Herne is a city of 156,000 people (2019) in the Ruhr area. Part of the city escaped the extensive bombing that destroyed other Rugr cities in World War II, so there are still many historical buildings, especially in the Herne-Mitte district, many of them from the Wilhelminian era.

Understand

Europaplatz

Barely an association of hamlets before the mining boom and Industrial Revolution in the Ruhr area of the 19th century, it quickly grew largely due to immigration from other parts of Prussia/Germany before being hit hard by the decline of the Ruhr coal fields after World War II. Today the city is looking for a future beyond coal and steel.

Like the rest of the Ruhr area, Herne rose to prominence through the mining of a high quality coal (known as Steinkohle in German - literally "stone coal") and the metallurgical industries dependent on coal. The last mines in Herne shut down in 1967 and 1978 leaving the town with an unemployment problem only partially mitigated by the presence of various manufacturing industries in the town. The structural problems along with the burden to pay for the maintenance of infrastructure largely built with state and federal funds in "good years" have left Herne financially struggling and in 2012 the municipality was over one billion euros in debt. There has been talks of a federal debt relief program for this and other local governments not only but mostly in NRW, but despite voices of all major parties being in favour of such a move in principle, states like Bavaria whose municipalities are in much better financial shape have thus far (2021) derailed any such attempt coming to fruition.

Get in

By car

The federal motorways A 42 (Kamp-Lintfort - Dortmund) and A 43 (Münster - Wuppertal) run through the urban area of ​​Hernes. They meet in the middle of the urban area at the Herne motorway junction. In addition, the federal road B 226 Bochum-Gelsenkirchen runs through the western part of the city in the Eickel and Wanne districts.

By train

• 1 Bahnhof Herne.  
• 2 Wanne-Eickel Hauptbahnhof, Heinz-Rühmann-Platz 1. The main station in Herne, where long-distance trains stop.  

By plane

Herne is surrounded by numerous airports within a radius of 100 km. Dortmund Airport DTM ^IATA is the closest regional airport, approximately 30 km away. The journey time by public transport is around 60 minutes and involves several changes, while the journey by car or taxi takes around 35 minutes.

Düsseldorf Airport DUS ^IATA is the closest international airport. It is 45 km southwest of Herne and can be reached with the RE 3 in 40 minutes without having to change trains. The journey takes about 40 minutes by car or taxi.

Other airports within 100 km of Herne are Niederrhein Weeze Airport NRN ^IATA, Cologne-Bonn Airport CGN ^IATA, and Münster Osnabrück Airport FMO ^IATA.

Get around

On foot

Many destinations in Herne can be reached on foot. In connection with the well-developed local public transport and the possibility of renting bicycles, it is possible to reach the destinations without any problems.

By bike

Herne is a bicycle-friendly city, even if the cycle path network is not yet satisfactorily developed everywhere, but the city administration is endeavoring to promote bicycle traffic more and to further expand the cycle traffic network. Because of the few inclines, cycling is not strenuous, there are only a few inclines to overcome in the south-eastern part of Herne (Gysenbergpark). Bicycles can be rented from local bike dealers or flexibly at many Metropolradruhr stations. The NRW cycling network offers orientation with its uniform traffic signs.

By public transport

Local public transport is well developed in Herne and is operated by bus, tram and light rail by the transport companies HCR and BOGESTRA. Buses and trains run through the city almost around the clock. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at night, buses and the U35 run at night. There is a strong north-south orientation of local rail traffic - the STRB 306 runs from Wanne-Eickel Hauptbahnhof to Bochum, the Metro U35 from Strünkede Castle to Bochum.

Herne is connected to the Verkehrsverbund Rhein-Ruhr (VRR). Tickets are therefore valid for all buses and trains. Cross-city journeys are also possible with one ticket.

Tickets can be bought at ticket machines, which can be found in every subway station and at some larger stops. For trips by bus, the ticket can be bought from the bus driver. The customer centre of the HCR (HCR customer centre, Bebelstrasse 8. Open: M-F 09:30-18:00, Sa 09:30-13:30) at the Herne-Mitte stop offers personal advice and the purchase of tickets and timetables.

A single ticket in the A2 price level required for Herne costs €3.30 (reduced €2.10) and enables a 90-minute journey, a day ticket costs €6.60 for one person and is available for up to 5 people. (May 2024)

The timetable for the lines that run there is posted at every station. In addition, the route map with all bus, tram and underground lines in Herne is posted at most stations.

Connections can be calculated on the VRR website or other transport companies (such as Deutsche Bahn). There you can also download the city route map with all routes in Herne.

