How else to say goodbye to my temporary home town than a few days of doing everything I have loved there with people who mean a lot to me?
As a kid who has lived in the same house her whole life, I’ve never really had to deal with the whole packing up your life and saying goodbye to a place thing. Okay I’ve kind of had to do it for university but that’s different because I always have in my mind that I’ll be back. But after 7 months of living and working in Dortmund, the time had finally come for me to leave this chapter of my life and move to Spain. During my stay in Dortmund, I lived in a WG (‘Wohngemeinschaft’ – a shared apartment) and there were lots of interns at the company, so obviously, I had already seen a lot of people come and go. I suppose each person has their own way of saying goodbye to memories and a place. Some of my friends opted for a nice dinner in their favourite restaurant with colleagues, others a big flat party, but I couldn’t settle on just one thing. That’s when my housemates and I came up with the idea of doing a ‘Dortmund Day‘.
My two most recent housemates hadn’t been in Dortmund very long and so not only would doing everything I love there be a great way to say goodbye but it was also a chance to introduce this place and some hidden gems to new people for them to enjoy. So I sat down and reflected on the past 7 months and began to form a list. Here’s what we got up to and some of my favourite things to do in Dortmund (it turned out to take longer than just a day! ;)):
1. Climbing Reinoldikirche
This wasn’t actually something I had done before but rather something I had always wanted to do. Ever since I visited Heidelberg and a couple recommended climbing the church there for a stunning view of the town, it’s become almost a mission of mine to find a church or something to climb in every city I visit. If you didn’t already know, I’m a sucker for a great view so you might notice a little pattern in the things we did. Churches are great because they have tall spires providing you with that killer view but unlike popular viewing platforms, they are less touristy and overcrowded and you often don’t even have to pay to go up but just give a small contribution.
Reinoldikirche is supposedly the oldest church in Dortmund, built between 1250 and 1270, and is located right in the heart of the city centre, which means it provides a great view. Its spire is a dominating feature of the Dortmund cityscape but there was still a lot to see from the top with a couple of other significant buildings to spot. It turns out we picked a fabulous day for it. The weather was beautiful and the sky so blue. We just gave a small donation of a couple of euros. I would definitely recommend doing this!
2. Phoenix-See
I have to admit, one thing that the centre of Dortmund really lacks is nature. There aren’t many green spaces, which I am used to in my home town of Cambridge, and certainly no river! But a short u-bahn ride and I found everything I was missing. The Phoenix-See is a man-made lake in the area of Hörde, surrounded by modern apartments and lots of restaurants. I discovered this beautiful gem pretty late on in the game once the weather started to get nicer. I can’t imagine it being that great in the winter as the water would be frozen, but on a sunny day it is the perfect place to go to. On the far side of the lake there is even a hill, perfect for a picnic or just simply catching some rays! And of course, there’s a great view from the top 😉
3. ‘Kaffee & Kuchen’ time
After climbing all those steps of the church and walking around the lake, we had worked up a bit of an appetite. There are many places where you can buy ice cream near to the Phoenix-See but on a day like it was, the queues were huge and I’m pretty impatient. Plus, there was a coffee shop I had been dying to try out for a while. This café bar is right in the centre of the city just off of Friedensplatz and caught my eye with its pink facade.
We had always learnt in school that ‘Kaffee und Kuchen’ (coffee and cake) was a big part of German culture and although it turns out that this is quite an outdated statement, the German’s do have great coffee shops! After our group trip to Munich, it kind of became our thing to go and get cake together. They have a huge selection of hot drinks and yummy cakes, all reasonably priced too. I opted for a classic cappuccino and a slice of banana-walnut cake. Delicious!
4. Sunsets in Westfalen Park
Along with great views, sunsets are another favourite thing of mine and this place combines them both. You have to pay a small fee to enter Westfalen Park (and a little more if you want to go up the tower) but in my opinion it’s totally worth it and it means the park is kept in great condition. Tip: Visit after 6 pm for reduced entrance, you can still catch the sunset 😉 I had been to the park several times throughout the year – I saw it covered in snow, in the rain, but the end of summer was probably my favourite time to visit – when the flowers are still in blossom and the trees are just starting to change colour for autumn.
We were lucky that on this occasion it was a lovely day for a stroll around the park and all of the daffodils were out for spring too. To top it off, we went up the Florianturm to get one of the best views of Dortmund and catch the sunset. It was a little windy at the top but I didn’t mind when I was looking out at this:
5. Food Brother!
I’ve mentioned this place before in a previous post so I don’t need to do much explaining. But this place’s motto really does speak for itself – they honestly have the best burgers in town! I recommend the ‘Bacon Supreme’ or ‘Nacho Burger’, and for just €10 (incl. chips and a drink), the price is very reasonable! Plus, I love that their cute packaging is recyclable.
6. Nightrooms
No final weekend is complete without one last little boogie with your friends! I have to admit that Dortmund doesn’t have the best nightlife or maybe I just didn’t discover it while I was there…but when I did go out, you would nearly always find me in Nightrooms. What I especially liked about this club is that there are several rooms each with a different genre of music. So it doesn’t matter who you go with, there is sure to be something that you all like in one of the rooms. And once you get fed up in one room, just move on to the next!
One thing I found a little strange in the German clubs was that they gave you a ticket that they punch holes in for everything that you buy and then you hand this in at the end. Make sure you keep your card safe and keep track of how much you’re spending so that you don’t end up with a big surprise at the end of the night!!
