Hagen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. It has almost 200,000 inhabitants and is therefore considered a big city. Hagen is located at a point where the River Ruhr forms two small lakes: the Hengsteysee and the Harkortsee. Other bodies of water on the territory of the city are the rivers Eneppe, Lenne and Volme.


Like many cities in the Ruhr area, Hagen became large and important only in the age of industrialization. However, before that there was already the Long Line. This was a workers’ settlement, which was inhabited mainly by blacksmiths. It is now a listed building and is a popular tourist destination. Also in the LWL open-air museum you can learn a lot about how the Hagen people lived and worked before industrialization.
There is a distance learning university in Hagen as well as numerous companies in the fields of industry and services. In addition, it is considered the “gateway to the Sauerland”. This is a low mountain range with many forests and a popular region for skiers. A well-known person who was born in Hagen is the singer Nena.