Football in Germany - A travel guide to watching German soccer

Schalke 04 club records

admin — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 22:21:40 +0000

Schalke 04 have a proud record as seven-times German Champions - albeit that the last of those championships came in 1958!

Ebbe Sand - Bundesliga top scorer 2001
Indeed, all of those championship titles came in the period before the creation of the Bundesliga (1963/64). At that time, the winners of all of Germany’s regional leagues met in a knock-out competition to decide the ultimate national champions. As you can see below, Schalke’s real heyday was from the mid 1930s to the early 1940s.

Apart from Ebbe Sand (pictured right) who was the Bundesliga’s joint top goalscorer in the 2000/2001 season with 22 goals, you also have to go back over a quarter of a century to find another Schalke player topping the goal scoring lists. That was Klaus Fischer in 1976. How long before a Schalke goal scorer does it again??

German championship - Winners
1934 Beat Nuremberg 2-1 in the final
1935 Beat Stuttgart 6-4
1937 Beat Nuremberg 2-0
1939 Beat Admira Vienna 9-0
1940 Beat SC Dresden 1-0
1942 Beat Vienna Wien 2-0
1958 Beat Hamburg 3-0

German championship - Runners-up
1933 Lost 3-0 to Düsseldorf
1938 Lost 7-6 (agg.) to Hanover
1941 Lost 4-3 to Rapid Vienna
1972 - Bundesliga: 2nd to Bayern Munich
1977 - Bundesliga: 2nd to Borussia Mönchengladbach
2001 - Bundesliga: 2nd to Bayern Munich
2005 - Bundesliga: 2nd to Bayern Munich
2007 - Bundesliga: 2nd to VfB Stuttgart
2010 - Bundesliag: 2nd to Bayern Munich

German Cup Final - Winners
1938 Beat Düsseldorf 2-1
1972 Beat Kaiserslautern 5-0
2001 Beat Union Berlin 2-0
2002 Beat Leverkusen 4-2

UEFA Cup - Winners
1997 Beat Inter Milan 1-1 (4-1 on pens)

German second division - Winners 1982 and 1991

Gelsenkirchen by road

admin — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 22:14:07 +0000

All roads lead to the Arena AufSchalke - Gelsenkirchen, home to the Arena AufSchalke, is a former coal-mining and steel town in Germany’s Ruhrgebiet (Ruhr district).

Driving to and from Gelsenkirchen to several other Bundesliga venues is quite manageable, while the trip to cities in the east and south (e.g. Nuremberg and Munich) is a much longer trek.

The German autobahn network criss-crosses the Ruhr district and provides excellent links to the other venues.

See also our pages on driving in Germany and car hire details.
See Expedia.co.uk for Gelsenkirchen hotels, flights and rental cars.

Gelsenkirchen by air

admin — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 22:10:16 +0000

Gelsenkirchen does not have an airport of its own, but, as the map below shows, the region of North Rhine Westphalia has many others. Useful for flying in from abroad to Gelsenkirchen (just above ESS on the map) are the airports at Dortmund (DTM) and Weeze (NRN), plus the major international ones at Düsseldorf (DUS) and Cologne (CGN).

For more information on Dortmund airport, see Dortmund by air. There is a free shuttle bus from there to the nearby Holzwickede railway station, from which you can get a train (via Dortmund main station) to Gelsenkirchen (takes c. 55 mins).

The airport at Weeze, formerly called Düsseldorf Niederrhein, is a regional base for the low-cost airline Ryanair. It is about an hour by car from Gelsenkirchen - but public transport links are very limited.

Fly Ryanir to Weeze?
By far the largest airport nearby is Düsseldorf International, about one hour’s drive away, while a little further south is Cologne/Bonn.

Other airports shown above are: Münster / Osnabruck (FMO), Paderborn / Lippstadt (PAD), Siegerland (SGE), Essen (ESS)and Mönchengladbach (MGL).

Düsseldorf International
This is the major airport in North-West Germany. In terms of internal connections to World Cup destinations, you can get flights from here to Munich (withAir Berlin and DBA), Nuremberg and Stuttgart (withAir Berlin) and Berlin (with DBA). Airlines such as Star Alliance partners Lufthansa and United Airlines provide numerous international links, while Air France also fly here from Paris, KLM from Amsterdam and British Airways from Birmingham, Heathrow and Manchester.