7. Westfalen Stadium
As you know from my post about the BVB match against Darmstadt and probably from my social media too, I became quite the Dortmund fan whilst in Germany. I was lucky enough to get tickets to a couple of games including the Champions League match again Sporting Lisboa and even went to some of the open training sessions to meet the players. Football is a big part of Dortmund’s identity and it is not unusual to see numerous black and yellow shirts and merchandise as you stroll through the streets of the centre on a normal day. Sure, Signal Iduna Park is not the most beautiful stadium I have ever seen but it’s home to the BVB, who I am now proud to call my ‘German team’. So on the Sunday, we took the ubahn there one last time. There’s a big fan superstore right next to the stadium, the perfect place to pick up some souvenirs, but be aware that it’s closed on Sundays! Also, the ubahn only runs directly to the stadium on match days so if you want to visit at any other time, take the U45 to Westfalenhallen and get off there or at Remydamm.
8. Currywurst
One of my first ever posts about my time in Dortmund featured my first taste of Currywurst. I remember at that time, I wasn’t the biggest fan of this very typically German dish but as time went by and I gave it another try, it grew on me. My favourite place for CPM, as the germans call it I’m told (Currywurst Pommes Mayo), was ‘Der Thüringer Curry’ just between the Market Square and Reinoldikirche. They offer a menu, which includes Dortmunder or Thüringer Currywurst ( I didn’t notice a difference 😉 ), Pommes, Mayo and a beer for a very reasonable price. I also tried their Frikadelle there, which I can only describe as a cross between a meatball and burger, and that was rather delicious too! On the Sunday, the weather was still glorious so we decided to sit outside in their small terrace and enjoy the sun.
9. Glowing Rooms
This was not my first visit to Glowing Rooms but I enjoyed it so much the first time that I wanted to go again with my housemate Lynn. I’ll be honest, the place is a little expensive for what it is… yes, at the end of the day it’s just a game of minigolf. But the atmosphere and decor inside is really cool. How often are you going to say that you went to a 3D glow in the dark minigolf course? They provide everything so you don’t have to worry and give you an iPod to track your scores. If you want, you can buy some refreshments at an additional cost.
You should definitely make a reservation on their website if you want to try it out and it costs €10 per person. They usually have enough availability the day before if you are a small group or maybe even the same day if you’re lucky.
10. L’Osteria
Last but not least, I had pay one of my favourite restaurants one last visit. L’Osteria is one of a few favourite italian restaurants of mine in Dortmund, but one thing that makes this place stand out from the rest are their pizzas. They’re HUGE. I’m pretty sure I’ve never managed to eat the whole thing in one go before, so if you’re up for a ‘Man vs. Food’ type challenge, this place is for you. And even if you’re not, you should still check this place out and anything you can’t manage, you can ask to take in a doggy bag. The restaurant is super chic and modern and there’s a lovely outdoor area that flows out into Friedensplatz, which I imagine would be great in the summer.
11. An extra tour from a local
Near the end of my stay in Dortmund, I met a rather special someone by chance. He was a local and offered to show me all these amazing places I had not yet been to. Of course, I couldn’t decline. I thought it was super kind of him and well, what better way to see a city than with someone who was born and raised there, right? We got on super well during our mini tour of Dortmund and long story short, I ended up falling in love with the guy. Looks like it might not be goodbye to Dortmund after all, but I guess I didn’t know that at the time. Crazy right?
Hohensyburg Sunset
High above the Ruhr valley, somewhere between Dortmund and Hagen, stand the ruins of a fortress – now known as Hohensyburg. This point boasts one of the most stunning views of the Ruhrgebiet, overlooking the city of Hagen and the point where the river Lenne and Ruhr meet. Due to its location, it also treats visitors to a beautiful sunset.
We drove here, it’s only about a 15-minute drive from the centre, and took a walk around the fort before watching the sunset. Truly magical!
Walks along the Harkortsee at Herdecke
From Hohensyburg, you can see lots of small towns and villages. One of which is Herdecke, which lies directly on the Ruhr. There is a lovely lake there called the Harkortsee, with a spectacular aqueduct towering over it. The sun was still setting as we arrived here and the silhouette of the aqueduct against the coloured sky was incredible. We walked along the edge of the lake but didn’t stay too long as it was getting dark.
Phoenixsee at night
To end the night, we decided to go to the Phoenixsee. I mentioned this place above, but I had never been at night time before. To be honest, it had never really crossed my mind to go when it was dark. But I’m so glad he suggested it. It was great because there were hardly any other people, compared to the masses of crowds on the busy and hot saturday daytime, and the view of the city at night was even more spectacular. There’s something about the lights of the city that I just love. Sat up on the hill, it felt like time had stood still with him and the lights of the city around me reminded me that we are just a tiny little part of this big busy world. As the Phoenixsee is just outside the city, it meant you also had a breathtaking view of the night sky. I love space and astronomy and was happily spotting all the constellations. The perfect end to a romantic date!
Well since planning and writing this post, I have actually already booked my flights to go back to Dortmund to visit my boyfriend. Looks like it wasn’t goodbye, but rather see you soon! I can’t wait to discover more places in the Ruhrgebiet with him and re-do some of my favourite things. Dortmund, you were a pleasure!
xoxo
Life Of A Linguist 