15 Things to Do in Bochum

Bochum is a city located in the western part of Germany. It is known for its vibrant cultural scene, industrial heritage, and beautiful parks. The city has a lot to offer tourists, from museums and historical sites to outdoor activities and shopping centers. In this article, we will explore the top 15 tourist attractions in Bochum.

1. German Mining Museum

Bergbaumuseum Bochum, Schaubergwerk - Picture of German Mining Museum,  Bochum - Tripadvisor
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The German Mining Museum is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Bochum. It is a comprehensive museum that showcases the history of mining in Germany. Visitors can explore exhibits about mining techniques, machines, and tools used in the mining industry.

2. Bochum Dahlhausen Railway Museum

Eisenbahnmuseum (Railway Museum) Bochum-Dahlhausen | Flickr
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The German Railroad Museum is a museum that showcases the history of the German railway system. Visitors can learn about the different trains, locomotives, and railroads that have shaped the country’s transportation system.

3. Zeiss Planetarium Bochum

Zeiss Planetarium Bochum | ESO Ireland
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The Zeiss Planetarium is an excellent place to explore the stars and planets. It features a 20-meter dome that displays a wide range of astronomy shows and films.

4. LWL-Industriemuseum Zeche Hannover
LWL-Industriemuseum - Bochum Marketing GmbH
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A colliery has been maintained and turned into an industrial museum a few kilometres northwest of Bochum. Coal was extracted using shafts that descended 750 metres below the surface between 1857 and 1973. In the Zecheknirps region, children may put on mining dungarees and learn firsthand how a mine works without any risk all summer long.

5. Botanical Garden of Ruhr University Bochum

University
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Managed by the Ruhr University Bochum, this botanical garden at their campus is open free of charge. The Ruhr University Bochum is a renowned research university that is known for its diverse range of programs. Visitors can explore the campus and learn about the university’s history and research initiatives.

6. Kunstmuseum Bochum

Kunstmuseum Bochum öffnet wieder - Bochum Marketing GmbH
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The Kunstmuseum Bochum is an art museum that showcases a wide range of contemporary and modern art. Visitors can explore the various galleries and learn about different art movements and styles.

7. Tierpark und Fossilium Bochum

Tierpark + Fossilium Bochum - Highlights, Tipps & Review zum Besuch im Zoo  / Tierpark | Freizeitpark-Welt.de
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The Tierpark and Fossilium is a zoo that houses a wide range of animals, including tigers, lions, and monkeys. Visitors can also explore the Fossilium, which features exhibits about prehistoric life.

8. Situation Kunst

Situation Kunst – Wikipedia
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The noble residence Haus Weitmar was destroyed in the war, and its ruins have been adapted as a sort of contemporary art museum with outdoor sculptures and installations. There are also interior galleries, one containing a considerable collection of East Asian art.

9. Brauerei Moritz Fiege

PRIVATBRAUEREI MORITZ FIEGE: Everybody's darling? | Hopfenhelden
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Breweries are the best place to learn about the Ruhr region’s gastronomic history. From Monday through Friday, the brewery offers tours in the evenings so that you can learn how Fiege Pils is created as well as walk inside the enormous cold storage basement.

10. Stiepeler Dorfkirche

Stiepeler Dorfkirche
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The construction of one of Bochum’s oldest still-standing structures began in the 10th century. It was renovated as a Romanesque basilica in the 12th century, when it assumed its present shape, and the choir was redone in the Late Gothic style in the 1400s. The Stiepeler Dorfkirche has essentially not changed since that time.

11. RuhrPark

Ruhr Park (Bochum) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go
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When the RuhrPark opened in Bochum’s Harpen district in 1964 it was only Germany’s second shopping mall. In 2017 it is still one of the largest retail centres in the country, made up of more than 140 shops and employing some 2,500 people.

12. Propsteikirche St. Peter und Paul

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The Propsteikirche St. Peter und Paul, one of Westphalia’s 12 oldest churches, dates to Charlemagne’s reign at the end of the eighth century. After a fire in 1517 partially destroyed the Romanesque structure that had stood here since the 1000s, the choir was added to a new Late Gothic structure.

13. Tippelsberg

Tippelsberg - Bochum Marketing GmbH
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The highest point in kilometres around Bochum, which is a rather flat city, is this prominence located three km north of the city’s heart. Tippelsberg is a 150-meter-tall green space that serves as a public park. At the highest point, there is an orientation chart that provides information about the far locations you can see, such as Dortmund’s Florianturm.

14. Kemnader See

Kanustation Kemnader See - Lenne Ruhr Kanu Tour
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The Ruhr to the south of Bochum has been dammed to create a water reservoir that most agree is one of the prettiest in the region. Families can play a round at the mini-golf centre or rent a pedal boat, while the reservoir has a windsurfing centre that rents out stand-up paddleboards . And at the start of June you can catch Kemnade in Flammen, a festival with a fair and live music on the shore.

15. Dahlhauser Heide

Siedlung Dahlhauser Heide Bochum, Urban Design - baukunst-nrw
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Up to 1900, Bochum’s population rose from 4,500 to 100,000 in just 50 years. Therefore, it was up to the mines to create new neighbourhoods for their employees. These neighbourhoods, which were influenced by the Utopian ideas of the time and built to stave off the menace of organised labour, were cosy and equipped with everything a worker could want.