Ruhr Area: Industrial Heritage, Cycling Routes and Views

In the Ruhr Area, collieries, blast furnaces and gasometers tell the story of a region shaped by industry. Today, viewpoints, exhibitions and routes through the city and countryside are also part of its character. Whether you want to explore by bike, discover an industrial monument or combine different impressions on a city trail, there are experiences to suit every taste, from large industrial sites to striking works of art.

Industrial heritage from different perspectives

The Route of Industrial Heritage brings together 27 anchor points, 17 viewpoints and 13 settlements. Its themed routes focus on topics including nature, urban history, architecture, mining and transport. Tours offer an insight into the preserved surface facilities of the Zollverein colliery and coking plant, including the grounds of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. During the museum’s opening hours, a lift ride in the headframe at the German Mining Museum Bochum takes visitors to the first of two viewing platforms. From there, panoramic views stretch across the region shaped by mining.

The architecture also tells the story of the region’s industrial past: the machine hall of the LWL Museum Zeche Zollern is built of steel and glass, while its colourful Art Nouveau glass portal makes a striking impression. The LVR Industrial Museum St. Antony Ironworks presents a permanent exhibition in the former director’s residence. Exhibitions are now held in the Gasometer Oberhausen, a 117-metre-high industrial monument.

You can also reach the roof of the Gasometer, either by outdoor lift or by climbing 592 steps. At the top, panoramic views await. The Tetraeder Bottrop offers a different all-round view: its first platform is 18 metres high, with another platform 20 metres above it. The site can be explored on a walk that is fully accessible to pushchairs; admission is free. At Tiger & Turtle – Magic Mountain, a walkable roller-coaster sculpture offers an experience combining art and adventure. On a clear day, views from the loop extend as far as Düsseldorf and the airport tower.

By bike or on foot

The Route of Industrial Heritage by Bike is a 300 km circular route connecting the Ruhr Area’s most important industrial monuments. It often runs away from road traffic, along well-maintained paths on former railway lines and beside riverbanks. A junction-based network helps with navigation. The length of the circular route makes cycling a focus of the trip; when planning your days, you can also bear in mind that the route links industrial heritage sites and themes.

For city trails, consider the Urban.Trails. They are 7 to 15 km long and designed as half-day or full-day tours. The Essen Urban.Trail starts at the south exit of Essen Central Station and ends at Essen-Hügel S-Bahn station. If you would prefer a longer route with varied impressions, the Emscher Way offers a route of about 100 km through the Ruhr Area, passing industrial scenery, art installations and nature.

Special places and ways to focus your trip

At Duisburg-Nord Landscape Park, industrial heritage and nature combine to create a park landscape. An aerial ropes course between blast furnaces 1 and 2, at a height of 55 metres, also challenges visitors to climb. At the LWL Museum Henrichshütte, the “Path of Iron” leads to a viewpoint on blast furnace 3. From a height of 55 metres, you can look out over the Ruhr Valley. At the demonstration foundry, demonstrations and stories from former employees, who serve as eyewitnesses, bring working life in the past to life.

If you are interested in art and landscape, you can include the permanent exhibition at Situation Kunst/Museum unter Tage. It covers more than 1,000 m² and presents landscape art from the 15th century to the present day. These varied experiences give you concrete ideas for choosing the focus of your holiday. When looking for a holiday apartment in the Ruhr Area, you can therefore start by deciding whether cycling, city trails, industrial heritage, viewpoints or nature experiences should take centre stage.

If you would like to compare more destinations, you can also find Rhein-Sieg District, Mettmann, Düren, Gütersloh, Hochsauerland District, Soest, Lippe and Leverkusen.

For the broader travel overview: North Rhine-Westphalia.