GPS City Rally Essen
Discover Essen in a playful way! Your GPS City Rally leads through the city of structural change – from the imposing Zollverein Coal Mine via Villa Hügel to Lake Baldeneysee. Team building meets industrial culture in the European Green Capital 2017.
City Rally in Essen – Team Building, Sightseeing and Team Challenge in One
Our city rally in Essen combines exciting puzzles, modern technology and exploring the city together into a varied team event. In small teams, participants compete against each other and collect as many points as possible within the given time. A special highlight on your route: Zeche Zollverein.
Equipped with a tablet PC and our specially developed event app, the teams set off on a varied route through Essen. Along the way they discover not only well-known sights and historic squares, but also hidden corners that many visitors would otherwise miss.
At every station new challenges await: sometimes knowledge and logical thinking are required, sometimes creativity, skill or team spirit. The programme is rounded off with entertaining photo and video challenges that provide plenty of fun and unforgettable memories.
Because many tasks are tailored specifically to Essen, participants get to know the city in a playful way while experiencing an exciting competition with the other teams. Through clever route planning and good cooperation, additional points can be earned – here it’s not only the right answers that count, but also strategy and teamwork.
GPS City Rally in Essen – Why Here?
Essen is the perfect setting for a GPS City Rally! The city of structural change combines industrial culture with green oases. UNESCO World Heritage Zollverein, European Green Capital 2017 and Lake Baldeneysee – Essen surprises with its diversity.
With around 582,000 inhabitants, Essen offers unique contrasts: The imposing Zollverein Coal Mine, the elegant Villa Hügel of the Krupp family, the idyllic Lake Baldeneysee and the historic old town of Werden make every rally station an experience between industrial history and modern urban development.
What Awaits Your Team in Essen
GPS tour through Zollverein Coal Mine
In the footsteps of coal & steel
Modern technology meets history
Puzzles, photo tasks, quiz questions
Zollverein, Grugapark or Baldeneysee
Parks and lakes in the cultural capital
Quick Facts Essen
Gute Bedingungen für Outdoor-Events mit leichter Jacke.
Essen has a mild Ruhr area climate. Grugapark and Lake Baldeneysee offer pleasant temperatures even in hot weather. Zollverein Coal Mine is a highlight in any weather – in rain we use the covered areas and the spectacular industrial architecture!
Good to know: Our GPS rallies include rain ponchos and sunscreen – we're prepared for any weather! The tablets are waterproof protected.
Possible Stations of Your GPS City Rally in Essen
These Essen highlights can be part of your individual rally route. We adapt the route to your group size, time and wishes:
UNESCO World Heritage, once the largest coal mine in the world, now a cultural centerRally Tip: Perfect industrial setting for photo challenges and creative team tasks
Former residence of the Krupp family with 269 rooms and large parkRally Tip: Impressive setting for team photos and puzzles about industrial history
Largest Ruhr reservoir with 2.6 km² water surface, local recreation areaRally Tip: Ideal for rally stops by the water with a boat trip option
65-hectare city park with botanical garden and Grugahalle arenaRally Tip: Green oasis for outdoor challenges and relaxed team activities
Historic district with 1200-year-old basilica and picturesque alleysRally Tip: Charming old town setting as contrast to industrial culture
World-famous art museum with works by Monet, Van Gogh and PicassoRally Tip: Cultural rally station with art puzzles and creative challenges
The minster with the Golden Madonna, the oldest figure of its kindRally Tip: Right in the centre, short distances
A garden-city estate from 1906, today a listed monumentRally Tip: An unusual backdrop for team photos
The street with the most cafés and shops in the cityRally Tip: An obvious choice for the evening afterwards
🎯 Individual Routes Possible!
Do you have specific places your team must see? Or a company theme that should be integrated into the tasks? We design your GPS City Rally according to your wishes!
How Your GPS City Rally in Essen Works
- 1Welcome & Briefing
We meet at a central point in Essen (e.g. Zollverein Coal Mine, Grugapark or your venue). Our team guides welcome you, explain the tablets and the game rules. Teams are divided and equipped with gear.