External links
Dortmund airport
German rail
Düsseldorf International
Cologne / Bonn airport
Weeze regional airport

Flying from the UK? Going to the airport by train, coach or car?
If you’re flying from the UK and planning to go to the airport by coach or train, these links to National Express Airport coaches, the thetrainline, Gatwick Express and Heathrow Express let you book your journey to the airport online. If you’re driving, tryPurpleparking airport parking for cheap parking at all major UK airports.

Gelsenkirchen by rail

admin — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 22:06:01 +0000

Gelsenkirchen main railway station (Hauptbahnhof) is served mainly by regional (RE/RB) trains and not by many of German Rail’s long distance (ICE) Intercity Express trains. However, it is only about 10 minutes to Essen main station, and around 25 to Dortmund main stations, both of which are served by more long distance trains.

The city of Gelsenkirchen has a rather elongated shape (map on Gelsenkirchen.de), running almost north-south. The ground is in the north, near the district of Buer, while the station is in the city centre, which is in the south. A metro-cum-tram (Stadtbahn) link (the no. 302) runs from the station to the ground (see City centre to stadium).

Local transport
Gelsenkirchen forms part of a small metro-cum-tram network (called Bogestra) linking three adjacent towns. You’ll see this referred to both as the Stadtbahn (light urban railway) and Strassenbahn (trams). As in all German cities, the buses are also fully integrated (Public transport planner).

Mainline Services
There are not many direct mainline services between Gelsenkirchen and the other major German cities. (See German rail journey planner) Many of the journeys shown below are via Essen:

* Frankfurt, c. 2 hrs 20 mins
* Stuttgart, c. 4 hrs (via Frankfurt)
* Cologne, c. 1 hr
* Hanover, c. 2 hr 25 mins (via Essen)
* Leipzig, c. 5 hrs 35 mins (via Essen)
* Munich, c. 6 hrs (via Essen)
* Nuremberg, c. 4 hrs 45 mins (via Essen)
* Dortmund, c. 25 mins
* Kaiserslautern, c. 4hrs 10 mins (via Frankfurt)
* Hamburg, c. 3 hrs 15 mins (via Münster)
* Berlin, c. 4 hrs (via Essen)

Map of station location

Schalke 04 - Overview

admin — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 21:55:06 +0000

Schalke 04 is one of the biggest club’s in German football - but much of their reputation comes from success many, many years ago. As the 04 in the club name suggests, it was in 1904 that it was formed, in a pub in a suburb of Gelsenkirchen called Schalke.

They opened their new stadium, the Glückaufkampfbahn (left) in 1928. This was to be their home during the glory years of the 1930s and early 1940s. Winning their first German championship* in 1934, Schalke appeared in 14 out of 20 league championship and FA Cup finals between 1933 and 1942.

Seven championship titles
With the championship extended during the War to include Austrian teams, Schalke won their 6th title in 1942, beating Vienna in the final. Sixteen years later, in 1958, they won their seventh and - as at the date of writing - last title.

Having been a founding member of the Bundesliga in 1963, Schalke were embroiled in a major match-fixing scandal in 1972/73, as a result of which several players were banned for taking bribes to throw a game.

Cup success
The 1980s saw the ignominy of relegation from the Bundesliga no less than three times. In recent years, however, they have tasted success again, winning the UEFA Cup in 1997 and the German Cup for the 3rd and 4th times in 2001 and 2002.

Since 1958, however, another - 8th - championship continues to elude them…

External link

* Schalke 04 (English)

* Before the Bundesliga was formed in 1963, German football was based on several regional leagues, with the ultimate champions crowned in an inter-league final.

Gelsenkirchen overview

admin — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 21:52:25 +0000

Gelsenkirchen near Schalke
Schalke may only be one of the city’s many boroughs, but the name Schalke is far better known outside the immediate area than that of Gelsenkirchen. Club folklore has it that when Schalke 04’s legendary player of the 1930s, Ernst Kuzorra, was asked by the King of Sweden where Gelsenkirchen was, he cheekily replied “Near Schalke!”.

