- Ruhr-Universität Bochum
Leisure Activities
Bochum and the Ruhr area
Bochum, a lively university city with 365,000 inhabitants, is situated in the heart of the Ruhr area, which, with its five million inhabitants, is the largest economic region in Europe. Where once coal dominated, the service and education sector have long since taken over. Since the 1960s, with fourteen universities and over 150 other non-university education, research and development facilities, the Ruhr area has grown into one of the most important scientific landscapes of Europe.
And that’s not all it’s famous for: its many theatres, concert halls, cinemas and museums also make the Ruhr metropolis Europe’s densest cultural landscape.
In Bochum alone, more than forty theatres, including the famous Schauspielhaus Bochum, provide the framework for a full evening entertainment. The Bochum Symphony Orchestra plays at different venues, even on the RUB campus. The unique German Mining Museum, the Museum Bochum, the Planetarium and numerous smaller museums and galleries are waiting to be explored. In the Bermuda3Eck, the largest pub district of the Ruhr area, more than seventy-five pubs, bars and restaurants invite you to linger.
If you’re more the quiet type, you’ll find rest and relaxation in the countryside. The „Innenstadt West“ is a former industrial area now restyled as a park, and is seen as an example for the successful structural change in the whole Ruhr area. In the heritage-protected Bochum city park and along the Ruhr, you’ll find endless opportunity for jogging, inline skating, cycling or just relaxing in the sun. Water sports enthusiasts can let their hair down surfing, sailing or rowing on the Kemnader lake.
The other cities of the metropolitan region are within easy reach: thanks to a dense local transport network, the world heritage site Zeche Zollverein in Essen or the Landscape Park Duisburg-Nord are only a stone’s throw away. Even Cologne, Dusseldorf, Münster or Aachen can be accessed quickly by train or by car.
Sports
As a student of Ruhr-University, you have access to the whole sports program. There are different courses during the semester and even during the semester break. To take part, you need to register and buy a sports card for a small fee.
Besides that, if you are a real sportsman, you also may join the teams participating in several national and international competitions, e.g. mountainbiking, tennis, rowing, etc. Sports journeys are also offered!
There are, of course, also several sports clubs („Sportverein“) available, that you may join. The annual fees usually aren’t very expensive and it’s a great opportunity to get to know new people of all backgrounds and age. One of the most prominent sports clubs in Bochum is -of course- the so called VfL Bochum 1848. You may also search for clubs based on your desired sport and district.