Bochum

Bochum ( ; Westphalian: Baukem) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), western Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area and is surrounded by the cities of Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Herne, Castrop-Rauxel, Dortmund, Witten and Hattingen. With a population of nearly 375,000, it is the 16th most populous city in Germany.