Trains to Dortmund Hbf

Dortmund train station

Dortmund train station is one of the main points of connection for the North Rhine-Westphalia region. The main hall was built in 1952 and features lovely stained-glass windows. With 16 lines and around 190,000 passengers passing through daily, the station sees hourly high-speed ICE and IC services, with additional regional services connecting the outlying towns. Berlin-Dortmund is a journey of 3h18mins, from Munich it’s 5h30, and the trip from Frankfurt is around 2h15mins. Nearby cities include Cologne (1h05mins away by rail), Düsseldorf (45 minutes away) and Münster (a 30-minute journey). In terms of international routes, Amsterdam is just 2h45mins away by rail, Brussels is 3h18mins, and Paris is 5h15mins. This station will undergo extensive modernisation from the summer of 2017. As well as the city’s main station, Dortmund Holzwickede railway station is close to Dortmund Airport, with the AirportExpress connecting the main station and airport directly. S-Bahn trains also connect the station to the rest of the city.

Main attractions near Dortmund train station

Dortmund is famous for doing certain things very well! Namely, coal, steel and beer, which have been some of its main exports. And, nowadays, football also draws crowds from far and wide, alluring them with one of the most successful football clubs in German history. With the historic centre of this former industrial powerhouse almost totally destroyed during WWII, what’s left of its classical buildings is now interspersed by a range of modern replacements.

For those arriving in search of the city’s brewing legacy, the Dortmunder U is just a 5-minute walk from the station. This golden letter marks a once-famous brewery and now symbolises the Am Ostwall Museum, with its eclectic modern art collection. On the other hand, for those coming for the football, the Deutsches Fußballmuseum (German Football Museum) right opposite Dortmund train station should be the first port of call. Here, fans can revel in immortalised matches! These museums form part of an ‘art and culture mile’ that stretches from the U-Tower to Das Konzerthaus Dortmund (Dortmund Concert House), a 10-minute walk west of the station.

The not-so-old Alt Markt (Old Market Square) is a hotspot for eating, drinking and people-watching. Just to the north is the 13th-century Reinoldikirche. Its bell tower pays visitors with the energy to climb its 200 steps back in beautiful panoramic views. Neighbouring Marienkirche is the city’s oldest religious building, with its Romanesque origins still visible. But, going back to the topic of food and drink — Dortmund, which was previously Germany’s beer-brewing capital, houses some fantastic watering holes. This student city comes alive in the evening, with cosy pubs, quirky clubs and everything in between, all scattered throughout the city centre.