Ruhr Metropolis - European Capital of Culture 2010

When most people think about the Ruhr Metropolis, they think about heavy industry and coal. In recent years the region have undergone a major transformation and is changed from a gray industrial area into a modern and trendy culture metropolis. In 2010, the city of Essen and the whole Ruhr Metropolis have been designated to become European Capital of Culture. In the Ruhr Metropolis you will find many culture, but also natural beauty and various recreational activities. There are over 200 museums, various shopping malls, fun parks and a large network of cycle paths.

Location
The Ruhr Metropolis is situated in the west of Germany in the Federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia. Throughout the region there live about 5.7 million people in 11 cities and 42 smaller municipalities. The area of over 4400 square kilometers is surrounded by several rivers. The River Ruhr flows into the south, the Rhine in the west and in the north the Lippe.

Cities and themes
The Ruhr Metropolis is divided into five so-called visitors portals in 2010. Each portal has a central city with its own theme. Bochum is the festival and theater city, Dortmund the creative city, the port of Duisburg is the Port of culture, Essen is artistic and Oberhausen the popular and spectacular one. Many factories, furnaces and shaft lifts in these cities are transformed into cultural and tourist attractions and worth a visit during the European Capital of Culture year.

Environment Sticker in German city centers
In more and more German city centers, including those of the Ruhr Metropolis, polluting cars are banned. These urban centers (Umwelt Zone) are only accessible with an environmental sticker. Note: this rule also applies to foreign tourists. The environmental stickers (Umweltplaketten) can be bought at local Dekra stations.