| Veltins-Arena (Arena AufSchalke), Gelsenkirchen | Signal-Iduna-Park (Westfalen stadium), Dortmund |
| Opened 2001 | Opened 1974 |
| 61.481 spectator capacity, of which 16.307 standing | 81.264 spectator capacity, of which 27.589 standing |
| The most modern multifunctional arena in Europe | With a capacity 25,000 the largest standing area in any stadium in Europe |
Source: www.stadionwelt.de
Further outstanding sporting locations which stage a huge number of national and international competitions include:
- the Regatta track in Duisburg-Wedau
- the Helmut-Körnig-Halle, one of the most modern indoor athletics stadiums in Europe
- Europe's largest covered shooting site in Dortmund
- the beach volleyball centre at the Kemnader reservoir
- the Alpine Centre indoor ski piste in Bottrop
- the specially designed climbing wall at the North Duisburg landscape park
- the flooded gasometer for scuba divers in the North Duisburg landscape park
Mass sports
- Emscher Park cycle trail (over 230 kilometres long) and several further cycle trails including
> the Ruhr Valley cycle trail - 'Cycle Trail of the Year 2007 in NRW'
> the Industrial Heritage Trail by bike - 'Cycle Trail of the Year 2006'
- over 10,000 playing fields
- 5,536 sports clubs with 1.3 million members
Source: Regionalverband Ruhr, Kleiner Zahlenspiegel metropoleruhr 2007
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