News

#RouteIndustriekultur – The social wall of the route

The Industrial Heritage Route on social media – discover the highlights of our social media on our social wall […]

13.06.2026 - 10.01.2027 LIGHT DIALOGUES – New light art exhibition in Unna

The new exhibition “LIGHT DIALOGUES – Works from the SCHAUWERK Sindelfingen” at the Centre for International Light Art opens on the 13th […]

07.06.2026 | 12:00 – 17:00 World Heritage Day and opening of the new World Heritage Forum at Zollverein

25 Years of UNESCO World Heritage Zollverein – Think about the Future! World Heritage Day on June 7th at the UNESCO World Heritage Zollverein is all about […]

26.02.2026 - 31.08.2026 Route Future – The Future of Work Made Tangible

The exhibition route “Future. WORK IN THE Ruhr Area” connects locations in the Ruhr region that focus on work, technology, and artificial intelligence. In […]

28.05.2026 Festival summer in the Ruhr area

From electronic beats to rock tunes, whether dancing the night away or relaxing in the summer – everyone will find their perfect spot on the Industrial Heritage Trail […]

17.05.2026 International Museum Day on the Industrial Heritage Trail

International Museum Day is celebrated on May 17th. Visitors should be inspired by the cultural treasures and programs of museums […]

22.04.2026 New issue of Forum for Historical Culture

Manifesta Ruhr 16 and Art in Public Spaces: With Manifesta Ruhr 16 in the summer of 2026, the Ruhr region will be in the spotlight […]

18.03.2026 “Myth of the Forest” at the Gasometer Oberhausen

From March 20, 2026, the new exhibition “Mythos Wald” (Myth of the Forest) at the Oberhausen Gasometer will bring our forests to life. Emotional, surprising, […]

17.03.2026 - 10.10.2026 Bus tours to the Marl Chemical Park 2026 – fully booked

The popular guided tours of the Marl Chemical Park are taking place again this year! Evonik Industries is making this possible for us […]

ANCHOR POINTS

The Route of Industrial Culture includes 27 historic locations with special historical significance. They are the industrial monuments most attractive to tourists in the Ruhr area and therefore the anchor points of the route. Here, visitors can experience industrial culture and the history of the Ruhr area directly and impressively.

PANORAMAS

The 17 panoramas and vantage points of the Route of Industrial Culture guarantee special insights and fascinating views of one of the largest metropolitan areas in Europe. The former industrial wastelands, monuments and towers often allow all-round views of the region. As the "artificial summit" of the Ruhr area, the heaps combine the areas of recreation, art and history. And where the overburden of mines and smelters was once dumped, people and nature have long since reclaimed the land and new forms of leisure activities have established themselves.

SETTLEMENTS

When the number of workers skyrocketed thanks to the industrial giants steel and coal in the Ruhr area, one thing above all was needed: living space. The solution was factory settlements and colliery colonies. 13 of the most important settlements in the region are part of the Industrial Heritage Route. In addition to the diverse architecture and the picturesque buildings of the workers' settlements, they are also a monument to everyday life in the "inner colony".

DIVERSITY ALONG THE ROUTE

150 years of industrial culture on a 400-kilometer route

The Route of Industrial Culture connects the most important and most attractive industrial monuments in the Ruhr area as a tourist themed route. The network of the route includes 27 anchor points, locations with special historical significance and outstanding tourist attractiveness. In addition, 17 vantage points, 13 settlements and numerous themed routes belong to the Route of Industrial Heritage.

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Tetraeder Bottrop
Friedrich Heinrich Mine Park, Kamp-Lintfort
Ziethenstraße housing estate, Lünen
Berger monument on the Hohenstein
Heap Pattberg Moers
Hohensyburg Dortmund
TV tower Florian Dortmund
Seam thick bench
Recklinghausen substation
Tippelsberg Bochum
Old settlement Friedrich Heinrich
Workers' settlement Altenhof II
Workers' settlement Lange Riege
The Hohenhof - The Museum of the Hagen Impulse
Heap Kissinger height
Garden City of Welheim
Future site Zeche Ewald, Herten
Schwerin slag heap: sundial + wind turbines
Halde Haniel
Settlement Rheinprussia
Alsum mountain
Duisburg inner harbour
Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord
Tiger & Turtle—Magic Mountain
LVR Industrial Museum Peter-Behrens-Bau
Stockpile Rhine Prussia
Schüngelberg settlement in Gelsenkirchen
Teutoburgia colliery settlement
Workers' settlement Dahlhauser Heide
Old Colony Evening
Margarethenhöhe
Eisenheim settlement
LVR Industrial Museum St. Antony Hütte
Rungenberg dump
Schurenbachhalde
Rheinelbe dump
Heap of large wood
Tetraeder Bottrop
Halde Haniel
Hoheward dump
Hoheward dump
Hoheward dump
Hoheward dump
Hoheward dump
Hoheward dump
Hoheward dump
Hoheward dump
Hoheward dump
Hoheward dump
LWL Museum Zollern colliery
LWL Museum Nightingale colliery
Villa Hill
LWL Museum Henrichenburg Ship Lift, Waltrop
Museum of German Inland Navigation
Maximilian Park Hamm
North Star Park Gelsenkirchen
Linden Brewery Unna
Hansa coking plant
Century Hall Bochum
LWL Museum Henrichshütte, Hattingen
Gasometer Oberhausen
LWL open-air museum in Hagen
Railway Museum Bochum
Deutsches Bergbau-Museum Bochum
DASA world of work exhibition
Chemical Park Marl
UNESCO World Heritage Zollverein
Aquarius, Mülheim an der Ruhr