Veltins Arena and Science Park in Gelsenkirchen. (Lars Baron/Getty Images, AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Gelsenkirchen has a big role to play in the World Cup party this summer and soccer may not even be centre stage.

One thing you quickly learn about Germans is that they love their golden oldie rock and pop acts and the Ruhr city of Gelsenkirchen is no exception, with their World Cup festivities being headlined by concerts from the likes of Simple Minds (June 8), Status Quo (June 28), Gypsy Kings (June 29) and Bryan Adams (July 7).

They will be all be on stage at the Gelsenkirchen 'Fan Fest' which will be held for the duration of the tournament at the Gluckaufkampbahn, the former ground of local Bundesliga side, Schalke 04. Besides the live music, visitors to the town will be able to watch every World Cup game on a huge video wall, enjoy an extensive programme of football-related entertainment day and night. To get here from the town centre, hop on tram 302 for Ernst Kuzorra Platz.

Gelsenkirchen cannot be described as a tourist haven. This is a working town, one where coal mines and steel works used to rule the roost, only to fall victim to recession in the latter part of the last century. They have been replaced by the retailing sector, high-tech and service industries, but that does not mean it has nothing to offer. It's a warm, welcoming place and, crucially, football is a religion in these parts; Schalke enjoy average crowds of 60,000 and boast 48,000 members, while the city has over 10,000 amateur clubs.

World Cup venues do not come any more passionate than Gelsenkirchen. Whether it's the hotel receptionist, barman or shop assistant, literally everybody here will talk about the beautiful game at the drop of a hat and that love of soccer will surely make for a special atmosphere this summer.

Certainly Gelsenkirchen's pub/restaurants and bars ooze friendliness. In the Old Town (Altstadt) try Gaststatte Brunkhorst on Florastrasse, Kleine Kneipe on Von Over Strasse or the Oisin Kelly Gallery Irish Pub on Brinkgartenstrasse, which boasts a pleasant beer garden in the summer months. Named after a former local coal pit, the vast Brahuas Hibernia brew pub in front of the railway station (Bahnhofsvorplatz) is a good bet too.

It combines a lively sportsbar, a menu of solid no-nonsense fare -- steaks, salads, all cuts of pork and tasty sausages -- and great beer, especially the Ruhr Pott pils and a dark, hoppy Irish-style ale, Mulvany's. Also check out Charly's Bummelzug, a bar at the railway station run by former Schalke player Charly Neumann.

The northern suburb of Buer, the site of Veltins Arena, the 48,426-capacity World Cup 2006 stadium, is also strong on nightlife. Look out for the multifunctional Kronski in the Markthalle Buer on Springemarkt, which serves good international cuisine and is home to a bustling pub and disco; it's very football-friendly and Schalke players are often seen here.

Other decent spots for an evening out in Buer include the Restaurant-Café Dorfkrus next to the St Urbanus church in Marienstrasse, the half-timbered pub-restaurant Plettenberg on Gladbecherstrasse, Destille on Kurt Schumacherstrasse -- where the baguettes are delicious -- and the sportsbars, Fliegenpils (Hagenstrasse) and Marientor (De La Chevallerie). By the way, the Arena is best reached by taking tram 302 from the lower level of the railway station -- direction Gelsenkirchen-Buer -- getting off at the Arena stop.

Gelsenkirchen is not short of tempting restaurants either, with an especially strong array of Italian eateries. Choose from La Scala on Schlesicher Ring, La Vecchia Osteria (Horsterstrasse in Buer), the Sardinian cuisine at Trattoria Vitali and Trulli on Van der Recke Strasse, where they produce homemade lasagne to die for. Greek is another option and Xenos the Greek on Cranger Strasse offers value-for-money, while the fish is excellent at Mykonos (Schalker Strasse). A city with large Turkish community, kebab joints are everywhere as well.

Forget the idea that Gelsenkirchen is all post-industrial grime as a third of the town is made up of parks, forests and meadows. The Resser Mark forest to the east of town is a scenic spot, while to the north-west (Tram 107 to Revierpark) the Nienhausen Revier Park features an open-air swimming pool, tennis courts and mini-golf. In the southern district of Horst, a former colliery has been cleaned up and transformed into the Nordstern Park, whose focal point is an amphitheatre where concerts are held, so there is always plenty going on.

Other attractions are the Schloss Berge in Buer, a 13th-century palace built by a lake in a huge expanse of parkland and gardens, not to mention the Schloss Horst, an expensively restored Renaissance creation, now used as a cultural centre and local government offices, and the Ruhr Zoo close to the Rhine-Herne canal.

Local transport involves buses and a three-line tram network, with the tourist office found in Hans Sachs Haus in Ebertstrasse. Meanwhile, the closest airport to Gelsenkirchen is in Dortmund. From there take the airport bus to Dortmund railway station, from where five trains an hour leave for Gelsenkirchen, with a journey time of up to 35 minutes.

Gelsenkirchen: Hotel