Dortmund is a sports lovers city and offers much variety to its visitors. Whether you love soccer, cycling or chess, Dortmund is certain to provide the active entertainment you seek.
Football / Soccer
The local Dortmund sports team is Borussia Dortmund. These 1997 winners of the UEFA Championship and the Intercontinental Cup play their matches at Signal Iduna Park (once known as, and still called, Westfalenstadion). This large stadium is one of Europe’s biggest and can hold crowds of up to 80,000.
Cycling
The Six Day Cycle Race a.k.a. Sechs-Tage-Rennen is a Dortmund sports tradition since 1926. Each year close to 80,000 spectators descend on Dortmund to watch the competition. Some notable past winners include Olaf Ludwig, Bernard Hinault and Didi Thurau.
Horse Racing
The Dortmunders take their horse racing very seriously! The course takes place from November through April in a special venue. With both all-weather sand and grass for the horses to run on, even the seats here are covered in glass and heated to make sure the races can be enjoyed in all kinds of weather.
Chess
While not a traditional active sport, chess is quite important to the Dortmund sports scene. The Sparkassen Chess-Meeting is one of the biggest tournaments in the world. Crowds of about 7,000 come to cheer on and strategize with their favorite chess masters.
Golf
There are several golf courses in Dortmund, testament to the popularity of this game. These courses are also quite lovely for sightseeing. Many feature large ponds and a variety of tree life. And it doesn’t matter what time of the year or day you want to golf. There are indoor and outdoor clubs. Indeed, even the outdoor ones offer coverings and floodlights so that you will never have an excuse not to play.
Indoor Rock Climbing
If you just can’t make it to the Alps to get your mountain climbing fix, this is the next best thing. The Dortmund Alpine Club and Kletter Max offer indoor rock climbing for those who love scaling the heights.
