The Ruhrgebiet: a conurbation with character

Lovingly dubbed 'Ruhrpott' by the locals, the Ruhr area is a melting pot of cultures. The belching chimneys of its industrial era have been replaced by green recreation areas and a new industry culture. And the fact that the lucky residents of this conurbation can city hop - from Bochum to Essen to Duisburg - means they never run out of new activities to get involved in and fresh areas to explore.

The cities introduced

Zeche Zollverein, Photo: Ruhr Tourismus / Jochen Schlutius Bochum is home to more than 376,000 residents and is truly a service metropolis, home to companies such as Opel, Nokia, Moritz Fiege private brewery, BP, Johnson Controls, and ThyssenKrupp.

The City of Essen is the European Capital of Culture in 2010. With a population exceeding 580,000, this 'shopping city' is also home to some of Germany's major business players including RWE AG, Eon-Ruhrgas AG (Germany's largest gas company), Hochtief AG (Germany's largest construction company), as well as ALDI North, KarstadtQuelle AG, Medion AG, and Deichmann (Europe's largest shoe retailer).

With more than 500,000 residents (of whom around one-fifth are migrants), multicultural Duisburg is renowned for its iron and steel industry. Logistics (Deutsche Bahn AG and Deutsche Post AG) also play a major role thanks in part to the town being home to Europe's largest inland port. Duisburg Port, known locally as Duisport, services vessels from around the world and handles over 40 million tonnes of cargo every year. Other key industries include chemicals, paper, mechanics (Siemens, Hitachi Power Europe), precision instruments, foodstuffs (König-Brauerei brewery and others) as well as call centers.

Overview of the universities

Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB)
Founded in 1965, the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) was the first new university in post-war Germany. Today, the uni is one of Germany's biggest and is an internationally renowned research institute. Indeed, the RUB was recently nominated as an elite university as part of the government's excellence initiative which aims to promote top research at German universities and enhance Germany's reputation as an academic location. The uni has some 32,000 students, of whom around 4,500 are international (hailing from some 130+ countries). The core of the compact campus is comprised of the AudiMax, the central lecture hall complex, the refectory and the university library with adjoining administration. Students can take a break from their studies in the university's botanical garden with its 15,000 different plant varieties and Chinese garden.

University of Duisburg-Essen
Founded in 2003, the University of Duisburg-Essen is North Rhine-Westphalia's youngest university and one of Germany's ten largest institutes of higher education. The product of a merger of universities from the two cities, the new institute boasts stronger research centers, a broader teaching spectrum and modernized services. It currently has 33,700 students enrolled, and offers international bachelor and master degrees. The university's research focuses on four main areas: fundamentals and applications of nanotechnologies; genetic medicine and medical biotechnology; empirical research in education; and urban systems, logistics and transport. Famous alumni include German politician Hannelore Kraft and revue performer Dieter Nuhr. In 1975, the University of Essen was the first German university to introduce and finance a permanent Poet-in-Residence program in its Department of Literature and Languages. A range of highly prominent authors were invited to hold lectures, discussions and workshops. Among the first writers to take part were novelist Martin Walser and Nobel Prize Winner Günter Grass. This popular tradition continues to be upheld to this day.

What Bochum is like

The Canadian Neal Lemon came to Bochum to acquire his doctorate in neuroscience. He attended on a scholarship and is now happily married to Tatjana, a German teacher he met during his studies.

Why did you pick Bochum?

I chose Bochum because of its international reputation for neuroscience, the high level of research and the friendly professors.

What do you do outside of the lab?

I enjoy hanging out with my international friends and taking a swim in the uni#s spacious pool to relieve stress and meet new people. I also like shopping in my multicultural neighborhood for food from Asia, the Middle East and the Mediterranean. I also like the fact that the uni registration fee includes free public transit between the Ruhr's major cities. Düsseldorf and Cologne can be reached in an hour or less and Dortmund also has some great clubs.

What's your favorite spot?

My friends and I spend lots of time in Café Konkret in the city center. It has a relaxed, student atmosphere. You should also check out the Bismarckturm in the Stadtpark to get a great view of the city. It's a fine place to spend a sunny, summery afternoon.

Did you know?

Actor and singer Herbert Grönemeyer spent his childhood in Bochum, and in 1984 he released the album "4630 Bochum" as an ode to the city. The album featured the hit single "Bochum" which has long since become the city's anthem. The album stayed in the German Top 100 for 79 straight weeks.

Things to check out

Essen Villa Hügel (cc) Kulturstiftung Ruhr The German Mining Museum is a place to learn about the history of mining and metallurgy and enjoy amazing views of the city and Ruhr region from the headgear (rigging system) that sits atop the building.
Or perhaps you'd like to look to the stars and visit the Zeiss Planetarium.
Talking of stars, you'll be dazzled if you book tickets for the world's most successful musical, Starlight Express.
And for those of you with a yearning for nature, how about a trip to the Kemnade Stausee for sports, relaxation and festivals.

Not to be outdone by its neighbor, Essen boasts Lake Baldeney, which was dredged in the 1930s by unemployed coalminers in exchange for bread and beer. Nearby are bird sanctuaries and a silent colliery and don't forget a trip to the 19th century Villa Hügel, a palatial villa above the lake which tells the tale of the steel barons who used to live there.
Essen's Zollverein coalmine is an UNESCO World Heritage site and is both an industrial monument and venue for art and cultural events. And for culture vultures who just can't get enough, the European Capital of Culture 2010 has a lot more to offer: don't miss the Museum Folkwang with its renowned modern art collection or the Essen cathedral and cathedral treasury, with the oldest full-relief Madonna statue in the West.

Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord, Photo: Ruhr Tourismus / Jochen Schlutius Duisburg is the home of North Rhine Westphalia's most popular zoo, with rare animals such as koalas and wombats. It is also famous for the Duisburg-Nord Country Park, an abandoned industrial complex which now features a wide array of attractions for the public, including guided tours and concerts. For sporty types, there's also climbing (in old ore bunkers) or diving in the now-disused gasometer: the biggest artificial diving center in Europe.
The City Palais houses shops, offices, restaurants and event venues. And if you're exhausted from all that gambling in Germany's largest casino, then how about marvelling at the Lifesaver fountain, the beautiful city landmark created by French artist Niki de Saint Phalle.

What's happening?

Disappearing without a trace is something that hopefully won't happen when you visit Bochum's very own Bermuda Triangle, the Ruhr's most famous location for restaurants and bars. Downtown Bochum is jam-packed on the first weekend of the North Rhine Westphalia summer vacation when Bochum Total (Europe's biggest music festival) takes place. Visit Bahnhof Langendreer for music, food and cinema.

Duisburg's nightlife is always buzzing in the warehouses around the port and there are many restaurants lining the water. The oldest student pub, Finkenkrug, is also worth a visit, if only to sample the largest beer selection in North Rhine Westphalia. DJäzz on the Börsenstraße is a happening hangout with indie parties, exhibits of underground artists and indie film evenings.

The district of Essen-Werden, with its mediaeval townscape and pretty Lake Baldeney, is a great tip for good pubs and restaurants including the renowned Kika's Eiscafé for a naughty-but-nice ice in summer. Most of Essen's nightlife is concentrated around the Rüttenscheid district, so why not go for a local snack? Currywurst Pommes Schranke (a barbecued sausage dish with curry sauce, fries, ketchup and mayo) gets its name from its stripy resemblance to a German rail crossing gate! And of course, wash it all down with a few of those world-beating German beers.