Gelsenkirchen VELTINS-Arena (53,804)

The city has poured a cool 191 (EURO) million into the state-of-the-art VELTINS-Arena, which opened its doors in 2001. Equipped with the latest technology, the World Cup stadium features a removable playing surface, giant video wall, retractable roof and electronic admission. Home team Schalke 04 have an impressive seven league titles to their name.

The World Cup stadium lies north of the city centre in the Buer district.

Get there from the Main Station
From Gelsenkirchen's Hauptbahnhof (main station), take tram 302 towards Buer Rathaus to VELTINS-Arena. The journey takes around 15 minutes.

Get there from the Airport
Düsseldorf International airport is the best bet. From here, trains take you to Gelsenkirchen in about 45 minutes. Tram 302 completes the journey to the stadium.

Another option is Dortmund Airport, home to low-cost airlines Easy Jet and Air Berlin. The onward journey involves three changes: take a bus to Holzwickede, followed by a train to Dortmund's main station, then S-Bahn S2 to Gelsenkirchen, and finally tram 302 to the stadium. The trip takes about an hour and a half.

Taxis from both airports charge roughly 70 (Euro) to Gelsenkirchen - a good option if you can split the costs.

Get there from the City Centre
Tram 302 links the city centre to the VELTINS-Arena in just 15 minutes.