Dortmund

Germany

Things to do in Dortmund:

Dortmund Restaurants

Cheap (40)

Divan

Divan has some of the best Turkish kebabs, lahmacun, k�fte, pizza and doner in town, available to eat in or take away. You may have to elbow your way through the hordes of students, though - it's... read more
Affordable (40)

Artemis

A long-established restaurant serving huge portions of reliably good Greek food. Finish your Mediterranean feast with a glass of ouzo on the house and a delicious black mocha. read more
Good quality (27)

La Barrique

Germans have a common phrase, klein aber fein (small but nice), that fits this lovely French restaurant down to the last detail - from the table linen to the refined menu and wine list. read more

Dortmund Nightlife

Chilled (20)

KostBAR

This cluttered little espresso bar and organic bistro offers everything from healthy breakfasts to Italian lunches, best finished off with a quality cup of bio-coffee. read more
Live Music (18)

Kaktus Farm

This place claims to be the No.1 student bar in town and features the occasional live band. Book the basement bowling alley for some guaranteed fun. read more
Clubbing (30)

TNT

Spice things up with salsa and tango at TNT, where Latin American teachers show you the moves during group classes. Tango nights take place every Wednesday and Sunday, while Friday nights see salsa... read more

This Month in Dortmund (March):

By Jeroen van Marle/ inyourpocket.com

Shopping: If you're in the market for witchcraft and wizardry gear, head to Minervas Hexenladen Trudimonia. The shop, which looks like a scene from Harry Potter, sells cauldrons, crystals, dragons and more, you may even meet the in-house witch (11 Kneebuschstrasse, Berghofen, tel: 0231 9932 223, hexenladen-nrw.de).

Sightseeing: The Konzerthaus Dortmund is the place to catch some excellent concerts. This month, on 4 March, the Van Beethoven specialists of the the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen play under direction of Paavo J�rvi. If you're around later in the month, grab a ticket for Bach's magical Johannes-Passion on the 28th.

Key areas: The brand new RUHR 2010 visitor centre is housed inside the renovated Dortmunder U building, just a short walk from the train station. The centre has information on all sights and events on the European Capital of Culture programme (ruhr2010en.dortmund.de).

Day trips: The Ruhrgebiet area is renowned for its picturesque towns, with none cuter than Hattingen. Explore its city walls, three castles and medieval churches, all just half an hour away from Dortmund (hattingen.de).

Dortmund News & Gossip

Nude Hiking in Germany

Germany is no stranger to nudity, with its nude package holidays and nudist beaches. While nude hiking is not uncommon, plans are afoot to open Germany's first official nude hiking trail, in the Harz district. Hikers must wear appropriate footwear along the 17.7km route, but clothing is optional. Fully clothed walkers will need to watch out for signs warning of naked walkers ahead if they prefer to stick to nature watching rather than naturist watching!

Dortmund Trivia

March: In the 1960s, Dortmund was the second-largest beer-producing city in the world, after Milwaukee, in America.
February: At 1,600m across two large halls, Dortmund's indoor karting track is the world's longest.
January: The 70m high "Dortmunder U" (pronounced 'ooh') was once full of beer, as the former Union Brauerei's fermentation tower.