Small-town charm meets metropolis
In the middle of Witten
Discover your study location!
Welcome to Witten! The best of both worlds awaits you here: With just under 100,000 inhabitants, Witten offers you the cosy atmosphere of a small town with creative neighbourhoods, relaxed cafés and an ideal starting point for your next outdoor adventure. At the same time, you are in the heart of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region. The cities of Bochum, Dortmund and Essen are just a stone's throw away and offer you a wide range of options: from cultural offerings and sporting events to shopping highlights and the best party locations.
Go on a discovery tour with us: we'll show you what you can experience off campus in Witten, introduce you to the favourite places of current students and take you to the hotspots of the Ruhr region that you shouldn't miss.
Simply switch off!
Hygge cafés and iconic pubs
Do you want a full dose of Witten? Then make a detour to Witten's Wiesenviertel neighbourhood! The Wiesenviertel is the place to be on warm summer evenings or for cosy café and pub visits in cooler temperatures. Neighbourliness is very important in this district. Along the lively streets, you will discover communal flower beds, leafy courtyards and outdoor seating areas that add to the special charm of the neighbourhood.
If you're looking for a relaxed place to study away from the university library or want to enjoy a delicious coffee after lectures, Witten is the place for you!
These are our students' favourite cafés:
- Raum Café: The perfect mix of café and co-working space during the day - a meeting place for student initiatives, neighbourhood groups and other movements in the evening.
- Café Leye: Coffee house with vintage charm - here you can enjoy your coffee in cosy plush armchairs or on the roof terrace in summer. Events organised by the WittenLab. Zukunftslabor Studium fundamentale often take place here in the evenings, e.g. the Philosophical Salon.
- Kijami Café: Kijami is not only a café, but also a roastery for fair-trade organic coffee from Tanzania - founded by a UW/H student! In addition to hot drinks, the café also serves its own cake creations. And so that you don't have to miss out on coffee enjoyment even in everyday university life: you can also get Kijami specialities at Café Larix directly on the UW/H campus.
In the evenings and at weekends, Knuts and Kitten fill up in Witten city centre. Both bars are popular meeting places for our students! The Kitten is run by Unikat e. V. - a cultural association that emerged from a student initiative at the UW/H. The members regularly organise iconic events in Witten city centre or on the university campus, e.g. "Reading for Beer" or a summer night cinema. At Knuts, it's worth taking a look in the backyard, where you can relax in a beer garden atmosphere.
Whether travelling by kayak, pedal boat or SUP board - the Ruhr offers many opportunities for water sports.
At Schauspielhaus Bochum, students not only benefit from discounted ticket prices; at the weekend, the theater forecourt becomes a popular meeting place.
Knut's is one of the cult bars in Witten. Our tip for the summer: relax in the cosy beer garden! (Photo: Wiesenviertel e. V. | Dana Schmidt)
There are many pretty little shops in Witten city centre. (Photo: Wiesenviertel e. V. | Dana Schmidt)
Fancy a bit of history? A hike or cycle tour through the Muttental valley will take you to the impressive Hardenstein castle ruins.
Café Leye has an idyllic terrace where you can enjoy your coffee or a hearty breakfast.
(Photo: Café Leye)
Celebrate in Witten's neighboring city of Bochum: In the trendy Bermuda 3Eck district, you'll find bars, restaurants and great events.
In the Wiesenviertel district, residents work together to promote projects and organise events. (Photo: Wiesenviertel e. V. | Dana Schmidt)
Do you want to get to know your place of study and the people in Witten? Then the Wiesenviertel Festival is a must! (Photo: Wiesenviertel e. V. | Dana Schmidt)
Your guide through Witten
How our students celebrate
When the kitchenette turns into a cocktail bar and the hallway into a beer pong arena, then the flat share party is in full swing! You don't always need the hippest club or the hottest DJs to party hard and have a good time with friends. Thanks to the informal atmosphere on campus, you'll quickly make friends and find out from your fellow students which shared flats have the best parties - or you can become a host yourself together with your flatmates. A must for UW/H students: the MdM party at the start of the semester! Witten/Herdecke University is known for its student initiatives, which present themselves at the World of Possibilities (MdM) during Freshers' Week. Our students then officially ring in the new semester with the university-wide party.
If you don't want to miss out on clubbing, you can get your money's worth in the neighbouring cities of Bochum and Dortmund. From Witten main station, you can be in Bochum's Bermuda3Eck in 20 minutes by train - the starting point for bar hopping and long party nights. In just 15 minutes, you can be in Dortmund to party in trendy clubs such as "Oma Doris", "Tresor.West" or the "FZW".
