In a nutshell
- For our Locals series, Ingrid and Gerhard answer our 22 questions — sharing their best insider tips for Gelsenkirchen on top sights, restaurants, and things to do.
- Gelsenkirchen is one of those German cities almost everyone associates only with soccer. But this city in the heart of the Ruhr region has so much more to offer!
- Industrial heritage and mining history have left their mark — you’ll find fascinating exhibitions, old collieries, and parks that bring the story of the Ruhr Valley to life.
Tips and Info for a Trip to Gelsenkirchen
Before we get to our interview, here’s the most important info you need before visiting Gelsenkirchen.
Location
Gelsenkirchen sits right in the heart of the Ruhr Area, in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Thanks to the dense urban fabric of the region, neighboring cities are never far away. Duisburg, Essen, and Dortmund are right next door, and cities like Düsseldorf or Wuppertal are less than an hour away by car.
Our Hotel Picks
Here are our hotel recommendations in Gelsenkirchen for every budget:
Interview with Two Locals: The Best Insider Tips for Gelsenkirchen
Our Experts
We’re Ingrid and Gerhard from Gelsenkirchen. Ingrid is a true Gelsenkirchen native who’s lived here for 66 years. Gerhard was lured here by her ten years ago.
We’re now retired — with very little free time, which we spend going on bike tours in and around Gelsenkirchen. At some point we decided that all the beauty and diversity of GE needed to be captured in photos.
Since then, we’ve been publishing pictures of Gelsenkirchen on i-love-gelsenkirchen.de. Much of what we feature here can also be found on that website.
Gelsenkirchen in Three Words
Emotional, Colorful, Straightforward
Why Go There!
Gelsenkirchen is rich in culture and nature — and there’s so much more to it than the world-famous soccer club Schalke 04. GE isn’t a concrete jungle. It’s a city with plenty of green space, parks, forests, and lakes for relaxing, plus an incredible mix of people from over 140 nations.
If you want to get a real feel for everyday life in GE, hop on the number 301 streetcar. From the main train station, ride it all the way to the end of the line in Gelsenkirchen Horst and back. The round trip takes 100 minutes and gives you a genuine glimpse into how people live here.
Unique to Gelsenkirchen
A 1000% blue-and-white love. Schalke 04 runs deep in people’s hearts here and is lived with incredible intensity.
Things to Do in Gelsenkirchen: Top Sights and Activities
Must-Sees
Gelsenkirchen is home to some seriously fascinating industrial heritage sites that are open to visitors today — great examples of how old collieries and industrial grounds are being given new life. Here’s a selection of our top picks in Gelsenkirchen:
- Nordsternpark: A lovely park built around the former Nordstern colliery
- Halde Rungenberg and Halde Rhein Elbe: Gelsenkirchen’s two slag heaps, offering sweeping panoramic views over the city and the surrounding region
- Glückauf Kampfbahn: The historic stadium from the glory days of Schalke 04, when the team led by Ernst Kuzorra and Fritz Szepan won seven German championship titles
- Grimberger Sichel: This pedestrian and cyclist bridge over the Rhine-Herne Canal is a real architectural eye-catcher
On a Rainy Day
You can always take the classic route and duck into a cozy corner bar in one of the neighborhoods, or head to one of the many museums.
A really interesting option is the Zeche Consolidation, where a guided tour teaches you a lot about coal mining and its “golden age” in the Ruhr region.
With Kids
Kids will have a blast at ZOOM Erlebniswelt. The zoo is so engaging you could easily spend a full day there — at least.
Nordsternpark also has some great, very large playgrounds.
If the little ones love animals, we’d suggest a day with llamas at the Kinderburg in Revierpark Nienhausen, or a visit to Ziegenmichel Hof, an educational farm in Gelsenkirchen-Hessler.
A Great Day Trip
Our favorite outing is heading to the beer garden Gut Steinhausen in Wanne Eickel, right near the Cranger Kirmes fair, or to Holger’s Bude on the Erzbahntrasse. Both are easily reachable by bike.
