A Journey to Dortmund, Germany

Dortmund is a nice place with plenty of history and a generous industrial tradition. It appeared in written
records around the year 1150, during the sovereignty of the famed Emperor Barbarossa (his true name
being Frederick). At that time, the town was just a humble community, with nothing notable happening. In
1150 it was burned down to the ground in a big fire. Nobody noted if the fire had natural causes or it was
somebody who wished to burn the village down, but what we do know is that Frederick the 1st made the
decision to restore it and declare it his official residence. He and his close ones lived in that town for a couple
of years.

In 1220 the city was declared “imperial free”, which implied no more taxes and no more civilian enlisting for
the army of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. But this denomination, the Holy Roman Empire,
should not misdirect you into believing that the Romans thrived there in those times. This denomination was
chosen simply due to the fact that it symbolized the religious importance of the Empire and its ruler.

Since then, the city (which had begun to be called in ancient notes as “Dorpmunde”) begun to be of interest
for the trading business of the Hanseatic League, which was an alliance of merchants who had a trade
monopoly on a large area of Germany, and some areas in the Netherlands.

Centuries later, during the industrial age, Dortmund thrived as a mining town, due to the rich coal and metal
deposits in the mountains and hills close by. They produced a lot of coal and steel in those times, and this
helped the city grow quickly. These days there are more than 500000 people living in this place, placing it no
7 in the country in terms of population, and number 34 om the European continent.

You'll find several interesting things to see in Dortmund, and some say that the most important is the
marvelous Westphalian Industrial Museum Zollern Colliery, which promises to accompany you on an epic
journey in the development of technology. They have everything inside, including a full-sized steam
locomotive that was dissected to disclose all the cogs, nuts, bolts and pipes that made it work.

Obviously, this museum is for technology fans, however Dortmund has other attractions, for other types of
visitors. For instance, you can visit three, fully reconditioned, moated castles to visit in this town. Number one
is Haus Bodelschwingh, raised in the 13th century, and restored in the 19th century. Also built in the 13th
century, Hous Delwig, the most visited of the three, presenting more original parts, namely the whole front
side, two towers and two nearby buildings. The third is Haus Rodenberg, a splendid moated castle.

The medieval houses, the Romanesque churches and the old town hall structure are in contrast with the new
city center, suspended trains and other futuristic designs you can see in Dortmund. The public gardens are
peaceful and calm, the bars are colorful and alive. This is why the city of Dortmund is worth visiting, apart
from its rich historical and industrial legacy.

One of the best hotels in this city is the Mark Hotel Commerz Dortmund