- 2Rally Start
Teams start staggered or simultaneously. The tablet guides via GPS to the first station. There, tasks await: Photo challenges in front of the double-headframe winding tower, puzzles about industrial history, creative tasks or team games. Collect points and move to the next station!
- 3Discover & Experience
The route leads through Essen's highlights: From UNESCO World Heritage Zollverein to Villa Hügel, through Grugapark, along Lake Baldeneysee or to the historic old town of Werden. New challenges await at every station!
- 4Award Ceremony & Evaluation
All teams gather at the finish point. We evaluate results, show the best photos and videos on the tablet and crown the winning team. Optional: Transition to a joint meal at Casino Zollverein or a restaurant in Rüttenscheid!
New in our own game app: at the battle spots, two teams meet head-on and go directly against each other – either analogue on site or digitally in the app, whichever you prefer. Kennedyplatz is a natural fit, because the routes converge there anyway. Where exactly the battle spots sit in Essen is something we agree with you when planning the route.
Prices & Booking
| Group size | 1.5 – 2 h | 2.5 h | 3 h |
|---|---|---|---|
| from 10 people | from €44.95 | from €47.45 | from €49.95 |
| from 30 people | from €40.45 | from €42.70 | from €44.95 |
| from 50 people | from €38.20 | from €40.35 | from €42.45 |
| from 100 people | from €35.95 | from €37.95 | from €39.95 |
Prices per person, plus statutory VAT.
Included in the Price
Or call us: +49 176 61882073
Impressions from the Event
This is what a GPS City Rally looks like in action – teams on the move, puzzles in hand, racing the clock together.
Lunch for the whole department in Essen
Our standard recommendation for larger groups is Stauder Brauhaus (up to 300 people). We can book it for you, timed to the event.
| Venue | Cuisine | Capacity | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Casino Zollverein €€€ | Modern German/International | up to 200 people | Zeche Zollverein | Spectacular location in former compressor hall |
| Schloss Hugenpoet €€€€ | Fine Dining | up to 80 people | Kettwig (at Lake Baldeneysee) | Historic moated castle with star cuisine |
| Alte Lohnhalle €€ | German/Regional | up to 150 people | Essen-Rüttenscheid | Historic industrial architecture with beer garden |
Staying overnight in Essen
For teams travelling in or guests who stay: hotels in Essen that can handle groups.
| Hotel | Rooms | Location | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schloss Hugenpoet ★★★★★ €€€€ | 36 | Kettwig at Lake Baldeneysee | Romantic 17th-century moated castle |
| Sheraton Essen Hotel ★★★★ €€€ | 186 | Center near Grugapark | Large capacity, near trade fair and Grugapark |
| Hotel & Restauration Mintrops Stadt Hotel ★★★★ €€ | 52 | Margarethenhöhe (Garden City) | Charm of the historic Krupp garden city |
Insider Tips for Essen
- Zollverein Coal Mine is spectacularly illuminated at night - perfect for evening events!
- Rüttenscheid (short Rü) is the trendy district with the most restaurants and bars.
- The Weiße Flotte runs boat trips on Lake Baldeney, ideal as a rally finale.
- Werden is the oldest district and surprisingly idyllic, perfect for contrast routes.
- The Unperfekthaus in the city center is a creative center with pay-what-you-want concept.
Getting to Essen
ICE stop Essen Central Station with connections from Duesseldorf (30 min), Frankfurt (2h) and Berlin (4h). Zollverein accessible by S-Bahn.
A40 (Ruhrschnellweg), A52, A42 – centrally located in Ruhr area. Parking at Zollverein, Grugapark and city center.
Duesseldorf Airport (DUS) approx. 30 km away. S-Bahn connection to Essen Central Station (approx. 25 min).
Ready for Your GPS City Rally in Essen?
Contact us now for an individual offer – we design your rally according to your wishes!