This section is dedicated to take away all your "I wish someone had told me that before I went!" experiences. This way, you can spend less time settling in, and more time making new friends in your chosen hostel. We share our insider knowledge of tips, tricks and important things to look out for in Dortmund.
Dortmund offers good value for your money and you will like the city even if you are not a football or music fan. However, staying longer in Dortmund might be boring, so a visit for a few days is probably the best option for any traveler.
There are several hostels in Dortmund; almost all of them are centrally located and within walking distance from the train station. The airport is small, with only a few flights, and quite far from the city. However, there are regular buses, which will take you to the train station. There, you can find good Dortmund hostels. Luckily, prices are quite low for German standards on normal days but Dortmund hostels often run out of places when there is a special event in Dortmund.
Dortmund is the home of some of the best rave and techno clubs in Germany. The Mayday festival is normally held there, turning the city into a massive party place -- but also makes it pretty hard to find an available Dortmund hostel. But if you like electronic music, this is one of the best festivals in Europe.
One of the best teams in Germany -- Borussia Dortmund -- plays in Dortmund in one of the most modern stadiums in the world (Signal Iduna Park). Although Dortmund has a population of less than six hundred thousand, the capacity of the stadium is more than eighty thousand. And it is always full! So it can be hard and/or very expensive to find a hostel in Dortmund on match days.
Apart from that, you can visit some of the city major sights. Dortmund has medieval churches such as the Reinoldikirche, the Marienkirche, and the Petrikirche; castles include the Haus Bodelschwingh, the Altes Stadthaus, the Haus Rodenberg, and the Haus Dellwig (both dating from the thirteenth century), and the Wasserschloss Bodelschwingh.
Written by local enthusiast for Dortmund hostels
George Traveller