Things to do in  Dortmund

SEA LIFE®Oberhausen is a family-friendly aquarium that is also home to the largest shark nursery in Germany. Visit a variety of animals, from otters to sharks to turtles, and learn about their habitats and behavior behavior with animal feedings and expert talks.

Built from the profits of the 2006 World Cup, the German Football Museum (aka the DFB) in Dortmund is a mecca for soccer fans from around the world, though its main focus is German soccer. Mementos of different eras line the exhibits, videos abound, and interactive displays recount the history of Germany’s relationship with the beautiful game. The museum is also conveniently located next to the Dortmund train station.

An indoor playground for families with younger LEGO®-obsessed kids, LEGOLAND® Discovery Centre Oberhausen lets you unleash your creativity with more than 4 million LEGO bricks. Smaller in scale than a full LEGOLAND, this center has several play areas, a 4D cinema, and a couple of rides for the youngest visitors.

One of Germany’s largest caves, the Atta Cave (also known as the Atta-Höhle, or Attendorn Dripstone Cave) is a magnificent world of caverns, rock formations, and other subterranean wonders. Accidentally discovered by limestone quarrymen in 1907, the cave is a major tourist destination, and attracts more than 350,000 visitors each year.

Also known as the Westphalia Stadium (Westfalenstadion), Signal Iduna Park is the home of the yellow-shirted soccer team Borussia Dortmund. A top-tier team in the German Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund has enough fans to command a huge stadium. With a capacity for more than 80,000 spectators, it's one of Europe’s biggest and a must-see for fans of the beautiful game.

The Florian Tower (Florianturm), Dortmund’s major landmark and TV tower, stretches skyward for around 656 feet (200 meters). The tower is located in Westfalenpark, a fitting location as it is named after the patron saint of gardeners and the park boasts beautiful gardens. Visitors usually take a quick trip up the elevator to the tower’s observation deck and then stroll around the surrounding sights of the park.

The LWL Museum Zeche Zollern—a 19th-century former colliery turned industrial history museum—shines the spotlight on Dortmund’s coal-mining past. Unexpectedly, for a former colliery, its setting is quite easy on the eye. Visitors are greeted by aristocratic-style architecture, which exists in stark contrast to the miners’ harsh working conditions, as explained in the museum.

In Dortmund’s Rombergpark Botanical Garden, this zoo is home to about 1,500 animals who inhabit outdoor enclosures. While species from most continents are here, the zoo focuses on South American wildlife, being a noted breeder of giant otters and giant anteaters. Low entry costs and easy access from the city center make it an attractive pick for Dortmund travelers with kids in tow.