Final 2025
source: Dirk Rutz
The final of the 19th Carcassonne World Championships will be held in Spielezentrum in Herne / Germany. It will take place on Saturday 25th of October 2025. The address is Hölkeskampring 2, 44625 Herne.
Klaus-Jürgen Wrede, the author of the game Carcassonne, will come to Spielezentrum around noon for autographs and photos during that day. There will be an additional winners ceremony for the first four places (only) on Sunday at 11.30 h in Essen on the game fair with Moritz Brunnhofer, head of publisher Hans im Glück (but NOT Klaus-Jürgen Wrede). So if you really want to meet Klaus-Jürgen in person you have to come to Herne on Saturday (or be very lucky in Essen the days before). ;-)
Remember: on Saturday we will stream the final live on our youtube channel.
During the tournament we will offer free and unlimited drinks to all players and visitors all day long.
Here is the provisionally timetable for the final:
09.00 h start registration
09.30 h start tournament
12.30 h break for lunch (all players will enjoy a small catering: soups, bread, fruits)
16.30 h start final game
17.30 h winners ceremony
19.00 h start "aftershow party"
It is planed to hold the so called "aftershow party" or cozy get-together in nearby restaurant "Zille" (Willi-Pohlmann-Platz 1, 44623 Herne) again. It's only one subway stop (named Archäologie-Museum / Kreuzkirche) or 1000 meters away from Spielezentrum. Other interested people can spontaneously join at their own expense, too.
Klaus-Jürgen Wrede, the author of the game Carcassonne, will come to Spielezentrum around noon for autographs and photos during that day. There will be an additional winners ceremony for the first four places (only) on Sunday at 11.30 h in Essen on the game fair with Moritz Brunnhofer, head of publisher Hans im Glück (but NOT Klaus-Jürgen Wrede). So if you really want to meet Klaus-Jürgen in person you have to come to Herne on Saturday (or be very lucky in Essen the days before). ;-)
Remember: on Saturday we will stream the final live on our youtube channel.
During the tournament we will offer free and unlimited drinks to all players and visitors all day long.
Here is the provisionally timetable for the final:
09.00 h start registration
09.30 h start tournament
12.30 h break for lunch (all players will enjoy a small catering: soups, bread, fruits)
16.30 h start final game
17.30 h winners ceremony
19.00 h start "aftershow party"
It is planed to hold the so called "aftershow party" or cozy get-together in nearby restaurant "Zille" (Willi-Pohlmann-Platz 1, 44623 Herne) again. It's only one subway stop (named Archäologie-Museum / Kreuzkirche) or 1000 meters away from Spielezentrum. Other interested people can spontaneously join at their own expense, too.
source: Picasa
All players are automatically invited and are allowed to bring one accompanying person. We will provide a free buffet and free drinks (softdrinks, beer, wine).
If you already want to look for accommondation in Herne go here. Please consider to stay alternatively in Bochum. Of course all of the players will get a ticket for game fair SPIEL in Essen. Please be aware that there will be NO shuttle service between Essen and Herne but there are enough alternatives going to SPIEL yourself (public transportation, rental car, UBER etc.).
How to get to Spielezentrum in Herne?
You can use public transportation which is quite easy here in the Ruhr area. Due to decades of neglect we have more conctrution sites than ususal at the moment but nevertheless it's an alternative way to travel. You can find information in English on the VRR site concerning nearly all local transport connections. You can also download detailed maps (so called "Stadtlinienpläne") for every city in the Ruhr area (just scroll down the page a little; the maps are sorted alphabetically by the city name). They are in German only but very helpful for getting an overview of the area where you stay.
From Bochum main station (Bochum Hbf) or Herne station (Herne Bf) runs the subway line U35 directly to Spielezentrum. This line is called campus line (CampusLinie) because it connects to the university in Bochum (Ruhr-Universität).
If you already want to look for accommondation in Herne go here. Please consider to stay alternatively in Bochum. Of course all of the players will get a ticket for game fair SPIEL in Essen. Please be aware that there will be NO shuttle service between Essen and Herne but there are enough alternatives going to SPIEL yourself (public transportation, rental car, UBER etc.).
How to get to Spielezentrum in Herne?
You can use public transportation which is quite easy here in the Ruhr area. Due to decades of neglect we have more conctrution sites than ususal at the moment but nevertheless it's an alternative way to travel. You can find information in English on the VRR site concerning nearly all local transport connections. You can also download detailed maps (so called "Stadtlinienpläne") for every city in the Ruhr area (just scroll down the page a little; the maps are sorted alphabetically by the city name). They are in German only but very helpful for getting an overview of the area where you stay.
From Bochum main station (Bochum Hbf) or Herne station (Herne Bf) runs the subway line U35 directly to Spielezentrum. This line is called campus line (CampusLinie) because it connects to the university in Bochum (Ruhr-Universität).
source: Thomas Schmidt Pressebuero Stadt Her
If you start in Bochum the direction is "Herne / Schloß Strünkede" or if you start in Herne the direction is "Bochum / Hustadt" (depending how it is written on the signs). Either way you always have to depart at the station "Hölkeskampring".
IMPORTANT: Bochum main station will be closed for nearly all kind of trains until end of October due to constructions! Keep in mind that the subway is NOT affected by this works. Nevertheless you shouldn't be able to reach Bochum main station by most of the train. There is one exception: from Monday to Friday commuter train S1 is still running to Bochum main station every 15 minutes. On Saturday and Sunday the S1 is replaced by busses which I only would recommend to a limited extend (very crowded and slow).
IMPORTANT: Bochum main station will be closed for nearly all kind of trains until end of October due to constructions! Keep in mind that the subway is NOT affected by this works. Nevertheless you shouldn't be able to reach Bochum main station by most of the train. There is one exception: from Monday to Friday commuter train S1 is still running to Bochum main station every 15 minutes. On Saturday and Sunday the S1 is replaced by busses which I only would recommend to a limited extend (very crowded and slow).
Leave the subway station using first the exit (Ausgang) "Hölkeskampring" and then the exit "Flottmannstraße". You will find Spielezentrum inside the large district center (Stadtteilzentrum) H2Ö only a few meters away and you should see it right away. Please use the main entrance under the large H2Ö sign.
source: Dirk Rutz
As an additional orientation you will also find our logo - the huge yellow meeple (Pöppel) - on the far right side of the building.
source: Dirk Rutz
Of course you can also use a car and drive here. We have enough parking spaces next to the building. All players will get my mobile phone number from work in the week before the final so that they can reach me (in this week only) in any case of emergency.
This page was last updated on September 05th 2025.
This page was last updated on September 05th 2025.