/[/url]
Stadtbad Hallenbad am Massenberg Boulevard in der City, Sauna, Massagen, Wassergymnastik
* Sauna, Fitness und Massage in der Meditheme am Ruhrpark (ehem. Aquadrom)
* Nordwestbad, Hallenfreibad Hofstede, Stettiner Str. 1-3, Tel 0234 524718
* Freizeitbad Heveney Hallen- und Freibad (schon Stadtgebiet Witten am Kemnader See), großer Saunabereich, beheiztes Außenbecken auch im Winter nutzbar, Tel 02302 56263
* Hallenfreibad Höntrop, Am Südpark 1, Tel 02327 73167
* Hallenfreibad Langendreer, Eschweg 50, Tel 0234 287547
* Hallenfreibad Linden, Brannenweg 10, Tel 0234 494257
* Hallenbad Querenburg,
Municipal Park grassy area below the park-restaurantauf - they do not like but accept it
* Westpark, situated at Alleestraße near downtown, much space, admission free, see item Parks also
* Lake Kemnade, nord-west bank at the hillside, sun position adverse in the afternoon, admission free
* Grassy Area at the Ruhr in Dahlhausen, clean, much space, admission free
not recommended is the area at lake Uemmingen, much dirt by dugs and swans.
Beside the standard articles like beer-glasses and t-shirts, available at the ticket shop at Huestrasse, a pitlamp is a good tip.
The cuisine of Bochum is the cuisine of The Ruhr. That was a Westphalian cuisine with strong East-Prussian and Rhenish impact. That means good and solid meals with much fat. Eaten was much cabbage, meat of rabbit, goat, pork and sometimes pigeons. IThe cuisine has changed and is still changing. On one hand, people do not have to labour so hard any more, but, on the other habd, people have more money to spend. Also are the imigrants. They brought their own cuisine with them. Today there is Turkish, Polish, sometimes Russian and most of all Mediteranian influence.
* To Bochum belongs "The Original" of butcher "Dönnighaus". That is a light sausage. It is well known even outside Bochum's limits and is the basis of a real good curried Sausage. Every visitor should taste it. You can get it all over the city at snack bars.
* One enlaged weekend in summer there is Bochum kulinarisch [http://www.bochum-kulinarisch.de/]. Chefs from and around Bochum conjure up delicacies of their cuisine for low budget to taste. It takes place at Massenberg Boulevard, ask at the tourist office for the exact date.
* September to February, blue mussels will be offered which are treated as a delicacy.
* During May, there are Dutch "Matjes". These are salted herrings but with gentle taste.
* Also during May is the period of asparagus. It exists as white and green one, mainly from France (first) and Germany. The German white asparagus is the best one.
* Many Turkish and Arabic shops offer little sweets made from puff pastry, almonds, coconut flakes, honey and a lot of sugar (the Turkish name is tatle´). The Turkish ones are extremely sweet. The Arabic ones are similar to the European taste. They are both worth a try.
AVLI im Luisenhof, Luisenstr. 14, Greek cuisine
* Stätlingshof in Altenbochum (4 km from town), Altenbochumer Str. 64, australian and international cuisine
* TAPAS, Kortumstr. 3, Spanish cuisine
* UNA MAS, Hans-Böckler-Str. 34, Spanish cuisine
* Sticks, Viktoriastr. 59, Japonese cuisine
* Taufenbach - Brauereiausschank, Gerberstr. 19-21
* [url=http://www.altes-brauhaus-rietkoetter.de/]Altes Brauhaus Rietkötter[/url], Große Beckstr. 7, Tel: 0234 9266710
* Mutter Wittig, Bongardstr. 35, Tel: 0234 / 12141
* Zur Uhle, Huestr. 24a
* SIDE, Hattinger Str. 601 (5 km vom Zentrum), Turkish cuisine
* PACIFIC BARBEQUE, Widumestr. 6, Mongolian cuisine
* LIVINGROOM, Luisenstr. 9-13, new international cuisine
* [url=http://www.zappenduster-bochum.de/]Restaurant Zappenduster[/url], Gahlenschestraße 129, Tel.: 0234 6102727. darkroom restaurant, a graet experiance