What to do in Essen

Activities, attractions and tours
Essen

Essen Attractions

Let Expedia help you experience the best that Essen has to offer! If you’re looking for fun itinerary ideas, we can provide you with a list of the top sightseeing attractions, as well as helping you to find unmissable activities. Whether you’re travelling with your family, planning a romantic trip with your loved one, or visiting on business, we’ll make it easy to plan an unforgettable holiday that checks all the boxes.

Activities and Tours

Essen is crammed with must-see places to visit and things to do. We can help you decide where to stay, and make it a breeze to explore the surrounding areas with our guides on where to go, what to see and when to see it. No matter how long your stay, it’s easy to find places of interest in Essen to make sure that you enjoy your experience to the fullest and don’t miss a thing. Leave the local knowledge to us and leave the hassle behind.

If you’re planning a visit, why not check out our handy guides to places of interest in the area? You can browse lists of things to do, learn about the most popular attractions, and get help with planning the details of your trip. Expedia makes it easy for you to check out all the top sights.

Essen Attractions

Expedia has something for everyone, so whether you’re planning to get active on a summer holiday, put a spring in your step with a romantic rendezvous, or pamper yourself with a leisurely winter trip, you’ll find plenty of attractions to keep you entertained. In addition to scheduling local tours, booking reservations and scoring advance event tickets, Expedia makes it easy to book your flight, hotel and rental car in advance, all on one consolidated travel itinerary, making for hassle-free travel and freeing you up to explore the sights of Essen.

Looking for things to do can be time consuming, but we can take the hassle out of planning your holiday. Whether you’re looking to get active in the great outdoors, sample the cuisine or catch up with the vibrant local culture, our guides to Essen attractions ensure that you’ll have a successful trip, whatever the season.

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Top places to visit

1. Zollverein Coal Mine World Heritage Site

The Zollverein Coal Mine World Heritage Site (known as Zeche Zollverein in German) is an architecturally superb industrial complex dating back to the 1840s. With enormous structures and breathtaking Bauhaus elements, the complex has become a landmark site for European industrial heritage and today contains several exciting sites, museums and monuments. Explore the complex’s fascinating sites to learn about the natural and cultural heritage of the Ruhr region.
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Zollverein Coal Mine World Heritage Site

2. Red Dot Design Museum

Peruse beautifully presented galleries of contemporary design objects when you explore the Red Dot Design Museum. As one of three Red Dot Design institutions in the world, Essen joins Singapore and Taipei in the forefront of the field in showcasing interesting objects from the everyday to the unusual. About 2,000 exhibits feature objects and products from 45 different countries, highlighting new innovations in design. Just as impressive as the galleries, the museum’s location within the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex highlights the intriguing industrial design of Essen’s former coal mine.
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Red Dot Design Museum

3. Folkwang Museum

Discover the extensive holdings of three different collections in the Folkwang Museum, an institution in Essen dedicated to art from the 19th and 20th centuries. The museum had its beginnings in 1922 after the merger of the Essener Kunstmuseum (Essen Municipal Art Museum) and the private collection of Karl Ernst Osthaus. Within the museum, find the matchless Deutsches Plakat Museum (German Poster Museum).
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Folkwang Museum

4. Grugapark Botanical Garden

The Grugapark Botanical Garden (Botanischer Garten Grugapark) draws together the plants of the world in an expertly curated estate. Wander through exotic plantings or find out what a traditional Westphalian farmer’s cottage garden looks like when you explore Grugapark Botanical Garden’s intriguing displays. Admire the fascinating plants and trees in the tropical rainforest, an American wildflower meadow and the Mediterranean coast.
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Grugapark Botanical Garden

5. Ruhr Museum

The Ruhr Museum presents a unique showcase of the Ruhr region’s heritage and highlights the geology, archaeology and history of the area by reviving an old coal-mining building. Explore the fascinating industrial structure, formerly used as a coal-washing plant, and learn about the Ruhr region’s rich heritage through expertly curated exhibits.
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Ruhr Museum

Recommended things to do in Essen

Number of things to do
67
Things to do from
CA $12
Cheapest thing to do
Essen: Highlights of City Centre Self-Guided Walking Tour
Top 5 things to do
Half-day tours
With kids

Discover the most popular places to visit in Essen

Image for Zollverein Coal Mine World Heritage Site

Zollverein Coal Mine World Heritage Site

Explore a complex described as the most beautiful coal mine in the world to find captivating museums and learn about Essen’s fascinating industrial heritage.

