Bottrop

Bottrop is an industrial city in the Münster Government Region and stretches across both banks of the Rhine-Herne Canal, with nine districts such as Fuhlenbrock, Eigen and Kirchhellen sitting at roughly 55 meters (180 feet) above sea level. The city sits within the Ruhr metropolitan region and shares borders with Essen, Oberhausen and Gladbeck.

A small farming settlement grew into an industrial center through coal mining from the 1860s onwards and officially received city status in 1921. Several mines shaped the development of the community well into the 20th century.

The Quadrat museum displays local history exhibits and artworks by Josef Albers, while the city maintains numerous Catholic and Protestant religious buildings.

The location in the heart of the Ruhr area allows easy arrival via several motorways and regional rail lines from surrounding cities. The individual districts are best reached by public transport or car as some lie several kilometers apart from each other.

A walkable steel pyramid called the Tetraeder rises on a former mining spoil heap and offers a wide view over the entire Ruhr area from the top. This construction was built as a symbol for the region's shift from coal extraction to recreational use.

Location: Münster Government Region

Elevation above the sea: 55 m

Part of: Regionalverband Ruhr, Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Region

Shares border with: Wesel, Recklinghausen, Essen, Oberhausen, Dorsten, Gladbeck

Website: https://bottrop.de

GPS coordinates: 51.52325,6.92527

Latest update: December 12, 2025 22:53