Steel kitchen - experiencing the change

The region was long known for its steel industry. Even today, the blast furnaces and steelworks of thyssenkrupp and HKM in Duisburg are Europe's most important steel location. This tour also leads to the remnants of the steel industry, important landmarks such as the Gasometer Oberhausen or the Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord.

The starting point
The Gasometer Oberhausen serves as the starting point for this approximately 47-kilometer-long RevierRoute. Sufficient parking spaces are available on the CentrO site. By public transport, you can travel by bus or tram to the Neue Mitte. Alternatively, the main train station in Oberhausen with direct long-distance connections is also not far away.

Start of the tour
Not much remains of the huge Gutehoffnungshütte in Oberhausen. The CentrO Oberhausen has emerged as a shopping and leisure area from the former steel location wasteland. The massive Gasometer is the most striking building reminiscent of the old steelworks. Visitors have a beautiful view of the western Ruhr area from the roof. Inside, temporary exhibitions attract visitors every year. (Attention: The Gasometer Oberhausen is closed in 2020 for renovation work!)

On green paths to the former blast furnace plant
From the Gasometer Oberhausen, the tour initially leads over the Rhein-Herne Canal to the northern bank. The architecturally special bridge Slinky Springs to Fame as well as the nearby Schloss Oberhausen with LUDWIGGALERIE and Kaisergarten are already worthwhile stops. The tour passes by the football stadium of Rot-Weiß Oberhausen to the Emscher and the Green Path. This old railway line used to belong to the Emschertalbahn and was an important transport route for coal, ores, and other goods between the industrial plants in the Ruhr area and the important transport ports on the Rhine. Well developed, the Green Path leads directly to the Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord.

When industrial culture shines in a new light
The former blast furnace plant was shut down in 1985 and developed into an extraordinary attraction as part of the International Building Exhibition IBA Emscherpark in the 1990s. The highlight is the completely walkable blast furnace 5. Many other uses have now been established in the decommissioned blast furnace plant, from the diving gasometer to a climbing garden and a high ropes course. In the evening, the facility is illuminated by an installation of the artist Jonathan Park.

The world's largest inland port
From the Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord, the route leads through smaller city streets to the world's largest inland port. Here, huge amounts of coal, iron ore, and steel were handled in the past, today container shipping is especially important for the port. In Ruhrort, the German Inland Shipping Museum offers interesting insights into the history of shipping.

Along the Rhine
The Rhine was one of the central transport routes for the industry in the Ruhr area. Barges transported coal and ores between the North Sea and the Ruhr area. At junction 36, a detour to the left bank of the Rhine to Halde Rheinpreußen and Geleucht is recommended. At Alsumer Berg, the ascent to the small slagheap with an exciting view of the coking plant and the steelworks on the Rhine is worthwhile.

The HOAG route
The cycle tour returns to Oberhausen via the HOAG route. This railway line was also a central freight connection between the port in Walsum and the collieries and steelworks in the western Ruhr area. Cyclists pass the decommissioned Zeche Sterkrade, of which only the headframe and shaft hall remain. The final meters lead back to the starting point at the Gasometer Oberhausen.