Between football stadiums and theatre stages
FC Schalke 04, VfL Bochum 1884 and Borussia Dortmund (BVB): You can't get past football in the Ruhr region! Whether you're a fan or not, the sport is so deeply rooted in the culture that even newcomers quickly internalise the names of the region's clubs.
Another advantage of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region? The wide range of museums, theatres and concert halls! Students benefit from discounted ticket prices or free admission to many cultural institutions such as Schauspielhaus Bochum, Dortmund Theatre and the Philharmonie Essen.
Discover the most beautiful places around your place of study
No more concrete wasteland and grey industrial wasteland. On your very first visit to the UW/H campus, you will realise: Witten and the Ruhr region are green! Whether on foot, by bike or on a SUP board - it's worth exploring your study location for the perfect study-life balance. Take a walk along the banks of the Ruhr, climb the Witten Hohenstein, circle the Hammerteich, relax at the Kemnader reservoir or hike through the Muttental valley to the Hardenstein castle ruins. If your heart beats for micro-adventures in the fresh air, the Komoot app is your best friend. Here you will always find new and popular tour suggestions for your next outdoor activity.
There are also numerous spoil tips in the Ruhr region. These elevations are relics of mining history and are popular excursion destinations today. With special sculptures such as the Tetraeder in Bottrop or the horizon observatory on the Hoheward spoil tip in Herten, the "mountains" in Witten's neighbourhood are definitely worth a trip.
Do you prefer an urban setting, but don't want to miss out on the feeling of nature? How about a picnic in Witten's city park? Nearby is the Helenenturm tower, from where you have a great view of the city.
How our students celebrate
When the kitchenette turns into a cocktail bar and the hallway into a beer pong arena, then the flat share party is in full swing! You don't always need the hippest club or the hottest DJs to party hard and have a good time with friends. Thanks to the informal atmosphere on campus, you'll quickly make friends and find out from your fellow students which shared flats have the best parties - or you can become a host yourself together with your flatmates. A must for UW/H students: the MdM party at the start of the semester! Witten/Herdecke University is known for its student initiatives, which present themselves at the World of Possibilities (MdM) during Freshers' Week. Our students then officially ring in the new semester with the university-wide party.
If you don't want to miss out on clubbing, you can get your money's worth in the neighbouring cities of Bochum and Dortmund. From Witten main station, you can be in Bochum's Bermuda3Eck in 20 minutes by train - the starting point for bar hopping and long party nights. In just 15 minutes, you can be in Dortmund to party in trendy clubs such as "Oma Doris", "Tresor.West" or the "FZW".
Between football stadiums and theatre stages
FC Schalke 04, VfL Bochum 1884 and Borussia Dortmund (BVB): You can't get past football in the Ruhr region! Whether you're a fan or not, the sport is so deeply rooted in the culture that even newcomers quickly internalise the names of the region's clubs.
Another advantage of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region? The wide range of museums, theatres and concert halls! Students benefit from discounted ticket prices or free admission to many cultural institutions such as Schauspielhaus Bochum, Dortmund Theatre and the Philharmonie Essen.
Discover the most beautiful places around your place of study
No more concrete wasteland and grey industrial wasteland. On your very first visit to the UW/H campus, you will realise: Witten and the Ruhr region are green! Whether on foot, by bike or on a SUP board - it's worth exploring your study location for the perfect study-life balance. Take a walk along the banks of the Ruhr, climb the Witten Hohenstein, circle the Hammerteich, relax at the Kemnader reservoir or hike through the Muttental valley to the Hardenstein castle ruins. If your heart beats for micro-adventures in the fresh air, the Komoot app is your best friend. Here you will always find new and popular tour suggestions for your next outdoor activity.
There are also numerous spoil tips in the Ruhr region. These elevations are relics of mining history and are popular excursion destinations today. With special sculptures such as the Tetraeder in Bottrop or the horizon observatory on the Hoheward spoil tip in Herten, the "mountains" in Witten's neighbourhood are definitely worth a trip.
Do you prefer an urban setting, but don't want to miss out on the feeling of nature? How about a picnic in Witten's city park? Nearby is the Helenenturm tower, from where you have a great view of the city.
"The Ruhr is a great place to go for a walk and enjoy the beautiful weather - the Nachtigallbrücke bridge in particular offers a fantastic view."
"The best pizza rolls can be found at City Kebab in Witten - even at 04:00 in the morning! So it's always a safe harbour for long party nights."