The Football Tourist's Guide to the German Ruhrgebiet

Are you an independent minded traveller? Are you interested in heritage, history and tradition? Do you like to really get to know the places you visit? Do you want to visit Europe’s biggest and most vibrant metropolis? Do you want to experience the nerve-tingling atmosphere of a German football match? If the answer to any of these questions is ‘Yes’ then you need to read “The Football Tourist’s Guide to the German Ruhrgebiet. Bordered by the rivers Rhine, Ruhr and Lippe the Ruhrgebiet is one of Germany’s ‘hidden gems’. A vibrant, exciting and thoroughly modern metropolis, it is steeped in history and tradition. For over 100 years it has also been the beating heart of German football. This new guidebook introduces its major cities and towns, the history, culture and traditions of its people and its football clubs. There is advice on how to plan a visit and where to find out more.

A region transformed

They used to say that you could never see the sun in the Ruhrgebiet because the clouds of smoke and dust blocked out the sky. Hanging your washing up outside was a waste of time. It would end up covered in soot and dirtier than before you started. Little animal or plant life survived in the rivers and canals and you wouldn’t think of going for a swim. If you lived and worked in the Ruhrgebiet you had a lower life expectancy than anywhere else in Germany. You had a higher chance of dying young from lung diseases. You were more likely to live in crowded accommodation and to have a dangerous and exhausting job. Today’s Ruhrgebiet is completely transformed. The coking plants, blast furnaces and engine towers are all silent. The toxic emissions from thousands of chimneys have disappeared. The air is clean. Nature has begun to reclaim the vast tracts of land that were once occupied by sprawling industrial plants. City centres are attractive, dynamic, modern places. The arts are flourishing. But the region’s industrial past has not been swept aside. People are proud of the bravery and sacrifices of those who came before them. They value history and tradition. Former industrial sites have been imaginatively repurposed as cultural or entertainment centres or preserved as memorials to the past.

The epicentre of football

You can’t really understand the Ruhrgebiet without understanding its football. And you can’t talk about German football and ignore the Ruhrgebiet. For more than 100 years this region has been one of the biggest and most important footballing centres in the world. Only London has as many teams and players and as high a concentration of clubs and stadiums as here. The region’s sporting success is also second to none - at national and international level and two of the world’s wealthiest clubs are Ruhrgebiet neighbours. For decades exciting, talented players have emerged from the region’s football academies and gone on to dazzling local, national and international success. There is also no other region in Germany where football is so closely linked to the rhythms of daily life, to family, friendship and community.

A guide for the football tourist

This book introduces the towns, cities and people of the Ruhrgebiet from the perspective of the football fan. It outlines the major sights and makes practical suggestions about where to go and how to get there. It also presents the region's football clubs. It describes their triumphs and disappointments, tells the stories of famous players and coaches and celebrates fan culture. There is information and advice for anyone wanting to come and experience this exciting region in person. But there is also plenty for anyone simply wanting to find out more about this fascinating region. NOTA: El libro no está en español, sino en inglés.