UNESCO-Welterbe Zollverein — Attraction in Essen

The Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex (German Zeche Zollverein) is a large former industrial site in the city of Essen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It has been inscribed into the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites since December 14, 2001, and is one of the anchor points of the European Route of Industrial Heritage. The first coal mine on the premises was founded in 1847, and mining activities took place from 1851 until December 23, 1986. For decades, starting in the late 1950s, the two parts of the site, Zollverein Coal Mine and Zollverein Coking Plant (erected 1957−1961, closed on June 30, 1993), ranked among the largest of their kinds in Europe. Shaft 12, built in the New Objectivity style, was opened in 1932 and is considered an architectural and technical masterpiece, earning it a reputation as the "most beautiful coal mine in the world". The Ruhr Museum in the former Coal Washery, located on the UNESCO World Heritages Site Zollverein, is the regional museum of the Ruhr Area. In its permanent exhibition the Ruhr Museum presents, with over 6,000 exhibits, the fascinating history of one of the largest industrial regions of the world, from the formation of coal 300 million years ago to the current structural change towards the Ruhr Metropolis. The Ruhr Museum has extensive collections on the geology, archaeology, industrial and social history as well as photography of the Ruhr Area. In addition to its permanent exhibition, the Ruhr Museum regularly shows special exhibitions and offers a diverse programme with workshops, guided tours, excursions, lectures, movie nights, audio guides and the museum bag...

UN World Heritage Site in Essen: Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex, including the Ruhr Museum.

The Ruhr region in Germany was once synonymous with coal and steel. In the mid-nineteenth century, with the wave of the Industrial Revolution, it rose rapidly and became the industrial heart of Germany and even Europe. One cane inagine: in that time, thick smoke could be seen rising from chimneys everywhere in the Ruhr region, and the deep mines were brightly lit. Thousands of workers worked in steel mills and coal mines day after day and year after year, laying the foundation for Germany's "economic miracle".

However, glory is ultimately no match for the changes of the times. In the second half of the 20th century, with the depletion of coal resources, the transformation of the global industrial structure and the intensification of environmental pressure, factories in the Ruhr region were shut down one by one, and mines were closed one after another. The noisy machine sounds of the past were replaced by silence, and the huge cooling towers and abandoned coal conveyor belts became rusty witnesses of history. Those booming industrial years have finally become a thing of the past, which is a pity ,...

A great place to visit during COVID. Lots of things to do outdoors, and all the indoor spaces are thoughtfully controlled to prevent over-crowding. The sculpture forest has an unfinished feel to it- I look forward to future visits over the years to see how it will mature. There are several different cafes and Biergartens, where you can enjoy a good NRW Pilsener and Currywurst.

The signage is all in German but there are tourist maps in English available from any of the several information booths. My recommendation is to do the circle walk around the whole site, and then to go back and spend more time at the features that most interested you.

It is easy to get here via public transit, but I also saw lots of people driving through the grounds- the carparks are quite large.

Parents be aware! You cannot take a stroller/pram/Kinderwagen to the Ruhr Museum. But most of the rest of the grounds (not the sculpture forest so much) are very friendly to wheel users of all varieties. The baby changing table is located in the...