Siegen is a city in Germany, in the south Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is a Große kreisangehörige Stadt, a city that exercises certain functions usually exercised by the district, without actually being a district-free city. It is in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein in Arnsberg region. The university town has over 12,500 students. Siegen lies in a branched basin of the upper Sieg, from where side valleys branch off in many directions. The surrounding mountains, wherever they are not actually settled upon, are covered in coppice. The Sauerland lies to the north, the Rothaargebirge northwest and the Westerwald southwest. The nearest cities to Siegen, by road, are Hagen to the north (83 km), Frankfurt am Main to the southeast (125 km), Koblenz to the southwest (105 km) and Cologne to the west (93 km). The city lies on the German-Dutch holiday road called the Oranier-Route, joining towns, cities and regions linked with the House of Orange. Siegen has a population of 105,000 and an area of 115 sq km.
How to Get There:
Siegerland Airport, connecting Siegen to many other airports in Germany is to the south, in the community of Burbach. Siegen is well connected by rail, though it does not have any ICE trains passing through. It holds the record of the world's first bus line, opened by the Netphener Omnibusgesellschaft, using a petrol-powered omnibus, running from its base in Netphen to Siegen and Deuz on 18 March 1895. Today, local road transport offers many regional, express and local buses, along with a night bus service connecting Siegen with its outlying communities and neighbouring towns, apart from two autobahns connecting it to Dortmund, Aschaffenburg, Cologne and Olpe. Four Federal Highways also pass through.
What to See:
The Museum for Modern Art, or Museum für Gegenwartskunst, the Haus Seel City Gallery, the Beatles-Museum in Geisweid, the smallest public museum in the world devoted to the fab four Liverpudlian band; the Oberes Schloss and the Unteres Schloss; The Martinikirche dating from the 11th century, the Nikolaikirche at the marketplace with its unusual eight-sided shape and its golden Krönchen ("coronet") – the city's landmark- and the Marienkirche; the Gasometer and a few well known breweries in the area, like the Krombacher and Eichener Brauerei in Kreuztal, using Siegerland’s famous high quality water.
Where to Eat:
There are over 75 restaurants in Siegen. Haus Siegboot; Schwarzes Schaf; Zartbitter; Steakhaus El Rancho; Zum alten Kaan; Munzwerk and Sternklar are recommended.
Specialties:
Siegen specialises in Riewekooche (Reibekuchen – a bread made with grated potatoes Potato_pancake); Siegerländer Krüstchen (beef with bread salad and an egg); Schanzenbrot (sourdough rye bread); Krebelcher; Groffbroat; Siegerländer Debbekooche; Siegerländer Bäckel; Duffelnsobbe (potato soup); Grenge (cracknel); Grinnchesbroare (rabbit roast); Kiernmelchsoabbe (buttermilk soup); Suerambe (sorrel); Siegerländer Hirtentopf; Aejjerkaes (egg cheese) and Schampe (beef paunch in sauce).
Where to Stay:
Siegen has twenty hotels. The Best Western Park Hotel Siegen and Hotel Buerger are in the high priced range, whereas the Ramada Treff Siegen, Berghotel Johanneshohe, Hotel Siegboot, Parkhotel Biedenkopf and Pfeffermuhle are mid-range. There are
two B&Bs/Inns as well.
