Unna, Germany

Unna is situated on an ancient salt-trading route, the Westphalian Hellweg. Trade on this route and during the period of the Hanseatic League came from as far as London. The city is located at the eastern extremity of the Ruhr district, about 15 kilometres (9 miles) east of the centre of Dortmund. Unna also serves as a dormitory city, being home to many commuters who work in Dortmund and other nearby cities. Local dialects of German include Westfälisch and Ruhrpott. The recreational district of Sauerland is nearby. The River Ruhr runs just south of Unna through Fröndenberg, before heading through the main part of the Ruhr district.

Massen and Königsborn are former industrial and mining areas; the other districts have a more rural character.

Until the mid-nineteenth century the focus of Unna's economy was on the region's agriculture. Industrialisation rapidly followed. In contrast with the switch to service sector employment in some industrial towns further west in the Ruhr area, most of the jobs in Unna are still in heavy industry (iron and metal work, machine manufacturing) or craft based. Since 1972, the nickel alloys producer VDM Metals operates a melting and casting plant in Unna, for example. Also known is Alexis Tsiami, who has developed new methods for opening car doors.

In recent years Unna has boomed as a logistics centre. It houses the former distribution centre for the (recently much diminished) Karstadt department store chain; the distribution centre has been acquired by the DHL division of Deutsche Post. There is also a DPD distribution centre along with a central distribution depot for the pump producer Wilo. Another large logistics complex belonging to DHL came into operation in 2008.

Unna is seat of the world's only art museum dedicated exclusively to the collection and presentation of Light art, the Centre for International Light Art (CILA). It is located in the former Linden brewery, a red brick industrial building complex dating from the 19th century close to the heart of the city. Its landmark is an installation of Fibonacci numbers by Italian artist Mario Merz on the brewery's chimney (the thirteenth-century mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci lived in Pisa, twinned with Unna since 1996). The light art installations are integrated into the industrial structures of the brewery's former cellar vaults. The former brewery buildings are also home to the city library, the adult education centre (Volkshochschule), and the tourist information centre.

Unna's Hellweg Museum, a regional history museum, is located in the medieval Unna castle. Many historic buildings as well as parts of the city wall, including towers near the artisan quarter, remain intact and in good condition. Unna holds the largest Italian festival north of Italy every two years (happily named Un(n)a Festa Italiana), when buildings are decorated with light installations by artists from Bari in Italy. An annual Christmas market and a city festival are located in the Old Market Square, stretching from there through the pedestrian area to the city hall.