Up and down in the Ruhr area

Are the fur­naces block­ing your view of the Ruhr area? No prob­lem, thanks to the many slag heaps and view­ing plat­forms. Once you reach the top, you can en­joy broad views onto the ex­cit­ing in­dus­tri­al land­scape.

Tetrahedon (Bottrop) - Geometry in the open air

The tetrahedon is a giant construction, the geometry of which is reminiscent of maths lessons at school. However, it’s a lot more fun than that. The 90 meter-high construction, which is open for visitors to walk on, is situated on the 60 meter-high slag heap from the former Prosper Haniel mine. Over 400 steps lead to the top, and for anyone that doesn’t have a fear of heights, there’s an opportunity to climb up steps onto three platforms within the industrial pyramid. But watch out: the higher the summit towers, the more the platforms sway! Up here, in clear weather, the view extends across to Essen and Duisburg, and even as far as Düsseldorf, the capital of NRW.

www.ruhr-tourismus.de/tetraeder-bottrop

Tiger & Turtle (Duisburg) - On foot to the loop-the-loop

On the Heinrich Hildebrand Höhe hill in Duisburg-Wanheim, there is a roller coaster ride. However, the ride is without cars; instead, the imaginary rails, which in one place even arch up to create a loop, are crossed on steps. On this roller coaster, there is no cash desk. Instead, visitors can walk around the “Tiger & Turtle” construction for free and enjoy the incredible views onto the south of Duisburg.

www.ruhr-tourismus.de/heinrich-hildebrand-hoehe

Miner’s lamp (Moers) - Red glowing highlight on the A42 motorway

What is bright red and about 30 meters high? A pit lamp. But not just any pit lamp: since 2007, the oversized light source created by Otto Pine has graced the summit of the Rheinpreußen slag heap  in Moers. From dusk until midnight, the red light shines out over the slag heap, and is even visible from the motorway bridge on the A42. The lamp is open to visitors, and from the top, at a height of 104 meters, there is a view onto the Ruhr area near Moers and Duisburg.

www.ruhr-tourismus.de/das-geleucht-auf-der-halde-rheinpreussen

Hoheward slag heap (Herten) - The sky is so close

The Hoheward slag heap, which towers 152 meters above the ground, was created by 180 million tonnes of hill rock. Where the stars are already brought closer to anyone who climbs the heap, there is also an observatory.  The theme at the summit of the heap is horizontal astronomy. Up here, the conditions for observing the path of the sun and the stars are particularly ideal!

www.ruhr-tourismus.de/halde-hoheward

Rheinelbe slag heap (Gelsenkirchen) - Science fiction in Gelsenkirchen

At the top of the steps on the bald, grey Haldentop slag heap summit, there’s an archaic stone sculpture: the “Himmelstreppe”, or “Stairway to Heaven”, by Herman Prigann. The cone shaped object made of rubble was tipped out onto the slag heap, which took the form of a table mountain, creating a topping of whipped cream on the Rheinelbe slag heap. At the foot of the heap, visitors can enter the mystical sculpture world, where other works by Prigann are exhibited.

As one of the main cycling routes through the Ruhr area, the Emscher Park cycle route passes close by the Rheinelbe slag heap in the south of Gelsenkirchen.

www.ruhr-tourismus.de/halde-rheinelbe

Nordsternpark (Gelsenkirchen) - A park that will astonish you

What used to be the first colliery to the north of the Emscher river is now a varied landscape park. The Nordsternpark in Gelsenkirchen has gradually been regenerated, and now has a whole range of attractions to offer. They include the 100 meter-long double-arch suspension bridge, the supports of which are attractively reflected in the water. There is also an 83 meter-high viewing platform on the Nordsternturm tower. From here, visitors look out over the entire Nordsternpark and the surrounding areas of the city. Here, there is also an opportunity to see the “Hercules of Gelsenkirchen” created by Markus Lüpertz.

www.nordsternpark.de

Zeche Consolidation colliery (Gelsenkirchen) - Our insider tip

This colliery is even lit up at night - or more precisely, its red winding tower, which is lit up after dusk by the “Consol Gelb” (“Consol Yellow”) lighting installation by Günther Dohr. It is situated in the middle of a large, hilly park landscape, which has a skater facility, a playground and a small football pitch. Today, the machine room and winding tower are used for cultural purposes, and contain Werner Thiel’s collection of old mining objects and the powerful-looking Consol Theater.

www.industriedenkmal-stiftung.de/zeche-consolidation

See here for more information on the slag heaps in the Ruhr area.