Stroll along the river, browse the shops in the vast mall and gaze up at the enormous gas holder that hosts art exhibits.
Oberhausen is an innovative and historical city on the Emscher River. It is known for hosting the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen. Explore the New Town quarter at the heart of this intriguing industrial city.
In the nucleus of the New Town district is the CentrO complex, which comprises a shopping mall, restaurants and bars. Spend a few hours browsing the range of stores in the large mall. Bring your kids to the children’s theme park and walk with your family along the scenic promenade.
The shopping complex is adjacent to the iconic Gasometer, a large industrial cylinder that historically held gas. Inspect the works of art in the exhibits held inside the structure. Travel to the roof via the elevator to enjoy spectacular views of the town.
Walk east to the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Oberhausen and visit the Aquapark Oberhausen. Next door is the Sea Life Oberhausen, which has many exhibits for the whole family to enjoy. Note that this site was the home of Paul the Octopus, who famously predicted the results of the soccer World Cup in 2010 by picking the food marked by the winning nation’s flag. He correctly predicted the results of all seven of Germany’s matches.
Enjoy the warm summers here with a trip to Kaisergarten Park and Zoo. Bring your children to see some of the 450 animals in the zoo. Other activities include playgrounds, pony rides and mini-golf. Admire the exhibits in the Ludwig Gallery in the park’s majestic Oberhausen Castle.
Fly to the airports of Düsseldorf or Cologne and drive to this city in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of western Germany. It is near the Dutch border, not far from Dortmund. Ride one of the many trains from Bonn, Duisburg and elsewhere in Europe. Get around the city via bus, tram or train.
Oberhausen has an important industrial heritage and a range of fun family activities.