We are going to see some old GIGANTIC German machinery and cute little towns in Ruhr area. Tired of regular tourism and tiny exhibition items behind the glass? Here are some monster-size steel constructions delivered to you high resolution! Hell yeah!

Traveling Ruhr area, what is it like?

“Tourism in Ruhr? It’s not really the place. European tourism is more concentrated on the South, this place is all about work.” Said a resident of Essen (I disagree),

Since I am in Ruhr very often …for work, I was looking around, trying to find something interesting. From the train, I saw high industrial structures coming up here and there. When I got to my hotel, there were some pretty general boring guides and a big one, dedicated to Industrial Heritage. As an engineer (on tour) I couldn’t just pass by…

Ruhr, few facts

Ruhr is located in NRW (North Rhine-Westphalia) the most populous state in Germany

• NRW holds 4 of 10 Germany’s biggest cities, two are in Ruhr area (Essen, Dortmund)
• Ruhr had been the industrial heart of the country for more than a hundred years
• In 1950-60, NRW was called a Land of Coal and Steel, now most of this production is closed
• The Industrial objects are reorganized into cultural sites

Non-industrial Ruhr

How do you imagine a populated place? I somehow imagine huge apartment blocks (like Russia or HK). Well, there aren’t any in Ruhr. But when you go on a train, the town never ends. Just rural houses, behind rural houses. The regional centers I have to say are quite cute.

Also, there are some castles along Rhine

Ruhr area, Highlights

The amount of things to do is huge! I think if I had to make a detailed list – it would take me a month to visit everything. Instead, I would provide you the local’s recommendations and places I liked the most.

Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex

Zollverein is a massive coal mine with a long history. It was founded in 1847 and closed in 1993, in 2001 it became a UNESCO heritage site. As an engineering software consultant, I traveled to many industrial locations, but never saw anything of these proportions. And it was made, when I and you readers were not born.

– How to build a creative office space? – 1. Make a factory 2. Abandon the factory 3. Bring office supplies (someone’s joke)

The idea of bringing life to old industrial objects is not new. But it is still interesting to see how an area of such size is reorganized to become a part of daily life. It hosts exhibitions and events and people simply go jogging or for a picnic. There are some offices, restaurants and two big museums: “Ruhr museum” – dedicated to the coal industry and “Red Dot Museum” of Industrial design.

Hattingen Old Town

That’s a journey beyond the industrial era. The area is full of old medieval houses (150 houses according to… internet), they are made of wood and painted traditionally. It is full of cozy restaurants and small shops, don’t remember seeing many chain stores there. That’s a nice atmospheric area for a short day trip. (For those who live in Finland, it is like Porvoo but in Germany) In my opinion, the atmosphere of old makes Hattingen one of the cutest places for Christmas. Small, postcard-like place that travel photographers should look for. It isn’t large compared to Christmas markets of Colongue, Dusseldorf or Dresden. But it feels very home-like.

Landshaftpark Duisburg-Nord

And the best for last! Duisburg-Nord is a former coal and steel production plant. Same as Zollverein, it is reorganized into a cultural site. It has a climbing area in a storage bunker and an artificial diving center in an old gasometer. But I think it is not the main reason it hosts so many tourists (official site tells about 1 million a year). At night, the gigantic structures are lit with blue, red and green. I think it looks like a ghostland. I made the whole post about it. Post: Kingdom of Ghosts, Color and Steel – a night at Duisburg Nord.

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