Why visit Bochum
Townapedia lists 200 museums and landmarks, 9 parks and trails, 251 places to eat, 14 places to stay and 15 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include ROTTSTR 5 Theater, Union Kino, Deutsches Bergbau-Museum and Kunstmuseum Bochum.
Weather in Bochum
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Bochum
Bochum (, BOHKH-uum; US: -əm; German: [ˈboːxʊm] ; Westphalian: Baukem) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia. With a population of 372,348 (April 2023), it is the sixth-largest city (after Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Essen and Duisburg) in North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous German federal state, and the 16th-largest city in Germany. On the Ruhr Heights (Ruhrhöhen) hill chain, between the rivers Ruhr to the south and Emscher to the north (tributaries of the Rhine), it is the second largest city of Westphalia after Dortmund, and the fourth largest city of the Ruhr after Dortmund, Essen and Duisburg. It lies at the centre of the Ruhr, Germany's largest urban area, in the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Region, the second biggest metropolitan region by GDP in the European Union, and belongs to the region of Arnsberg.
From the Wikipedia article Bochum (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Bochum on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Things to do15
Union Kino
Cinema and theater
16 Kortumstraße, Bochum
Mo-Sa 16:30-20:15, Su 10:30-20:15, Fr,Sa 13:45-22:45
Musiktheater im Revier
Cinema and theater · 9.4 km
Opera house in Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Prinzregenttheater
Cinema and theater · 3.5 km
Theatre in Bochum, Germany
Westfälisches Landestheater
Cinema and theater · 11.4 km
Theater in Germany
Metropolis-Theater
Cinema and theater
"Das Metropolis Kino öffnet 15 Minuten vor Beginn der ersten und...
3 more on the map.
Museums and landmarks200
SCHWANENMARKT 1
Museum
Labor für Kunst & soziale Recherche
1 Schwanenmarkt, Bochum
"wechselnde Öffnungszeiten"
Gedenktafel an die ehemalige Synagoge Bochum
Monument and historic site
Gedenktafel an die 9.11.1938 niedergebrannte Synagoge von 1861 der jüdischen Kultusgemeinde Bochum.
Gisela Broch, geb. Donnebaum
Monument and historic site
Stolpersteine zum Gedenken an: Gisela Broch, Kurt Broch, Karl Broch und Frieda Broch
188 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds9
ZOOM Erlebniswelt
Park · 10.1 km
Zoological garden in Gelsenkirchen, in Germany
Spielplatz Appolonia-Pfaus-Park
Playground
dawn-20:00 open "bis 20 Uhr"; dusk-dawn off "Höchstens bis...
Spielplatz Diekampstraße
Playground
dawn-20:00 open "bis 20 Uhr"; dusk-dawn off "Höchstens bis...
Spielplatz Elsaßstraße
Playground · 0.6 km
dawn-20:00 open "bis 20 Uhr"; dusk-dawn off "Höchstens bis...
Spielplatz Schmidtstraße
Playground · 0.7 km
dawn-20:00 open "bis 20 Uhr"; dusk-dawn off "Höchstens bis...
Restaurants and cafes251
Begopa
Restaurant · Korean
Gangnam Style Kitchen
100 Nordring, Bochum
Tu-Sa 12:00-15:00,17:30-22:00; Su 17:30-22:00; Mo off
Fischhaus Gräte
Restaurant · Fish
Fischfachgeschäft und Restaurant.
20 Hans-Böckler-Straße, Bochum
Mo 09:00-20:00; Tu-Sa 09:00-21:00
Best Friends – Sushi, Grill
Restaurant · Sushi
5 Brüderstraße, Bochum
Mo-Th 12:00-23:00; Fr-Sa 12:00-24:00; Su 13:00-22:00
Cafe Extrablatt
Cafe · Coffee Shop
26 Kortumstraße, Bochum
Mo-Th 08:00-01:00, Fr-Sa 08:00-03:00,Su,PH 10:00-01:00
239 more on the map.
