Black Gold - Experience the path of coal

The black gold from the ground has changed the Ruhr area. The path of coal, from the mine to the coking plant to the steelworks, was often long at first, but later the processes were continuously optimized and the transport routes shortened. The RevierRoute Schwarzes Gold follows this path and guides visitors to important places in industrial history.

The starting point
The tour starts at the Zollern colliery in Dortmund, one of the most beautiful colliery complexes in the Ruhr area. The colliery is easily accessible by car, but much more difficult to reach by public transport. The S4 stops in Dortmund-Marten.

Start of the tour
Zollern colliery offers a wonderful insight into the working world and the way of life of the miners above and below ground. The permanent exhibition is particularly informative. The highlight is the ascent to one of the headframes, from where you have a beautiful view of the colliery site and the surroundings. A beautiful colliery settlement is located right in front of the colliery gate. The bike tour then continues to junction 58 and then past the Revierpark Wischlingen.

Hansa coking plant
The Hansa coking plant should definitely be visited as an important intermediate destination. Here, coal was further processed and refined into coke. Today, visitors are especially impressed by the compressor hall, in addition to many cultural events of all kinds.

The Emscher Way
The route leads south along the Emscher. Here, the Emscher has already been lovingly restored to become an important habitat for wildlife and plants. A slightly longer detour continues along the Emscher to Phoenix West, where the extraordinary Skywalk allows visitors to see the blast furnaces of the former steelworks. The coke produced in the coking plant served as fuel and reducing agent in the blast furnace during iron production.

The Rheinischer Esel
Through the southwest of Dortmund, the route finally leads to the Rheinischer Esel, a former railway line converted into a cycle path. In the past, coal and miners used to roll over the rails here, today it's bicycles making their way downhill into the Ruhr Valley towards Witten. Another slightly longer detour leads to Zeche Nachtigall. An old mining adit can be visited here. The mining round hiking trail through the beautiful Muttental is also very exciting. Otherwise, the Rheinischer Esel leads uphill towards Zollern colliery again.

Back to the starting point
From junction 18, the route continues on smaller paths to junction 58 and finally back to the symbol of labor, Zollern colliery in Dortmund.