Gelsen-where?
Gelsenkirchen is in fact located in the industrial Ruhr District, in the north west of Germany.

Changing times
Gelsenkirchen is a former mining and coke refining town. However, 117 years of coke refining came to an end in 1999 and a year later the Ewald-Hugo colliery closed with 3,000 laid off. The city is now becoming a centre for solar panel technology, as well as home to some major chemicals and water utility companies.

Rugged charm?
Angular buildings characterise the rather concrete city centre these days, which cannot be said to be picturesque. But while not pretty, Gelsenkirchen is football mad. For over 100 years it has been home to Schalke 04, named after the local borough of the same name.

Historic buildings
Despite the city centre’s 1970s appearance, there are a couple of impressive historic buildings in the area. The Renaissance Schloss Horst and noble Schloss Berge, both more like large manor houses than ‘castles’.

See Expedia.co.uk for Gelsenkirchen hotels, flights and rental cars.

External links

Official city website (English)

* Welcome page
* City history
* Historical buildings
* Special trails

Frankfurt sights 4

admin — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:39:18 +0000

Goethe House and Museum
Joahnn Wolfganng Goethe is to Germany what Shakespeare is to England, arguably the country’s greatest ever literary figure. He was born at this house in Frankfurt in 1749 and lived here until 1765.

Destroyed in 1944
The house was totally destroyed by an air raid in 1944, but rebuilt true to its original form in 1949. Today, only some of the fixtures stem from Goethe’s family itself.

The Goethe Museum is linked to the house, directly next door.

Adult admission (2005): 5 euros

Open: Sun-Fri 10am - 5.30pm
Sat. 10am - 6pm

Goethe House website (German only)

Frankfurt tourist office page on the Goethe House (in English)

Alte Oper (Old Opera)
A grand renaissance period building, built between 1872 and 1880, the Old Opera is centrally located and can be reached via the U6 or U7, getting out at the ‘Alte Oper’ stop, or via any line to ‘Hauptwache’ followed by a few minutes walk. It was almost completely destroyed in the War and lay in ruins for over 30 years.

New era for the Old Opera
It finally reopened in 1981. As by then a new opera house had already been built in Frankfurt, it was designed from the start of its new life to be a venue for concerts, balls and other society events.

Alte Oper website (German only)

Frankfurt tourist office page on the Alte Oper (in English)

Frankfurt sights 3

admin — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:37:16 +0000

Musemufer (Museum Bank) runs between the Eiserner Steg and the Friedensbrücke bridge. This riverbank is officially called the Schaumainkai, but is known as the Museumufer as it is home to the city’s best museums,including:

Städel Museum
2 Dürerstrasse. Closed Mon. Tues, Fri, Sun 10am-5pm, Wed + Thur 10am-9pm. The museum displays various works of arts both modern and old. Adult admission: 6.00 euros.
Städel Museum website (English)

Deutsches Filmmuseum (German Film Museum)
41 Schaumainkai. Closed Mon. Tues, Thur, Fri, Sun 10am-5pm, Wed 10am-8pm, Sat 2-8pm. The German Movie Museum displays - as the name implies - the art and history of film making. 4.00 euros for adults, 1.50 for children.

German Film Museum website (German Only)

Frankfurt tourist office page on the German Film Museum

Museum für Angewandte Kunst (Museum of Applied Arts)
17 Schaumainkai. Closed Mon. Tues & Thur-Sun 10am-5pm, Wed 10am-9pm. 5 euros for adults.

Museum of Applied Arts website (English version on the way!)

Frankfurt tourist office page on the Museum of Applied Arts

Liebighaus (Liebig House)
71 Schaumainkai. Closed Mon. Tues & Thur-Sun 10am-5pm, Wed 10am-8pm. Large collection of sculptures and statues from all over the world. Adult admission 4 euros. Very nice cafe in the garden.

Liebig House website (in German)

Museum der Weltkulturen (Museum of World Cultures)
29-37 Schaumainkai. Closed Mon. Tues, Thur, Fri & Sun 10am-5pm, Wed 10am-8pm, Sat 2pm-8pm.

