Trinkhallen Tour Dortmund

On our tour through the Unionviertel—originally a working-class neighborhood, now a trendy district—we are on the trail of a cult phenomenon in the Ruhr region: Trinkhalle, Bude, Büdchen, Kiosk... many names that open up a world full of useful and delicious things. Whether you need milk or toilet paper after the shops have closed, the beer has run out at the party, you suddenly feel an irrepressible urge for a mixed bag of sweets or crisps, or you want to quickly buy a newspaper: you can find (almost) everything your heart desires at the Büdchen.

Here's what you can expect: Starting at Café Erdmann at the Hochbunker in Rittershausstraße, we'll visit a number of different kiosks in the Unionviertel neighborhood with its urban charm and treat you to a mixed bag of goodies. During the tour, you'll learn a lot about the history and significance of the Trinkhalle for Dortmund and the Ruhr region. For example, you'll learn that the idea for the drinking hall originated during the industrialization period, when coal mine and factory owners set them up at the factory gates. Run by miners and factory workers who were no longer able to work, they offered mineral water and non-alcoholic beverages to curb the consumption of beer and schnapps among the workers. This was because drinking tap water posed a health risk due to contamination. Or how the kiosks gradually changed their product range after they also opened in working-class neighborhoods such as the Unionviertel, becoming not only a place to buy essentials but also a place where people still meet and chat today! Or that the kiosks of yesteryear are not the kiosks of today, how and why everything has changed, and why, for example, there is now the "Trinkhallenverein" (drinking hall association), which is dedicated to preserving kiosk culture. A taste of what's to come: yes, there will be one.