Test piece - Experience the radrevier.ruhr on a small scale

Almost everything that the Ruhr area has to offer is presented by this tour - from the former mine to beautiful slag heaps, nice workers' settlements, great railway tracks, to a shipping canal. The tour is particularly family-friendly, as the route leads almost exclusively away from road traffic. And as a special highlight, the UNESCO World Heritage Site Zollverein in Essen awaits visitors.

The starting point
The well-known mine is also the starting point for this bike tour. The area can be quickly reached from Essen main station by tram line 107. Alternatively, Essen Zollverein-Nord station can be reached by regional train. Visitors arriving by car will find many parking spaces around the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visitors can find a good rental bike at the RevierRad station just in front of the striking double headframe.

Start of the tour
The junction 59 is located in close proximity to shaft system 1/2/8. The tour passes directly by the striking Sanaa building, a large concrete cube. Here, the route leaves the UNESCO World Heritage Site via Zollvereinweg, a former railway track. After a few hundred meters, the route turns right at junction 60. The Zollverein 3/7/10 mining site is quickly reached. Today, in the shadow of the headframe, there is the Phänomania Experience Field, an exciting interactive museum that deals with physical laws. The Phänomania is a worthwhile first stop, especially for families.

Cycling on railway tracks away from road traffic
The tour continues along Zollvereinweg towards Essen-Kray. From here, the tour follows the Kray-Wanner railway line. The next destination is the Rheinelbe slag heap with the stairway to heaven by artist Herman Prigann. The slag heap was piled up with overburden from the mine of the same name until 1928. The summit of the slag heap is quickly reached by bike. At the top stands the stairway to heaven, offering a beautiful 360-degree panoramic view over the central Ruhr area.

Kiosk culture in the Ruhr area
Continuing on the Kray-Wanner railway line, the next worthwhile stop for cyclists is the Erzbahnbude directly at junction 46. The kiosk at the intersection between Kray-Wanner railway line and Erzbahn track is one of the cult cyclist meeting points in radrevier.ruhr. On weekends, live music is often played and a bicycle shop offers free checks on the bikes.

The Erzbahn track
From the Erzbahnbude, the route descends slightly to the north towards the Rhein-Herne Canal. Just before the canal, with a few pedal rounds, you climb the small Pluto slag heap, which was piled up with overburden from the mine of the same name. The ZOOM Adventure World offers a longer stay, especially worthwhile for families. An architectural highlight at the canal is the striking curved bridge construction of the Grimberger Sichel. The bridge hangs on only one large steel pylon and won the European Steel Bridges Award in 2010.

Along the Rhein-Herne Canal
The route now leads directly along the canal. The old Bismarck coal port is now a chic and modern marina with good gastronomy. The harbor entrance is spanned by a new bridge. The next destination for cyclists is already Nordsternpark in Gelsenkirchen. At the beginning, a large playground and a beautiful water playground especially appeal to families with children. The detour to the shaft system is particularly worthwhile for the ascent to the viewing platform of the headframe and a closer look at the "Herkules" by Markus Lüpertz.

The final stretch
From Zeche Nordstern, cyclists quickly reach the approximately 50-meter-high Schurenbachhalde with the large slab by artist Richard Serra on the slag heap plateau. From this slag heap, there is also a fantastic 360-degree view over the central Ruhr area.

The last kilometers lead the route along the former railway track Nordsternweg past the probably only pigeon clinic in the world back to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Zollverein.

The grounds of the World Heritage Zollverein
At the end of the bike tour, visitors should definitely take a lot of time for the grounds of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Zollverein. The monument trail provides insights into the history of the mine, the Ruhr Museum shows the history of the entire region. Through the Portal of Industrial Culture, visitors learn a lot about the Industrial Heritage Route with its anchor points. The Zollverein coking plant, the Red Dot Design Museum and several restaurants and cafes can also be well integrated into a bike tour.