By car and taxi

You can easily reach all destinations in Herne by car. On weekdays there are regular traffic jams on the A42 and A43 around the Herner Kreuz - if you want to get through Herne without any problems, you should either check the traffic jam reports beforehand or use the local road network. Taxis can be found at various taxi stands (including in front of the train stations). A taxi ride costs €1.80 per km (at night between 22:00 and 06:00 €1.90/km), plus a base price of €3.20.

See

• 1 Schloss Strünkede, Karl-Brandt-Weg 5. The moated castle Strünkede is located in a castle park in the Baukau district. First mentioned as a castle in 1142, it was completed as a castle between 1591 and 1644. Today it includes the Emschertal Museum.  

LWL-Museum für Archäologie

• 2 LWL-Museum für Archäologie, Europaplatz 1. Tu W F 09:00-17:00, Th 09:00-19:00, Sa Su holidays 11:00-18:00. This archaeological museum's exhibitions focus on 250,000 years of human history in Westphalia. Adult €6, under 18 free. (updated Apr 2021)
• 3 Heimatmuseum Unser Fritz, Unser-Fritz-Straße 108, ☏ +49 23 25 7 52 55. Tu-F 10:00-13:00, 14:00-17:00; Sa 14:00-17:00; Su holidays 11:00-17:00. one of the three locations of the Emschertal Museum on the social history of Herne and Wanne-Eickel. Adult €1.50, child 6-17 €0.50. (updated May 2021)
• 4 Städtische Galerie im Schlosspark Strünkede, Karl-Brandt-Weg 2. The municipal gallery in Strünkede Castle Park, in an old Wilhelminian style villa in Strünkede Park, contains a graphic collection with a focus on the 20th century.  
• 5 Opel-Museum Herne (Herne Mitte). The Opel Museum Herne is a privately operated museum that shows cars from the Opel car company's history. Meetings for enthusiasts are held regularly, and trading in historical spare parts is also part of the scope of the museum.  
• 6 Rathaus Herne, Friedrich-Ebert-Platz 2 (Herne Mitte), ☏ +49 2323 160. After the rapid population growth and the incorporation of the municipalities of Baukau and Horsthausen in 1908, the city administration of Herne needed space for administrative employees and in 1910 decided to build a representative city hall for the up-and-coming city. The town hall, completed in 1912, is a three-storey building with a representative staircase and a 42-m-high tower. The town hall can be visited once a month.  

Schollbrockhaus

• 7 Schollbrockhaus. A former flour mill in the park of Schloss Strünkede. The Schollbrockhaus houses gallery rooms on two floors that are regularly used by regional artists.  

Rathaus Wanne-Eickel main entrance

• 8 Rathaus Wanne-Eickel, Rathausstrasse 6. The Wanne-Eickel town hall was built in 1903 and 1904.  

Do

• 1 Sternwarte Herne.  
• 2 Mondpalast. A local theatre.  
• 3 Kulturzentrum Herne.  

Events

• Tage Alter Musik in Herne.  

Buy

Herne has two main shopping streets - due to the two formerly independent towns of Herne and Wanne-Eickel.

The main shopping street in Herne is Bahnhofstraße. From Holsterhauser Strasse in the south to Herne Bahnhof, Bahnhofstraße is a pedestrian zone with numerous shops. Side streets such as Behrenstraße are also partly pedestrian zones and offer other, often owner-managed shops and restaurants. In the southern part is the City Centre - one of the first shopping centres close to the city centre, which is now only partially used. In the northern part of the Robert-Brauner-Platz is the listed, former Karstadt department store, which is no longer used today. In addition to everyday goods, you will also find grocery stores, bookshops and other special shops on Bahnhofstraße.

In the Wanne district, the main shopping street is on Hauptstraße. The pedestrian zone in Wanne has been suffering from vacancies and the relocation of shops for years. Attempts are being made to revitalize Wanner city centre by building a large grocery store on Berliner Straße. There is a weekly market on Friedrich-Ebert-Platz every Tuesday and Friday.