Zollverein Coal Mine World Heritage Site
Image for Red Dot Design Museum

Red Dot Design Museum

First-rate contemporary design is the theme that unites the exhibits on display at this museum, which is housed within a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Red Dot Design Museum
Image for Folkwang Museum

Folkwang Museum

Photography, modern art and German posters are among the themes in this museum, which combines three major collections into one wide-ranging survey.

Folkwang Museum
Image for Grugapark Botanical Garden

Grugapark Botanical Garden

Go on a botanical tour of the world and indulge your senses in the beautifully maintained displays of this garden in Essen’s large municipal park.

Grugapark Botanical Garden
Image for Ruhr Museum

Ruhr Museum

Discover the rich cultural and natural history of the Ruhr region when you peruse the exhibits in this repurposed building in the former Zollverein coal mine.

Ruhr Museum
Image for Aalto-Musiktheater

Aalto-Musiktheater

Enjoy a night of opera or ballet in this landmark theater that incorporates contemporary architecture and state-of-the-art acoustics into its design.

Aalto-Musiktheater
Image for Schloss Borbeck

Schloss Borbeck

After visiting Schloss Borbeck, make a plan to see the other sights and activities in Essen. Take in the theater scene while you're in the area.

Schloss Borbeck
Image for Ruhr

Ruhr

Commune with nature and explore the great outdoors at Ruhr during your travels in Essen.

Ruhr
Image for Old Synagogue

Old Synagogue

Find out about the history of Essen when you take a trip to Old Synagogue. Experience the area's theater scene and live music.

Old Synagogue

Explore areas of Essen

Essen

Stadtbezirke I

If you're spending time in Stadtbezirke I, check out sights like Philharmonie Essen or Aalto-Musiktheater and hop on the metro to see more the city at Hirschlandplatz U-Bahn or Berliner Platz U-Bahn.

Stadtbezirke I
Essen

Stadtkern

5/5(1 area review)

Noted for its shopping and bars, there's plenty to explore in Stadtkern. Top attractions like Philharmonie Essen and Essen Cathedral are major draws, and you can hop on the metro at Hirschlandplatz U-Bahn or Berliner Platz U-Bahn to see more of the city.

Stadtkern
Ruettenscheid as well as a large group of people

Ruettenscheid

The bars and museums are just a few things visitors like about Ruettenscheid. Grugahalle and Grugapark Botanical Garden are worthwhile spots to check out, and you can hop on the metro at Messe Ost-Gruga-Halle U-Bahn or Martinstrasse U-Bahn to get around the larger area.

Ruettenscheid
Ruettenscheid as well as a large group of people

Stadtbezirke II

If you're spending time in Stadtbezirke II, check out sights like Grugahalle or Grugapark Botanical Garden and hop on the metro to see more the city at Essen Stadtwald S-Bahn or Martinstrasse U-Bahn.

Stadtbezirke II
Just 20km northeast of the Düsseldorf airport lies a quaint historic town called Kettwig. It is part of the city, Essen, in western Germany, situated next to the Ruhr river. Here you will find many boutique shops, cafés, bistros, biergartens, and wine bars alongside houses dating back to the 1600s.

Kettwig

Historic sites and restaurants are just a few features Kettwig is known for, and you can get around the area by hopping on the metro at Kettwig S-Bahn or Kettwig Stausee S-Bahn.

Kettwig
Essen

Stadtbezirke IX

If you're spending time in Stadtbezirke IX, check out sights like Seaside Beach Baldeney or Baldeneysee and hop on the metro to see more the city at Essen-Werden S-Bahn or Essen-Hügel S-Bahn.

Stadtbezirke IX

Day trip destinations from Essen

Ratingen which includes heritage architecture

Ratingen

Bochum featuring outdoor eating, a city and street scenes

Bochum

Photo by Trembich Moving Moments

Bottrop

Photo by Trembich Moving Moments

Gelsenkirchen

Holland

Holland