The largest city of the Ruhr region, Dortmund was formerly a coal mining and steel producing centre. Today, its coking towers and steel plants have fallen silent, and been replaced by hi-tech companies and tourism. The vast Zollern coal mine II/IV, built in 1904 as a symbol of the region's industrial strength, is now a museum showing what life was like at the coalface. The once thriving port, with its 10 docks and 11km of quayside, is about to reinvent itself as a centre for e-commerce and IT. The city whose streets bore carts laden with salt and silk is still trading, however. After Berlin, Hamburg and Frankfurt, Dortmund is the largest shoppers' magnet in Germany, drawing visitors from 100km away.

Other popular haunts are the city's arthouse theatres, new concert hall and casino offering all manner of musical and theatrical offerings. And then there's the hallowed building they call Bundesliga's opera house, the stadium that is home to the Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund. One of Germany's oldest football clubs, Borussia was founded in 1909 by members of the Catholic youth group, citing that: "We as footballers have systematically been fought and defamed. We can no longer accept that. It is necessary to form a club."

Rob Castell adds ...

With a wealth of parkland, Dortmund has earned its nickname of the ‘green metropolis’. After a morning of fantastic shopping you can head to the parks for a gentle jog or simply recline on a bench in Westfalenpark. Find the time to enjoy one of Europe’s great sporting treats and catch a game at one of Dortmund’s proudest possessions, Westfalenstadion, home to Borussia Dortmund football club. Cultural treats include the Museum for Art and Cultural History, one among many great museums, and in the evenings the Theatre Dortmund has rich variety of performances.