Museum of World Cultures (German only)

Frankfurt tourist office page on the Museum of World Cultures

Museum für Kommunikation (Museum of Communication)
53 Schaumainkai. Closed Mon. Tues-Fri 9am-5pm; Sat-Sun 11am-7pm. 2 euros for adults.

Museum of Communication (German only)

Frankfurt tourist office page on the Museum of Communication

Deutsches Architektur Museum (German Architecture Museum)
43 Schaumainkai. Closed Mon. Tues, and Thur-Sun 10am-5pm, Wed 10am-8pm. Varied range of exhibits on buildings and architecture. 6 euros for adults.

German Architecture Museum website (select Welcome)

Frankfurt tourist office page on the German Architecture Museum

Frankfurt sights 2

admin — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:32:25 +0000

Skyscrapers & Eiserner Steg - Frankfurt’s skyline is unlinke any other in Germany, dominated by modern skyscrapers. The only one of these that you can go up is the Main Tower (pictured).

Panoramic views
There is a lift to a viewing platform 200 metres up the Main Tower, from where you’ll have a great view of Frankfurt and the surrounding area. Best o go up on a clear day, or around sunset, so that you can watch the city change as day transforms into night. The viewing platform is closed during severe weather. There is also a TV studio at the top of the tower, where, amongst other things, the live draw for the German national lottery is made every Saturday evening.

Viewing platform: 10am - 9pm (winter: 10am - 7pm)
Restaurant & bar: 5.30pm - 1am (till 2am Fri. & Sat.)
Adult admission: 4.50 euros

Main Tower website (English)

Frankfurt tourist office page on various skyscrapers (English)

For a good general view of the skyline, try the Main river bridges such as the Eiserner Steg. Also, if you approach the city from the airport on the S-Bahn suburban rail service, stay to the right side of the train. Just before the train approaches Frankfurt main railway station it enters a big curve, from where you’ll have a good first glance of the skyline.

The Eiserner Steg (Iron bridge)
The Eiserner Steg is a pedestrian footbrigde that links the area around Römerberg square with the southern, Sachsenhausen, side of the river Main. It was built in 1868 as a result of an initiative by local people, who had complained to the mayor that the single bridge over the river that had existed until then was not adequate to handle the increasing comings and goings over the Main. 170m long and made of rivetted steel, the bridge is likely to be your route over the river to Museumufer or to the cider bars in Sachsenhausen.

Frankfurt sights 1

admin — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:29:52 +0000

Römerberg square and Frankfurt ‘cathedral’ - The Römer has been the Frankfurt’s town hall or Rathaus for 600 years and the medieval building is one of the city’s most important landmarks. The Haus Römer is actually the middle building of a set of three facing onto Römerberg square in the heart of old Frankfurt. The buildings around the square were largely destroyed during World War II but then completely rebuilt afterwards.

With cafés and shops lining the square, it is a prime tourist attraction. The balcony on the front of the Römer has also be the scene of many football celebrations. The German ladies national team took their bows here, for instance, after winning the 2003 World Cup, as did the men on their return as beaten finalist after the 2002 tournament in Japan and South Korea.
Footballers know the Römer balcony well

Within walking distance of the Zeil shopping area and the Main river, the square is located just north of the Eiserner Steg bridge.

Frankfurt tourist office page on the Römerberg square (in English)

Frankfurt tourist office page on the Römer town hall (in English)

Saint Bartholomeus’ Cathedral
Saint Bartholomeus’ Cathedral (Dom Sankt Bartholomäus) is a Gothic building constructed in the 14th and 15th centuries on the foundations of an earlier church from the Merovingian era. It is Frankfurt’s main church.

A big role in history
From 1356 onwards, kings of the Holy Roman Empire were elected in this church, and from 1562 to 1792 emperors were crowned here.

Since the 18th century, Saint Bartholomeus’ has been known as “the cathedral”, although it has never been a bishop’s seat.

In 1867 the ‘Dom’ was destroyed
by fire and rebuilt in its present style. The cathedral museum is open Tues-Fri 10am-5pm, 11am-5pm Sat & Sun.

Frankfurt ‘Cathedral’ website (German only)

Frankfurt tourist office page on the cathedral (in English)