Heidenheim

The Voith-Arena is the compact home of 1. FC Heidenheim 1846, located at Heeracker 16 in Heidenheim an der Brenz, Baden-Wurttemberg. The stadium holds 15,000 spectators and is one of the smallest venues in the Bundesliga, reflecting the extraordinary nature of Heidenheim's rise to Germany's top flight. The ground occupies an unusual hillside setting overlooking the city and the Brenz river valley, with one side of the stadium built into the natural slope of the terrain - a unique feature that gives it a character unlike any other professional football ground in Germany. The stadium is named after Voith GmbH, a major industrial machinery company headquartered in Heidenheim.

1. FC Heidenheim's promotion to the Bundesliga in 2023 was one of German football's most remarkable recent stories. The club from a city of just 50,000 people became the smallest community ever to host a Bundesliga club, surpassing even Unterhaching and Ingolstadt in terms of civic modesty. Under manager Frank Schmidt, who has been in charge since 2007, Heidenheim rose methodically through the German football pyramid and then, almost impossibly, secured Bundesliga survival in their first top-flight season. The Voith-Arena, with its unique hillside setting and limited capacity, hosted Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and all of Germany's biggest clubs.

The stadium's hillside location means that the away end and one long side are built into the hill, while the main stand provides the principal covered seating area. The compact dimensions bring supporters extremely close to the pitch and the atmosphere generated for Bundesliga matches is intense despite the modest capacity. The Voith-Arena sells out for every Bundesliga home match, reflecting the extraordinary local pride in Heidenheim's achievement. The club's story - a small provincial town competing at the highest level of German football through tactical excellence and community cohesion rather than financial power - has made the Voith-Arena one of the Bundesliga's most celebrated destinations for away supporters and neutral observers.