Sitting on the banks of the Emscher and Ruhr rivers, the city of Dortmund is the administrative, commercial, and cultural center of the Ruhr. Despite being destroyed and reconstructed several times during the Middle Ages, Dortmund became a major transportation and industrial center thanks to coal and iron-ore mining development.

Steel, machinery, electronic equipment, motor vehicles, coal, and beer are the main economic activities that keep the city running. The historical heritage of the capital of the Ruhr cannot be understated, with four almost intact medieval churches, four moated castles, and the ruins of Saxon and Carolingian fortresses.