A stay in Gelsenkirchen can revolve around immersive experiences, cultural history or outdoor trails. ZOOM Erlebniswelt, Horst Castle, the Musiktheater im Revier, VELTINS-Arena and park and slag-heap trails each offer a different focus. Deciding in advance which themes matter to you can help you plan your visits more deliberately.
ZOOM Erlebniswelt: Themed Worlds and Different Experiences
Covering more than 30 hectares, ZOOM Erlebniswelt presents the themed worlds of Alaska, Africa and Asia. On the African Lake, the boat safari aboard the African Queen is one of the attractions; the Alaska Ice Adventure is a motion-ride simulation through Alaska’s different vegetation zones. Within the same experience, you can choose between a boat safari and a motion-based simulation.
Renaissance History and Culture
Horst Castle is one of the city’s oldest buildings and among Westphalia’s most significant Renaissance castles. The interactive museum takes visitors on a journey back to the Renaissance. In the historic printing workshop in the outer bailey, you can operate a historic printing press yourself.
The Musiktheater im Revier offers another cultural focus: it specializes in operas, operettas, musicals and symphony concerts and has been a listed monument since 1997. The Consol cultural quarter is also home to the Consol Theater, a cultural venue, and the Sammlung Werner Thiel art installation.
Football History at VELTINS-Arena
Tours of VELTINS-Arena last about 75 minutes and include access to the Schalke Museum. Covering more than 600 square metres, the museum presents the eventful history of FC Schalke 04 through more than 500 exhibits, photographs and films. As the duration and included access may change, check the latest tour details before your visit.
Parks, Slag Heaps and Trails
Nordstern Park occupies the site of the former Nordstern mine and combines industrial heritage with an expansive park landscape. It has trails for walking and cycling as well as boat moorings. The park thus connects the site’s mining past with opportunities to spend time outdoors on the trails.
The Rungenberg slag heap in Gelsenkirchen-Buer is crowned in the southeast by the “Nachtzeichen” light sculpture, created by Klaus Noculak and Hermann EsRichter. The heap can be reached on foot via numerous winding paths starting in the Schüngelberg housing estate or from Horster Straße.
If you would like to add cycling or walking trails to your stay, you can choose between two routes. The Kray-Wanner-Bahn is a former railway line converted into a cycling and walking trail through Gelsenkirchen; it passes the Rheinelbe slag heap and ends at the Erzbahntrasse. This route begins in Gelsenkirchen at Grimberger Hafen and continues past ZOOM Erlebniswelt towards Herne.
Choose a Focus for Your Stay When Looking for a Hotel
When looking for a hotel in Gelsenkirchen, first decide which visits will shape your stay: ZOOM Erlebniswelt and the arena, Horst Castle and cultural attractions, or trails through parks and slag heaps. This priority can help you tailor your trip to your interests and then plan your visits accordingly.
Discover more destinations: Beckhausen, Herne, Bottrop, Wuppertal, Solingen, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Dortmund, Mönchengladbach.
Go to the main travel overview: North Rhine-Westphalia.
