BOCHUM

The city of Bochum with its 375,000 inhabitants is the second largest city in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. The musical Starlight Express made the metropole internationally known and as numerous steel works had to close their doors during the steel crisis, Bochum developed into a city with a strong service sector. The company Bochumer Verein für Gußstahlfabrikation succeeded in pouring the material steel into shape in 1842 and the memory of this occassion is embodied in a 15 ton heavy bell, which lies at the Bochum town hall.

The most famous tourist sights of Bochum are:

The Theater Bochum: The Theater Bochum is one of Germany's most prestigious theaters, opened in 1915 and rebuilt after the Second World War. Well-known actors and entertainers like Harald Schmidt, Herbert Grönemeyer or Christine Kaufmann perform here.

German Mining Museum: The German Mining Museum tells the history of mining and gives an insight into how modern art has been worked on in the mining industry. During the mine visit, which is located 20 meters underground, the visitors can experience the life of a miner,or, for example, experience a cable ride.

The Railway Museum Bochum-Dahlhausen: The Railway Museum Bochum-Dahlhausen was founded in 1977 and is located on the quiescent Bahnbetriebswerk Bochum-Dahlhausen. It is Germany's largest privately operated museum of its kind and gives an insight into the development of the German railway. In summer, museum tours are regularly offered through the Rhine Valley with historic locomotives.

The City Park Bochum: The City Park Bochum was opened in 1878 and is a landscape garden and is the second largest of its kind in the Ruhr area. Here you can admire the flora and fauna, visit the attached animal park and then strengthen yourself with food and drink in the animal park restaurant.

The Century Hall: The Century Hall can look back on a 106 year long history and is an extraordinary festival house. It is located in a former Bochum steelworks and offers events ranging from concerts of well-known artists such as Christina Stürmer to congresses.

The Kemnader Lake: The Kemnader Lake is one of six Ruhr Reserves and was established in 1979. Shortly after its opening, it developed into a recreation area and offers numerous possibilities of relaxation, leisure and sporting activities. An eight-kilometer circuit features a circular walk or cycle tour around the Kemnader lake.

The Ruhr-Park: The Ruhr-Park is a shopping center, opened in 1964, and now accounts for about 18 million a year of income. There are 119 shops on the 126,000 square meter site.

The Zeiss Planetarium Bochum: The Zeiss Planetarium Bochum has a 20-meter-tall dome, which offers space for 300 people and is one of the most modern planetarium in the world. Here the visitors are transported to space through projections, for example, of stars or planets in our solar system.

Banja Luka is the largest city of the Republika Srpska entity and second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina after the capital Sarajevo. The city lies on the River Vrbas and is well known in the countries of the former Yugoslavia for being full of tree-lined avenues, boulevards, gardens, and parks. According to the 2013 census the City of Banja Luka, has 185,042 inhabitants.

Banja Luka has a moderate humid subtropical climate which borders a humid continental climate, with cold winters and warm summers. The warmest month of the year is July, with an average temperature of 21.3 °C. The coldest month of the year is January, when temperatures average near freezing at 0.8 °C.

Due to its long history, Banja Luka is rich in culture. There are several museums including the Museum of Bosanska Krajina, the Ethnographic Museum established in 1930, and the Museum of Modern Art of Republika Srpska which is also called MSURS the Museum of Contemporary Art. Banja Luka is also the home of the national theatre and library, both dating from the first half of the 20th century, and of numerous other theatres. The headquarters of the Archives of Republika Srpska is situated in the building known as Carska kuća or Imperial House, build around 1880. It has been in continuous public use longer than any other structure in Banja Luka.

The natural beauties of the surrounding area guarantee the city of Banja Luka a good position in tourism. he city and surrounding area boast a number of popular tourist attractions. Among the most famous are the pools, thermal springs, and spas in the region. Due to its parks and over 10 000 trees Banja Luka was once nicknamed the "Green City".