The Ruhr Metropolitan Area is a polycentric urban area in the west of Germany. The region stretches 116 kilometres from east to west and 67 kilometres north to south. With a population of eight and a half million people it is the largest urban agglomeration in Germany. It consists of several large, industrial cities bordered by the rivers Ruhr to the south, Rhine to the west, and Lippe to the north. The Ruhr Valley was at the centre of the German economic miracle of the 1950s and 1960s, as very rapid economic growth created a heavy demand for coal and steel.

Today the Ruhr Valley is a multi-cultural area which has long since developed into a modern Metropolis. Its economy is largely based on industry and export. The combination of over 200 museums, 120 theatres and 100 concert halls, multiple shopping areas and recreation areas like the Baldeneysee makes the Ruhr Metropolises an extraordinary region today. In total there are 53 cities belonging to the Ruhr Metropolis like Bochum, Dinslaken, Hagen, Hamm, Lünen, Moers, Mülheim an der Ruhr, Wesel and many more. Since the 19th century these cities have grown together and very often  the only way to realise you are in another place is looking at the city codes on the number plates of the cars.

Due to a lot of canals, lawns, forests and fields the Ruhr Metropolis is an ideal area for sports like cycling, skating, hiking, horse riding and also for water sports like rowing and canoeing.

With its multitude of cities the Ruhr Metropolitan Area offers a plurality of well-known theatres and operas. Have a look at the most famous ones in the following list.

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Due to its history in mining industry the Ruhr Metropolitan Area is a place full of sights from the past. These are mixed with modern arts, a multi-cultural atmosphere and a lot of attractions from today. This extraordinary mixture represents the character of the Ruhr Metropolitan Area for which it is known all over the world.

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