Sightseeing in Bochum - what to see. Complete travel guide

Within several years Bochum will celebrate its 700th birthday. This is a large industrial center and so its main sights and places of interest are connected with the theme of industrialization. The silent life of this place suddenly changed when rich coal beds were discovered near Bochum. This was a serious move forward for all spheres of life of the city and so Bochum started quickly developing in economic, scientific and cultural spheres.

If you want to learn more about this city and the history of region in general, the best place to do this is to attend the Industrial Museum of Westphalia. The museum will tell you more about the development of the city as 8 large plants are located on its territory. One of these plants is completely changed into a museum that provides visitors with information concerning the 200 year history of development of industry here. At a glance the excursion of industrial zones can seem to be boring and specific, however, even kids will not get bored during such walk. One of largest mines has also been turned into a museum especially for small visitors. A guide will tell kids about the process of coal output and then little visitors will be able to participate in merry games and try to use real mining instruments.

One more widely known cultural center is called “Century Hall”. Here annually takes place a popular festival Ruhr Triennale devoted to the modern art. The building was finished in 1092. However, regardless of its old history, it looks modern and very impressive. The large spaces of this hall are often used as a place to conduct concerts and sports competitions. Copyright www.orangesmile.com

The symbol of the city is the church of St. Peter and Paul that was built in the beginning of the 9th century by order of Karl the Great. This is a magnificent gothic building with its highest tower reaching 68 meters in height. Today one of the halls of this church is used for exhibition purposes, where guests of the city can view ancient relics referring to various epochs.

There are many unusual sights in the city; Geological Park is popular amongst the fans of walking strolls. This park has been announced as an important natural site in 1971, before that in its area were several large mines and factories. Today, the park draws with an interesting excursion, during which you can see the geological deposits of different periods. Due to tectonic movements a lot of faults were formed in the earth's crust, it is fascinating to follow the periods of the development of our planet using those. One of the main artefacts of the park are considered petrified trunks of trees that grew on our planet millions of years ago. 

Carl Zeiss Planetarium is a great place for a family visit. The opening of the planetarium was held in 1964, it was originally a unique hall, with a most accurate imitation of the night sky with stars. Today the planetarium holds interesting cultural events everyday, including special tours for children. It has several exhibition halls, where visitors can get acquainted with the collections of themed exhibits. 

A unique attraction is the brewing house - Altes Brauhaus Rietkotter Restaurant. It is the oldest building in the city, which was built in 1630; today it is a historical monument well-known to gourmets. Like many years ago, the brewery now produces beer according to old monastery recipes. Here you can taste the unique varieties of beer, as well as the most popular national dishes. 

There is a beautiful botanical garden in Bochum, which will be pleasant for a stroll on a sunny day. The vast territory of this garden is divided into several thematic areas, and inside the covered greenhouse there is a very interesting collection of exotic plants presented. The garden features plants from all over the world, here you can see a collection devoted to the nature of Asia, South and North America, as well as Europe. 

One of the favourite places for walks among the guests of Bochum is the "Bermuda Triangle". So called is a part of the historic district, including several picturesque pedestrian streets, the district is close to the train station. There are many interesting tourist attractions, including colourful souvenir shops and the best of national restaurants.