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Dortmund is located in Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia. The River Ruhr flows to the south of the city and the Datteln Hamm Canal to the north. The Dortmund-Ems Canal terminates in the large Dortmund Harbor almost in the heart of the city center.
The city goes back as far as 880 AD when it was just a small village. In 1152 the emperor Barbossa rebuilt the town after it had been destroyed in a fire. It was the emperor’s residence for two years only, but later it grew to become one of the most powerful towns of the empire. In the 13th century Dortmund attained the status of an Imperial Free City that was directly subordinated to the emperor.
Dortmund, home of Borussia Dortmund, is known as Westphalia’s ‘Green Metropolis’. Nearly half the municipal territory consists of waterways, woodland, agriculture and green spaces with spacious parks such as Westfalenpark and the Romberg park. Other green highlights in Dortmund include: Dortmund Zoo and Romberg Park Botanical Gardens with a unique collection of foreign trees and shrubs. Also recommended: long walks on the city outskirts past Dortmund's chateaux and moated castles.
The Christmas market (weihnachtsmarkt), incidentally, is one of the largest in Germany, and is host to one of the largest Christmas trees in the world.
In Dortmund you can combine window shopping (in the city center) with a sightseeing tour and a visit to one of the many cafes and restaurants. From Westphalian Grünkohl (a kind of ham and cabbage soup) though to sushi, Dortmund's cuisine knows no borders.
And if you are interested in the arts and culture, there is a lot to choose from. The Dortmund Westfalenhallen programme is always well worth checking out for international pop shows, rock concerts, operas and sports events. Meanwhile, if it's a bit of a thrill you want, Hohensyburg Casino is the place (set in beautiful surroundings too). Let Lady Fortune tempt you to have a flutter. Or simply enjoy the restaurant's culinary delights. Dortmund has a world-wide reputation for professional sport. But there is a whole range of sports for the enthusiastic "amateur".
The Stadium
Borussia Dortmund's stadium, Westfalenstadion, was built for the 1974 World Cup.
Each week 25,000 fans would come and watch Borussia play from the famous South Stand.
In 2001, it was decided to increase the size of the stadium by joining the four stands, to bring the capacity of 69,000. The entire renovation took 3.5 months, and cost €20.5 million.