History
Bochum dates from the 9th century, when Charlemagne set up a royal court at the junction of two important trade routes. It was first officially mentioned in 1041 as Cofbuokheim in a document of the archbishops of Cologne. In 1321, Count Engelbert II von der Marck granted Bochum a town charter, but the town remained insignificant until the 19th century, when the coal mining and steel industries emerged in the Ruhr area, leading to the growth of the entire region. In the early 19th century it was part of the Grand Duchy of Berg, a client state of France, then it passed to Prussia following the Napoleonic Wars in 1815, and in 1871 it became part of the German Empire. The population of Bochum increased from about 4,500 in 1850 to 100,000 in 1904. Bochum acquired city status, incorporating neighbouring towns and villages. Additional population gains came from immigration, primarily from Poland. Bochum was the main center of the Polish community of the Ruhr, being the seat of various Polish organizations and enterprises. The Poles were subjected to anti-Polish policies aimed at Germanisation, and the Central Office for Monitoring the Polish Movement in the Rhine-Westphalian Industrial District (Zentralstelle fur Uberwachung der Polenbewegung im Rheinisch-Westfalischen Industriebezirke) was established by the German authorities in Bochum in 1909.
From the History section of Bochum on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay14
Churches and places of worship11
Sankt-Joseph-Kirche
Church · Roman Catholic
45n Stühmeyerstraße, Bochum
Shopping42
Gas and EV charging2
Schools, colleges and libraries32
Healthcare16
Map of Bochum
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Flughafen Essen-Mülheim (ESS) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 21 km away.
- Herne 6 km north, about 6 min by car
- Gelsenkirchen 9 km west, about 9 min by car
- Essen 14 km west, about 14 min by car
- Recklinghausen 15 km north, about 15 min by car
- Dortmund 18 km east, about 18 min by car
- Bottrop 20 km west, about 20 min by car
- Hagen 22 km southeast, about 22 min by car
- Oberhausen 25 km west, about 25 min by car
- Wuppertal 26 km south, about 26 min by car
- Duisburg 32 km west, about 32 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- Mapillary (see each image): photos
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Bergbaumuseum Bochum bei Nacht, Zergy79, CC BY-SA 3.0
- CristinaBrancoBochum2014 01, 69joehawkins, CC BY-SA 3.0
- CristinaBrancoBochum2014 02, 69joehawkins, CC BY-SA 3.0
- CristinaBrancoBochum2014 07, 69joehawkins, CC BY-SA 3.0
- CristinaBrancoBochum2014 03, 69joehawkins, CC BY-SA 3.0
- CristinaBrancoBochum2014 04, 69joehawkins, CC BY-SA 3.0
- CristinaBrancoBochum2014 06, 69joehawkins, CC BY-SA 3.0
- CristinaBrancoBochum2014 05, 69joehawkins, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Stadtbahn Bochum Rathaus 2001141602, Clic, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Stadtbahn Bochum Rathaus (Süd) 2001141552, Clic, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Stadtbahn Bochum Rathaus (Süd) 2001141550, Clic, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Stadtbahn Bochum Rathaus (Süd) 2001141551, Clic, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Stadtbahn Bochum Rathaus (Süd) 2001141554, Clic, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Stadtbahn Bochum Rathaus (Süd) 2001141553, Clic, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Straßenbahn Bochum 310 121 Rathaus (Süd) 2001141551, Clic, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Stadtbahn Bochum Rathaus (Süd) 2001141555, Clic, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Stolpersteine Bochum Viktoriastraße 1, Gmbo 2013, CC0
- Stolperstein Bochum Viktoriastraße 1 Jakob Strauss, Gmbo 2013, CC0
- Stolperstein Bochum Viktoriastraße 1 Franziska Strauss, Gmbo 2013, CC0
- Bushaltestelle Rathaus, 1, Innenstadt, Bochum, GeorgDerReisende, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Stolperstein Bochum Bongardstraße 14 Berta Pander, Gmbo 2013, CC0
- Stolperstein Bochum Bongardstraße 14 Max Pander, Gmbo 2013, CC0
- Stolperstein Bochum Bongardstraße 14 Hilde Pander, Gmbo 2013, CC0
- Stolpersteinlage, 2, Bongardstraße 12, Innenstadt, Bochum, GeorgDerReisende, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bochum Rathaus-Süd Schrägaufzug, Raenmaen, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Stolpersteinlage, 1, Bongardstraße 12, Innenstadt, Bochum, GeorgDerReisende, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Stolpersteinlage Bochum Viktoriastraße 1, Gmbo 2013, CC0
- Bochum, straatzicht Willy Brandt Platz bij Rathaus foto8 2016-07-20 08.49, Michielverbeek, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Stolpersteinlage Bochum Kortumstraße 76, Gmbo 2013, CC0
- Stolpersteinlage Bochum Bongardstraße 14, Gmbo 2013, CC0
- Stolperstein Bochum Kortumstraße 76 Hedwig Stern, Gmbo 2013, CC0
