Ruhr region: Experience industrial heritage on cycling and urban routes

The Ruhr region’s industrial heritage can be explored in many different ways: on a cycling circuit, on city tours, in museums and from viewpoints. The Route of Industrial Heritage network includes 27 anchor points, 17 viewpoints and 13 settlements. The Route of Industrial Heritage by Bike is a 300 km circular route linking the Ruhr region’s most important industrial monuments. You can plan your stay as a longer tour or around individual cultural destinations.

Routes for cycling and walking

The Route of Industrial Heritage offers themed routes focusing on nature, urban history, architecture, mining and transport. The cycling route often follows paths away from road traffic, using well-maintained trails along former railway lines and riverbanks. A network of numbered junctions helps you find your way. The combination of the circular route and themed routes offers a variety of ways to discover the region’s industrial heritage and other aspects.

If you prefer an urban route, the Urban.Trails in the Ruhr region offer routes of 7 to 15 km, designed as half-day or full-day tours. The Urban.Trail Essen begins at the south exit of Essen Central Station and ends at Essen-Hügel S-Bahn station. If you plan to use local public transport for your arrival or departure, check the current timetable.

The Emscher Trail offers a different format: it is about 100 km long and passes through the Ruhr region, with industrial scenery, art installations and nature along the way. By comparison, the Urban.Trails are designed as urban stages, while the 300 km Route of Industrial Heritage by Bike is a circular route linking the major industrial monuments. These differences can help you choose the scope and focus of your tour.

Industrial heritage in museums and exhibitions

Guided tours at the Zollverein UNESCO World Heritage Site cover the preserved above-ground facilities of the coal mine and coking plant, as well as the site of the World Heritage property. In the engine house of the LWL Museum Zeche Zollern, steel and glass meet a Jugendstil portal with richly coloured glazing. These architectural details offer a different perspective from tours of the facilities at Zollverein.

The exhibitions also focus on different subjects: the permanent exhibition at Situation Kunst/Museum unter Tage covers more than 1,000 m² and presents landscape art from the 15th century to the present day. The LVR Industrial Museum St. Antony Ironworks presents its permanent exhibition in the former director’s residence. The Gasometer Oberhausen, a 117-metre-high industrial monument, is now an exhibition venue. To enjoy the panoramic view from the roof, take an outdoor lift or climb 592 steps. As operating details may change, check the latest information before your visit.

During the German Mining Museum Bochum’s opening hours, a lift ride in the headframe takes visitors to the first of two viewing platforms. From there, you can enjoy panoramic views across the region shaped by mining. Those interested in the working lives of ironworkers can see demonstrations in the foundry at the LWL Museum Henrichshütte and hear former employees share their stories as eyewitnesses. The Iron Trail also leads to a viewpoint on blast furnace 3, where the view extends across the Ruhr valley from a height of 55 metres.

Experience views, art and nature

The Tetraeder Bottrop has several levels: the first platform is 18 metres high, while another is 20 metres higher and offers panoramic views across the metropolitan region. At Tiger & Turtle – Magic Mountain, the walkable roller-coaster sculpture is part of the experience itself. On a clear day, views from its loop extend to Düsseldorf and the airport control tower.

Industrial heritage and nature come together in the park landscape of Duisburg-Nord Landscape Park. Between blast furnaces 1 and 2, a high-ropes course 55 metres above the ground offers a climbing challenge; booking is required. The combination of industrial sites and nature is also a feature of the Emscher Trail, which passes art installations and natural areas.

When planning your hotel stay, it is worth deciding first what you would like to focus on: the cycling circuit, shorter urban routes, or individual museums, viewpoints and industrial sites. The options described differ in format and subject matter, so you can shape your trip around the experiences that interest you most.

Discover more destinations: Paderborn, Euskirchen, Kleve, Herford, Viersen, Hochsauerlandkreis, Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis, Bielefeld.

Return to the main travel overview: North Rhine-Westphalia.