Eat

Budget

• 1 Michaela's Aperio, Bahnhofstraße 62, 44623 Herne. M-Sa 11:30-22:00. Greek and Mediterranean cuisine in the Herne pedestrian zone, on Robert-Brauner-Platz. In summer, seating is available on Robert-Brauner-Platz. (updated Jul 2015)
• 2 Fischhaus Lichte, Hauptstraße 229, 44649 Herne, ☏ +49 2325 9619900, timo@fischhaus-lichte.de. M-F 10:00-20:00, Sa 10:00-18:00. Nice little fish restaurant in Herne-Wanne. 
• 3 Nils, Freiligrathstraße 21, 44623 Herne, ☏ +49 2323 965890, fax: +49 2323 959931, nilspost@nils-herne.de. M-F 11:30-01:00 (hot food 11:30-23:00), Sa Su 11:30-01:00 (hot food 12:00-23:00). Modern and cozy corner pub with a weekly changing lunch menu. Between the pedestrian zone and Herne town hall. 
• 4 Bavaria Alm, Holsterhauser Straße 188, 44625 Herne, ☏ +49 2325 4670250, fax: +49 2325 4670251, herne@bavariaalm.de. M-F 11:00-24:00, Sa Su holidays 09:00-24:00; Sa 09:00-13:00 breakfast buffet, Su holidays 09:00-14:00 brunch buffet. System catering in the commercial area on Holsterhauser Straße, which is modeled on a huge Bavarian alpine hut. 
• 5 Cafe del Sol, Holsterhauser Straße 190, 44625 Herne, ☏ +49 2325 586192, fax: +49 2325 586194, herne@cafedelsol.de. Daily from 09:00, Su-Th until 01:00, F Sa until 02:00, Sa 09:00-13:00 breakfast buffet, Su holidays 09:00-14:00 brunch buffet. System catering in the industrial area on Holsterhauser Strasse in the style of a Mediterranean restaurant / bar. 

Mid-range

• 6 Restaurant Wildrose, 44625 Herne, Flotmannstraße 92, ☏ +49 2323 491732, info@restaurant-wildrose.de. Tu-Sa 11:30-14:30 and 17:00-23:30, Su holidays 11:30-23:30. Restaurant next to the Flottmann-Hallen in Herne-Süd. 
• 7 Ristorante Italiano "Im Ömmes Hof", 44625 Herne, Bochumer Straße 211, ☏ +49 2323 41810. Daily 12:00-14:30 and 18:00-23:30. Inexpensive Italian restaurant, operating in a simple building since 1988. 
• 8 Elsässer Stube, An der Kreuzkirche 5, 44623 Herne (Mitte), ☏ +49 2323 10580, fax: +49 234 85668, post@elsaesser-stube.de. Su-F 12:00-15:00 + 18:00-23:30, Sa 18:00-23:30. The Alsatian rooms are housed in a half-timbered house from 1880 and offer typical Alsatian specialties. The Kroll family has been running this restaurant since 1986. (updated Jul 2015)
• 9 Hotel-Restaurant Moritz Fiege's Meistertrunk, Eickeler Markt 19, 44651 Herne (Eickel), ☏ +49 2323 635517, fax: +49 2325 635518. Daily 08:00-24:00. The restaurant is in a listed building from 1892 and offers a winter and beer garden, and as an attached hotel. (updated Jul 2015)

Sleep

Budget

• 1 Hotel Jägerhof, Vinckestraße 1, 44623 Herne (Mitte), ☏ +49 2323 1770-0, fax: +49 2323 1770-70, info@hotel-jaegerhof-herne.de. Inexpensive 3-star hotel with 12 double and 6 single rooms, centrally located in downtown Herne. Single €40, double €75 (including breakfast and Wi-Fi). 
• 2 B&B Hotel Bochum-Herne, Regenkamp 14, 44625 Herne, ☏ +49 2323 946860, fax: +49 2323 94686222, herne@hotelbb.com. Inexpensive 2-star hotel, free use of WiFi and Sky TV. Single from €49, double from €59, four bads from €78, breakfast buffet €7.50, children up to €3. 

Mid-range

• 3 Parkhotel Herne, Schaeferstraße 111, 44623 Herne (Mitte), ☏ +49 2323 955-0, fax: +49 2323 955-222, rezeption@parkhotel-herne.de. The Parkhotel is in the Herne city garden and is one of the better hotels in Herne. In addition to the central, but still quiet location, the hotel with an attached restaurant also offers a lot in culinary terms. Cyclists are welcome. Single from €68, double from €106. 

Learn

• 1 Martin-Opitz-Bibliothek. A library dedicated primarily to the study of the regions east of Oder and Neiße that had significant German speaking populations before the war.  

Go next

• Bochum, mix of working class residents and large university, plenty of bars, only 15-20 minutes away on subway U35
• Gelsenkirchen, home of famous Schalke football club, concerts at the Arena
• Essen, UNESCO industrial heritage, shopping and culture
• Düsseldorf, wealthy capital city with international airport, parks and one of Europe's largest Japanese communities