BORUSSIA-PARK

Fans travelling by car should use this address on their GPS systems: Am Nordpark 400, 41179 Mönchengladbach.

Those travelling from either direction of the A61 motorway should exit at the Nordpark exit, and continue on the B230 parkway in the direction of Nordpark. Borussia-Park is signposted. This is the most direct route to car parks P4-P7 which are located close to the stadium.

Around 10,000 car parking spaces available at Borussia-Park, with a ticket costing €6 per vehicle. On matchdays, side streets along Aachener Straße and Gladbacher Straße are closed to match-goers, while the Gladbacher Straße-Dorthausen junction is completely closed from two hours before the start of matches.

Supporters with match tickets printed at home are entitled to use public transport on the Rhine-Ruhr Transport Association (VRR) and Aachener Verkehrsverbund (AVV) transport networks for free.

Fans can be dropped off at Rheydt Central train station / Mittelstraße and use the shuttle bus to the stadium, which departs every five minutes from three hours before kick-off. Shuttle buses also leave Platz der Republik and Wegburg bus station on the same schedule, as does the 017 bus from Mönchengladbach city centre (Europaplatz / Hauptbahnhof stop). The shuttle bus from Künkelstraße, however, leaves every 20 minutes from two hours before kick-off.

The return journeys for shuttle services, including to Mönchengladbach Hauptbahnhof and Rheydt station, end two hours after full-time.

Stadium tours are available at Borussia-Park throughout the year for a behind-the-scenes look at the home of one of Germany’s most famous club on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Tours with a guide are available both for individuals and small groups and last 90 minutes.

Tours take place at 15:00 and 17:00 on Fridays, 11:00 and 13:00 on Saturdays and at 11:00, 12:00 and 13:00 on Sundays. Free parking is available in the P1 and P12 car parks and the meeting point is at the main offices. Those on the tour are asked to meet 15 minutes before it begins.

It is also possible to arrange a large group tour outside the normal times, for up to 25 people. To do so, contact [email protected] or phone +492161/9293-1526.

Unlike the majority of stadiums, ‘Gladbach also offer stadium tours on matchdays for those who want an access-all-areas experience in the build-up to a match. You will need a valid match ticket for that day’s game to be able to attend and you will need to arrive early – tours start four hours before kick-off. Spaces on matchday tours are limited, so book well in advance. The tours are slightly shorter; between 60 and 75 minutes, but both a food and drink voucher which can be used at a number of the ground’s kiosks or the beer garden are included. Despite the shorter tour, access to the players‘ tunnel, the pitch, the press box, and the VIP area are still all included.

The stadium tour of BORUSSIA-PARK can also be combined on one ticket with a visit to the club’s museum, allowing visitors to take in the history of Borussia Mönchengladbach. A digital guide of the museum is included, too.

Bökelbergstadion was the home of Borussia Mönchengladbach from 1919, and saw the Foals reach the European Cup final in 1977, when they ultimately lost to Livepool. By the turn of the century, the ground had become too small and was not up to modern standards, therefore, a new ground was to be constructed. Borussia-Park broke ground in 2002 and officially opened on 30 July 2004.

A large, rectangular bowl, the stadium resembles many other modern grounds and its connected stands are simply known as the north, south, east and west tribunes. The stands are fully covered by a roof, but the pitch is open to the elements. While it lacks many distinguishing features, the impressive panoramic views more than make up for it. The exterior of the stadium has an impressive look once the sun has gone down, as lights make the ground glow in the team’s distinctive green colour.

All four stands are separated into two tiers, with the more vocal ‘Gladbach fans congregating in the lower tier of the north stand, which is the larger of the two terraced sections. Standing is an option for away fans, too, as one half of the southeast corner’s lower tier is also a terrace.

A UEFA Category 4 stadium, it has become used to hosting European club fixtures in recent seasons, owing to Mönchengladbach’s on-pitch success. For international matches and those in UEFA competitions, the terraces are converted into seating areas, which reduces the total capacity to 46,311. The Germany national team have played eight fixtures at Borussia-Park since it opened, the most recent being in 2022, while it was chosen to host three matches at the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

However, it was unsuccessful in its bid to be a host venue for both the 2006 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2024, suffering from Mönchengladbach’s close proximity to the likes of Dortmund, Gelsenkirchen and Cologne, all of which have bigger stadiums and/or are better-equipped for large numbers of tourists and fans.

As with other stadiums in the Bundesliga, and in German football more broadly, the ticket prices at Borussia-Park are very reasonably priced when compared to the standard of football on offer.

There are many different price categories depending on whether you will be standing or seated, and the prices within those categories depend on who the opposition are or the calibre of the match.

For Bundesliga matches, the cheapest tickets are for the standing areas of the north stand; at €16 for adults and €12.50 for concessions. Going by the information on upcoming matches during the 2023/24 season, these tickets stay the same price regardless of the opposition.

Tickets for seated areas of the north and south stands are available for €19, with those in the upper tiers of the east and west stands starting at €25. The biggest difference in prices are for the most expensive area of the ground – not including hospitality areas – the “middle” (the upper half of the lower tier) sections in the east and west, where for most matches a ticket costs €53.50, but for some can be bought for as little as €29.

Lower priced tickets for children are only available in the south stand, and are available from €8.

Borussia Mönchengladbach house the away supporters in the southeast corner of Borussia-Park. Specifically, in blocks 6 and 7 of the lower tier and blocks 6A and 7A of the upper tier. The total capacity of the away section is around 5,500.

Block 6 is the terraced section of the away end, with tickets priced at €16 – the same as the standing area of the home end. The other three blocks also have prices in line with similar areas of the ground; tickets in the upper tier start at around €19, while a seat in block 7 of the lower tier will cost around €29.

Visiting fans must purchase tickets through their club’s specific ticketing system. The same free public transport options that home fans have are valid for travelling fans, too.

The stadium is located on the outskirts of the city, therefore there are not many food and drink options nearby other than those within the stadium itself. While there are plenty of bars acting as shrines to Borussia in the city centre, bars specifically for away fans are few and far between. However, there are a number of options close to the main train station (Hauptbahnhof), so visiting fans will often congregate in this area before hopping on the shuttle buses to the stadium.

The vast majority of Fohlen matches are sell-outs, with the average attendance in the 2022/23 season standing at 52,438, one of the highest in Europe and the best ever for Borussia Mönchengladbach.

‘Gladbach have plenty of other big clubs nearby, but they have one main rival; FC Köln. Animosity between the two has existed since the 1960s, and the chance to see them go toe-to-toe in the Rhenish derby should not be missed. The battle of the Prussians against Borussia Dortmund falls second on the list of matches Mönchengladbach want to win at all costs.

The club also has a friendship with Liverpool in England. The pair met plenty of times down the years in European competition, including the 1977 European cup final, and since the two sets of fans have travelled to each other’s matches. Borussia fans even raised money for the families of victims of the Hillsborough disaster in 1989.