Originally Posted by
PAX_fips
I wont make Essen the hub.. and DUS vs CGN. Well, since you fly DUS-HAM (as I understood it), I'd make DUS the hub. D'dorf to Cologne (as city) is a quick hop (CGN is way south).
I'm actually taking the train to Hamburg, but that shouldn't matter too much. In 2019 I used trains everywhere (Copenhagen-Berlin-Bamberg-Frankfurt(Eintracht)-Bremen(Werder)-Sinsheim(Hoffenheim)-FRA) and it was easy and affordable. The game at Hoffenheim allowed me to see what was the beginning of the Schalke decline into a 2 Bundesliga team.
Thanks for the good comments from everybody. I see some good places to visit and it looks like Dusseldorf will be the most convenient being at the hub of so many train routes. Essen and Koln are at the ends of my reach for this part of my trip, consuming more time transiting to the places I want to see. I liked the Hattingen idea a lot! That might be a full day on it's own. I'll investigate more the Essen industrial history to see if they will be open for business in October. My gut feeling is that outdoor sites might be quicker to reopen.