Duisburg city and football guide

• Duisburg: the city
• Getting there and around
• MSV Duisburg: fan's guide

Duisburg: the city

I'll be totally honest, I hadn't really heard of Duisburg before setting out for a match there. I had to dig out the map to find it - and there it was, slap bang in the middle of that built up corner of North West Germany.

A bit of an oversight on my part really, as it's a city of half a million people and the 12th biggest in the country, nestling just a few miles from Dusseldorf and within a short train journey of Dortmund and Cologne.

Its roots are in industry, mainly steel, but its big claim to fame now is that Duisport is Europe's largest inland harbour, some 150 miles from the sea. So now you know.



No, not sure what it is either: The pedestrianised main centre of Duisburg

First impressions on arriving at Duisburg main train station are reasonable. It's a pleasant, attractive if unsensational enough town almost entirely new, as 80 per cent of it was flattened in the Second World War.

Head right and you'll see the futurist tourist information centre.

By all accounts there are few attractions, around the inland harbour including, surprisingly enough, the country's biggest museum devoted to inland shipping. There's also a Legoland discovery centre for families, open daily.

If you're in town for just a few hours you probably won't make it that far. Instead satisfy yourself with a relaxed meander down Duisburg's pedestrian area, a mix of shops, cafes and bars.

The city is within 45 minutes of Cologne by train and you may well decide you're better off staying there where accommodation is far more easy to come by.

However, if you do spend a night in Duisburg there are options open to you - the Ibis is handily placed right by the main station, and the Mercure is opposite and to the right.


Getting there and around

If you're flying in from England head for Dusseldorf Airport - the busy business airport is north of Dusseldorf.

I've yet to fly in direct, but by all accounts a Sky Train links the terminal with its dedicated train station and you can catch a train from there direct to Duisburg and be in town within 15 minutes. There's more than 100 trains per day making that connection so you should find one...

The following routes currently serve Dusseldorf Airport from the UK (as of 2008):

• Birmingham - FlyBe and Lufthansa and BA
• Leeds Bradford - Jet2-com
• London Stansted - Air Berlin
• London Heathrow - Lufthansa and BA
• London City - Lufthansa
• Manchester - FlyBe and Lufthansa
• Newcastle - Lufthansa
• Southampton - FlyBe

If no flights there fit your plans Cologne Bonn is a realistic second option. From that airport catch the RE8 to Koln Messe Deutz, ten minutes, and change there for a train to Duisburg, running three or four times an hour and taking around 40 minutes.

Due to its close proximity to Cologne, taking the Eurostar is a possibility too. London St Pancras to Cologne via Brussels takes five to seven hours - from Cologne frequent trains head to Duisburg.

Once in town you can wander around the middle of Duisburg without the need for transport, but you will need it to reach the MSV Arena (more details in fans guide).



You can see what it is: A picture of the main station

There is a small underground system, with a few S-Bahns and a fair spread of buses.

If you are doing a few journeys look our for the TagesTicket (day ticket) at 5.20, euros, or Grupenticket (group ticket) 11.40 euros as these will cover you until 3am the following day.

• Duisburg: the city
• Getting there and around
• MSV Duisburg: fan's guide