Mine tour - Experience mining

The Ruhr area was once the so-called coal pot of the Republic. In 2018, the last hard coal mine closed, but pride in the mining history is ever growing. Old mine headframes become beacons of history, Zollverein - probably one of the best-known mines - even a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This approximately 41-kilometer-long bike tour connects several important mine sites.

The starting point
The UNESCO World Heritage Site Zollverein in Essen is also the starting point for this bike tour. The area can be easily reached from Essen main station via tram line 107. Alternatively, Essen Zollverein-Nord station can be reached by regional train.

For those arriving by car, there are plenty of parking spaces around the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visitors can find a good rental bike at the RevierRad station just in front of the distinctive double headframe.

Start of the tour
Junction 59 is located in close proximity to the shaft plant 1/2/8. The tour passes directly by the distinctive 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, cyclists reach junction 60, where they should turn slightly left. The tour now leads to the Rhein-Herne Canal via Nordsternweg, passing by the area of Tripple ZZZ, which originally belonged to the Zollverein mine and now houses, among other things, the world's only pigeon clinic.

A slab for the Ruhr area
At junction 61, a short detour up to the Schurenbachhalde is worthwhile. It was created from waste material of several mines, including Zollverein. These hills created by human hands are an important testament to mining and are attractive landmarks in the otherwise flat landscape of the central Ruhr area. On this hilltop, 50 meters higher, stands the slab for the Ruhr area by the artist Richard Serra.

A detour to Zeche Nordstern
Another short detour from junction 61 leads to the nearby Zeche Nordstern. In addition to the park of the former Federal Garden Show, a visit to the viewing platform of Zeche Nordstern is especially worthwhile, offering a view of the Herkules, which has been towering on the mine tower since the European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010.

Mining settlement and hill happiness
The tour continues through Bottrop. The beautiful garden city of Welheim, where miners of the Vereinigte Welheim mine lived, is cycled through. Shortly after, it is worth cycling up to the Tetraeder Bottrop. The hill at Beckstraße received its pyramid-shaped crown as part of the International Building Exhibition IBA Emscherpark in the 1990s. From the hilltop, one can directly see the still operational coking plant Prosper Haniel and the adjacent, last hard coal mine Prosper Haniel, which was shut down at the end of 2018. On the huge, no longer needed mine areas on the border between Bottrop and Essen, a cross-city modern industrial area called "Freiheit Emscher" is emerging.

From Bottrop to Oberhausen
The tour continues towards Oberhausen. Burg Vondern is a medieval complex with a manor house and outer bailey, whose history dates back to the 13th century. At junction 7, the Rhein-Herne Canal is crossed again, offering a nice view of the nearby Gasometer Oberhausen. Haus Ripshorst houses an information center about the Emscher Landscape Park. Visitors can learn a lot about industrial nature and the hill landscape in the Ruhr area. Just a few meters away is the Zauberlehrling - a dancing electricity pylon erected as part of the Emscherkunst in 2013.

Unexpected nature
From Oberhausen, the route leads through the beautiful Hexbachtal to the south. At junction 56, the tour meets the new Ruhr Expressway (RS 1), which is planned to lead from Duisburg to Hamm one day. The section to the Essen city center is not yet fully developed, but it still offers a wide cycle path away from traffic.

Between new and old
The newly created Niederfeldsee with the cyclist meeting point Radmoshäre is passed, and cyclists can see the framework of the Amalie mine to the left, shortly followed by the Kruppsee with a view of the new headquarters of the industrial conglomerate ThyssenKrupp. Here, history enthusiasts should take a short detour to the historic Krupp family ancestral home, located right next to the massive company headquarters.

Back to Zollverein
From the Essen city center, the way leads back to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Zollverein. As a highlight of the tour, visitors should take time for a walk along the monument trail, and a visit to the Ruhr Museum is a must. The Red Dot Design Museum showcases award-winning design products.