Sunderland round off their pre-season tour of Germany by taking on Bundesliga outfit Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday 23rd July.
The city of Monchengladbach is located west of the Rhine between Dusseldorf and the Dutch town of Roermond. It lies around 40km from the Dutch border and is 600km south-west of Berlin.
The city was founded with the construction of Gladbach Cathedral in the year 974 and now has more than 140,000 inhabitants.
Modern-day Monchengladbach is home to the Rheindahlen Military Complex - NATO's Northern HQ and the headquarters of the British Army of the Rhine.
The city is known as "the big city in the country" for its blend of historical and modern buildings together with plentiful parks, forests and open spaces.
Monchengladbach's industrial roots can be found in the textile trade, but over the years the city has diversified and become a major power across a number of business areas in Western Germany.
Tourist sights include Rheydt Castle, Minster-Basilica of St Vitus and the Abteiberg Museum, which showcases contemporary art.
Ex-Formula One drivers Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Nick Heidfeld hail from Monchengladbach, which is twinned with both North Tyneside and Bradford.
Monchengladbach is primarily served by Dusseldorf airport with convenient road and rail connections into the city.
Sunderland will play at the 54,057-capacity Borussia-Park, located to the south west of the city centre and easily accessible by both public and private transport.
The stadium will also play host to group games - plus a semi-final - in the 2011 FIFA Womens' World Cup, which takes place in Germany shortly before Sunderland's arrival.
Click here to find out more about Sunderland's 2011-12 pre-season plans.
