UNESCO World Heritage Zollverein

The Zeche Zollverein in Essen was considered the most modern mining facility in its day and is now considered a landmark of the Ruhr area. With the title of the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Ruhr Metropolis, it inspires millions of visitors from all over the world every year. And its remarkable history stands for the industrial development of the whole region. As a symbol of the old and new Ruhr area, the Zollverein is an impressive symbol of the structural change that has transformed the mining region into a modern Ruhr metropolis in one of the largest metropolitan areas in Europe.

However, the UNESCO World Heritage Site Zollverein is not just a monument, it also offers plenty of space for a wide range of cultural and leisure activities. It is home to the choreographic center PACT Zollverein, the location of the Folkwang University of the Arts and, with the Ruhr Museum, houses one of the most renowned museums in the region.

The architect duo Schupp and Kremmer, who designed the central pit 12 with the striking double trestle headframe, are closely associated with the myth of the Zollverein. The colliery closed in 1986, and in 1993 the ovens in the coking plant went out. In the 1990s, the Zollverein became the showcase project for the International Building Exhibition ( IBA ) Emscher Park. In 2001 it was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The former industrial site, where only production margins and efficiency were once sought, now houses a number of museums and offers exciting guided tours with former miners and cokers. This place is now a center for culture, art, teaching and design and hosts several prestigious events. In addition, the topic of industrial nature is acknowledged in a variety of ways and offers, for example, a portal to put the European industrial cultures and the industrial culture route in the limelight using multimedia.

Tours also with former cokers and miners, concerts, theater and festivals, award-winning design in the Red Dot Design Museum, the company swimming pool and the most unusual ice rink in the world at the foot of the coke ovens: the Zollverein program is unmistakable. Active people can discover industrial nature in the Zollverein Park, on cycling and jogging routes.