To Relax
We love unwinding in the Bergackerstraße area in Eckeresse. From there you get a wonderful view down into the lower-lying neighborhoods. If you’re lucky, you might even spot some impressive model airplanes in the air — the model airfield is nearby.
Best Viewpoints
There are actually two that are truly outstanding: Halde Rungenberg and Halde Rhein Elbe. Both offer a sweeping panorama of Gelsenkirchen and the entire Ruhr Area. You’ll also get a great vista from the observation tower in Nordsternpark.
Best Photo Spot
We’d recommend wandering through nature in Gelsenkirchen Eckeresse. In the meadows you’ll find, among other things, impressive Highland cattle. When you show people photos from there, nobody believes it’s Gelsenkirchen!
Craziest Activity
Not being a Schalke fan. That’s truly the craziest thing you can do in Gelsenkirchen.
Best Event of the Year
There’s no single standout event in Gelsenkirchen — the lineup is just too diverse! A Schalke 04 match at the Veltins Arena is always a highlight, and certainly one of the reasons many people make the trip to Gelsenkirchen.
Absolutely one of a kind is the annual World Team Challenge in biathlon, held at the Veltins Arena on Schalke.
Best Museum
We really recommend a visit to the Documentation Center: Gelsenkirchen under National Socialism.
Most Beautiful Neighborhood
Without a doubt, Gelsenkirchen Buer. Buer has a lovely pedestrian zone with many shops still run by their owners. Also well worth a visit is the Feierabendmarkt — a small but excellent food market that takes place every Thursday from 4 PM on St. Urbanus-Kirchplatz.
Food and Drink in Gelsenkirchen
Local Specialty
This one isn’t so easy to answer. There’s no single Gelsenkirchen specialty — instead, you’ll find delicacies from countries all over the world.
Favorite Restaurants
We love restaurants that are cozy and have their own special charm — places that still have a bar where you can, as we say around here, have a nice little chat and enjoy a Pilsner. After a couple of Pilsners, a delicious meal follows. What more could you want!
Our restaurant picks:
- Hexenhäuschen in GE-Buer (Bierkutscherschnitzel, Rumpsteak “Spelunken”)
- Onkel Hans in GE-Rotthausen (Schweinefilet Wiesengrund, Red Hot Chili Pasta)
- Der Emscherhusar in GE-Horst (Krüstchen, Spaghetti allo Scoglio)
Best Burger
We rarely eat burgers, so we’re no experts on the subject. But friends swear by the burger from the butcher shop Das Ruhrkind at Stölting Harbor.
What we can say: you’ll probably find the world’s best döner at Meister Döner on Ewaldstraße, and an absolutely delicious currywurst at Curry Heinz in GE-Beckhausen.
Best Ice Cream
Head to the Botticelli ice cream parlor on Hochstraße in GE-Buer. Around Christmas time, they also serve a wonderfully delicious mulled wine.
Best Breakfast
For breakfast, we highly recommend Wolterhof in GE-Resse. Delicious, hearty, and always fresh. In the afternoon, try their “small” homemade cake slices — after that, you won’t need lunch!
Going Out at Night?
Every neighborhood has its own cozy bars and restaurants where you’ll feel right at home.
For younger crowds and the young at heart, die Hütte has been a staple meeting spot for decades.
We also recommend the Kaue in GE-Schalke. In a club atmosphere, it hosts cabaret and small-scale performing arts events — and there’s a bar with a genuine mining-era vibe inside.
Super trendy right now is the new dining scene around Stölting Harbor, including Restaurant Das Ruhrkind, Restaurant PURiNO, the ice cream café La Luna, and M ONE for cocktails and clubbing.
Where to Stay in Gelsenkirchen
Favorite Hotel
Schacht III in GE Horst is a simple, affordable place to stay offering vacation apartments and hotel rooms.
