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One of Europe's most iconic stadiums, home of the famous "Yellow Wall".
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Considered the cultural heart of the Ruhr region, Dortmund was known purely for coal, steel and beer 50 years ago, but has evolved into a major tech hub, with a state-of-the-art university and a lively cultural scene. Borussia Dortmund are pretty good too!
BVB Stadion
One of the most renowned venues in world football thanks to its famous "Yellow Wall" stand, the BVB Stadion has a capacity of over 60,000 for international games and is one of the largest arenas at UEFA EURO 2024.
Built for the 1974 FIFA World Cup, the stadium has been renovated and enlarged several times since then. It was a semi-final venue for the 2006 World Cup and has hosted many Germany matches.
In 2001, the BVB Stadion staged the memorable UEFA Cup final between Liverpool and Deportivo Alavés, and it has also witnessed several high-profile UEFA Champions League ties over the years.
Visiting a Bundesliga game in Dortmund is on the bucket list of many European football fans. For domestic matches, standing areas increase the BVB Stadion capacity to 81,365, with almost a third of that number being housed in the famous Südtribüne, the "Yellow Wall".
Three things to do
Celebrate Dortmund's industrial past
When many cities were destroying their industrial buildings, Dortmund decided to preserve the Zeche Zollern machine hall. Now a museum, it collects together the machinery that made the city great and celebrates the Ruhr region's hard-graft heritage.
Get into German football
Close to the central station, the Deutsches Fußballmuseum opened in 2015 and is home to the boot Mario Götze used to score the winner in the 2014 World Cup final among other sacred objects. Regular special exhibitions mean it warrants repeat visits.
Take an unusual stadium tour
Dortmund is a bike-friendly city, and cyclists can explore the local footballing heritage via the Deutsche Fußball Route NRW, a cycle path that links key footballing destinations in the Ruhr like the homes of Borussia Mönchengladbach, Schalke 04 and Borussia Dortmund.