n August 2001 FC Schalke 04 played their first home match in the VELTINS-Arena against Bayer Leverkusen. The Arena immediately won the hearts of the Schalke fans and is feared by away teams because of the tremendous noise it generates. With a capacity of 61,027 (53,334 for European and international matches), the multipurpose stadium offers great views of the pitch. As well as 44,813 seats the Arena boasts 16,214 standing places that can be converted to seats for European games and internationals.
The Arena forms the heart of the "Schalke Field" in the north of Gelsenkirchen between the suburbs of Erle, Buer and Schalke. It can be reached by tram No. 302 from Gelsenkirchen railway station (Hauptbahnhof). If you are travelling by car you should take the Gelsenkirchen-Buer turn-off on the A 2 motorway or the Gelsenkirchen-Schalke turn-off on the A 42 motorway. For further details please consult the map of the club complex.
At the beginning of the 1990s it became clear that the Park Stadium, which was opened in 1973, no longer satisfied the requirements placed on a modern football stadium. It had only 22,000 covered places, offered unsatisfactory views of the pitch and few options for conversion, and so it was only natural that the club began to start developing ideas at this time for a new multipurpose arena. For one reason or another the plans were put on ice and it was not until the upturn in the club's fortunes on the pitch that the VELTINS-Arena project finally began to take shape.
Further information can be found on the Arena website. At the moment this website is in German only but an English version should go online soon.
The VELTINS-Arena is Schalke's new home, but the Park Stadium and the Glückaufkampfbahn remain an integral part of the club's history.
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