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Hagen
Often referred to as ‘the Gateway to the Sauerland’, Hagen lies to the south of the Ruhr River and is dissected by three other waterways: the Lenne, Volme and Ennepe. Known for the textile and metal industries that once powered the region, Hagen is now the seat of Germany's only state distance learning university. In the district of Selbecke, visitors flock to the Westphalian State Museum for Crafts and Technology - an open-air museum with around sixty workshops and, since 2012, an active brewery. The Osthaus Museum Hagen is a popular showcase for modern art, while the medieval Hohenlimburg Castle has earned the name ‘Westphalian Heidelberg’ because of its picturesque hillside location. The Hagen Observatory is another draw, and for a limited time in July 2025 there will be another way to see the stars in this city, by attending the basketball matches of the FISU World University Games at the ever-popular Ischelandhalle.
Venues
Ischelandhalle
Basketball
Like the local basketball team Phoenix Hagen, the Ischelandhalle is a storied venue which has risen from the metaphorical flames more than once since opening in 1966. A home to the TTC Hagen table tennis and VfL Eintracht Hagen handball clubs, the hall received a much-needed expansion after the Phoenix bounced back from near-financial oblivion to reach the Bundesliga in 2010. It now boasts around 2,775 seats to compliment the famous ‘Hayloft’ – a quirky standing section beneath the roof trusses which regularly houses around 500 of the most passionate fans in German basketball. Phoenix Hagen followers are sure to turn out in force for the FISU World University Games, when the ‘Ische’ will host qualifying matches in the men’s and women’s basketball competitions.
