History and description

The VELTINS-Arena, before 2005 known as the Arena aufSchalke, replaced Schalke's old Parkstadion. It was the first stadium in Germany that was completely privately financed and came at a cost of $191 million. There was a lot of hype leading up to the opening and it lived up to it. The stadium was sold out for every match, showcasing the passionate fans of each team. With its modern design and impressive layout, the VELTINS-Arena is a world-class stadium and a perfect venue for football matches.

The stadium opened with many advanced features, such as a retractable roof, slide-out pitch, and movable South Stand.

The VELTINS-Arena was one of the venues of the 2006 World Cup where it hosted four group matches and the quarter-final between Portugal and England (0-0).

In 2004, FC Porto hosted the Champions League final between AS Monaco and won 3-0.

How to get to the VELTINS-Arena

The VELTINS-Arena is located in the north of Gelsenkirchen between the A42 and A2 motorways. If arriving from the A42, take exit 17 Gelsenkirchen-Schalke. Turn north onto the Alfred-Zingler-Straße and follow the road until you see the stadium on your right hand side.

From the A2, take exit Gelsenkirchen-Buer. Go left at the roundabout, and after a few hundred meters again left onto the Kurt-Schumacher-Straße. After a little more than a kilometer, the stadium will show up on your left.

Following the Kurt-Schumacher-Straße south for about six kilometres will bring you to Gelsenkirchen's city centre.

If you're using public transport, the VELTINS-Arena can be reached with a tram from Gelsenkirchen's main railway station (Hauptbahnhof).

Address: Ernst-Kuzorra-Weg 1, 45891 Gelsenkirchen

There are two hotels near the stadium: the Courtyard by Marriott is in the high-end category, while the Hotel Arena is for those with a more modest budget.

While there are more hotels in the city centre of Gelsenkirchen, you might also want to consider staying in for example Düsseldorf or Bochum if you want to enjoy the nightlife. Regional trains and the S-Bahn connect both cities with Gelsenkirchen's main railway station, making it easy to get around.

Schalke Tickets

Tickets for Schalke 04 matches can be bought online, by phone +49 (0) 1805-150810 (Ticket Hotline), or at the S04-ServiceCenter at the VELTINS-Arena. Schalke usually sell out most of their home league games, though tickets for many matches will be easily available if bought well in advance. For high-profile matches it is recommended to buy tickets when they go on sale for the general public.

If you are unable to find tickets through the official channels, popular secondary ticket websites such as Viagogo can be a reliable option. However, prices on these websites may be higher than face value.

Tickets for events at the arena range from 26 dollars for an upper-tier corner seat to 52 dollars for a central seat at one of the long sides. A ticket for the standing area costs 15.50 dollars.

Schalke charges 10 euros more for a seat to matches against Dortmund and Bayern at their stadium. You can find a seating plan of the VELTINS-Arena here.

VELTINS-Arena stadium tours

Schalke 04 are currently offering guided stadium tours that include access to the press room, changing rooms, business club, and Schalke-Museum. These tours last about 75 minutes. The tour runs most days of the week twice a day, but there can be cancellations when events occur at the VELTINS-Arena. You can check out the official website for the current schedule or call +49 (0) 209 3618 900 to book tours. The tour costs 9 Euros.

The entrance fee to the Schalke-Museum is only ?5.00, which applies Tuesdays to Fridays from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm (5:00 pm between March and February). On Saturdays and Sundays, the museum opens at 10:00 am and stays open until 5:00 pm.

For more information email [email protected] or call +49 (0) 209 3892 900.

Relevant Internet links

The official website of FC Schalke 04 is schalke04.de, while the official website for the VELTINS-Arena is veltins-arena.de. VRR.de is a journey planner and ticket information website for events at the VELTINS-Arena. Schalke 04 operates 5 shops in addition to their official online store. The main one is located inside Veltins Arena and is supplemented on matchdays by over five kiosks and four mobile sales units.

Schalke 04 operates 5 shops throughout addition to their official online store. The main one is located within Veltins Arena and is supplemented on matchdays by over five kiosks and four mobile sales units.

Wojciech wrote: 23 March 2015 at 4:48 pm Superb place! I was blown away by the stadium. The train connection from city centre is very good. I would definitely recommend it to every football fan. Comfortable seats and the view is just amazing.

I absolutely loved the stadium! The train connection was great, and the seats were very comfortable. Plus, the view is just breathtaking. I would definitely recommend it to any football fans.

Keith Miller wrote: 26 October 2014 at 1:55pm I should add that car parking is free and there is plenty of room to park.

I should note that parking is free and there is a lot of room to park.

Due to the many possibilities for use, football and indoor events can be organized at the Stadium; and the Museum is definitely worth visiting. The Club shop always has high quality products, without being a rip off, and the restaurant including Charly's bar serve good food and drinks at reasonable prices. We are regular visitors when we travel to visit our family in Minden, but then we're Schalke 04 fans anyway!

Yes, this is definitely true because the Multi-Use Possibilities make the Football and Indoor Events very exciting as well as biathlon when thousands of tons of snow are shipped in. Plus, the Museum is well worth seeing, the Club Shop always has quality products and is not a rip-off, and Charly's Bar serves good food and drinks at reasonable prices. We are regular visitors when we travel to visit our family in Minden, but then we're Schalke 04 fans anyway!