- Bushaltestelle Rathaus, 2, Innenstadt, Bochum, GeorgDerReisende, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Bochum, de klingel geplaatst voor het stadhuisIMG 8698 2019-02-24 14.32, Michielverbeek, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2026-05-27 214757 Bochum Rathaus underground station, Tim Rademacher, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2026-05-27 214411 Bochum Rathaus underground station, Tim Rademacher, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2026-05-27 215533 Bochum Rathaus underground station, Tim Rademacher, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2026-05-27 215636 Bochum Rathaus underground station, Tim Rademacher, CC BY-SA 4.0
- MiR außen ganz, MiR Gelsenkirchen, CC BY-SA 3.0
- PRINZREGENTTHEATER BOCHUM, PRINZREGENTTHEATER, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Herne Mondpalast Autostitch, The original uploader was Stahlkocher at German Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- Gelsenkirchen - Zoom - Afrika - African Queen 06 ies, Frank Vincentz, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Fachhochschule Bochum 2007-08-17, Martin Vogel , Dortmund/Germany, http://www.martinvogel.de/, CC BY-SA 2.0 de
- Ruhr-Universität Bochum Luftaufnahme 2014, Tuxyso, CC BY-SA 3.0
- UniWitten aussen Front1, Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bergbaumuseum Sommer 2013, Christian Nawrot, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bochum Technische Fachhochschule Georg Agricola, Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bochum, Glockenturm der Christuskirche, Hans-Jürgen Wiese, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bochum Kunstmuseum, The original uploader was Stahlkocher at German Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 3.0
- NRW, Bochum - Propsteikirche St. Peter und Paul 01, Островский Александр, Киев, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Goetheschule Bochum, w:de:User:Markus Schweiß, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bochum Pauluskirche 080209 051 00, Hans-Jürgen Wiese, CC BY 3.0
- Stadtbücherei Bochum, Simplicius, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bochum - Musikzentrum St.-Marien-Kirche 2017-05, Johamar, CC BY-SA 4.0
- St-elisabeth-bochum, KlinikumBochum, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bochum - Ostring - TBS1 02 ies, Frank Vincentz, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Else Hirsch stolperstein in Bochum, Marrante, Public domain
- St. Joseph Kirche Bochum, Statler, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Stolpersteine in Bochum Dr Otto Ruer 020, Hertipau, CC BY 4.0
- Stolpersteine in Bochum Luisenstraße 15 Erich Gottschalk 174, Hertipau, CC BY 4.0
- Stolperstein Bochum Massenbergstraße 9-13 Abraham Kempinski, Gmbo 2013, CC0
- Stolperstein Bochum Massenbergstraße 9-13 Eugenie Kempinski, Gmbo 2013, CC0
- Stolpersteine in Bochum Gisela Broch 67, Hertipau, CC BY 4.0
- Bochumer Synagoge, Juni 2008, No machine-readable author provided. Maschinenjunge assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0
- Augusta Krankenanstalt Bochum rp1010039 2, Sinus, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Zeitmaul Theater, Heinrich Kämpchen, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Stolperstein Margarethe Lewkonja, Jeepster4000, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Stolperschwelle Bochum Appolonia-Pfaus-Park, Gmbo 2013, CC0
- Street-level photo, teddy73, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, geogladbecker, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, TechniPorter, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, teddy73, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, geogladbecker, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, geogladbecker, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, mfa, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, teddy73, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, teddy73, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, t_hartung, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, t_hartung, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, TechniPorter, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, geogladbecker, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, dmolitor, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, TechniPorter, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, miguel_andrade, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, t_hartung, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, geogladbecker, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, geogladbecker, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, noel, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, geogladbecker, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, geogladbecker, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, TechniPorter, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, bravewaffle, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, bravewaffle, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, teddy73, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Street-level photo, teddy73, CC BY-SA 4.0
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