Railway history(s) – experience routes

Former railway lines, which today have become ideal cycle paths off the beaten track
Road traffic were expanded, are becoming more and more of a cult
cyclists. This approximately 33-kilometer circuit presents several important railway cycle paths in the Ruhr area. The railway museum in Bochum-Dahlhausen tells many stories about the importance of the railway in earlier times.

The starting location
 As an anchor point on the Route of Industrial Culture, the Bochum Centennial Hall is an ideal starting point for this bike tour. Parking spaces are located directly in the area. You can get here by tram, and high-quality bikes can be hired from the RevierRad station. Those arriving by long-distance or regional transport can also start the tour directly at the main train station.

Start of the tour - the Erzbahntrasse
The tour leaves the grounds of the West Park at the north-west end over the impressive Erzbahnschwinge. It is the entrance to the Erzbahntrasse, an important north-south connection for cyclists in the Ruhr area. The route leads past the colliery framework and the Malakow tower of the United Carolinenglück 2/3 colliery. At the popular Erzbahnbude, the circuit branches off to the west.

The Kray Wanner Railway
From junction 46 at the Erzbahnbude, the tour now runs on the Kray-Wanner-Bahn. Once a particularly important railway connection for industry in the Ruhr area, the route is now one of the central cycle paths in the radrevier.ruhr. The Halde Rheinelbe with the Himmelstreppe is a worthwhile detour along the way.

field economy
Now the route runs south through the vast fields of the region. Large farms and many riding stables are along the way. At the end, a steep descent leads down into the Ruhr Valley.

The Railway Museum
Germany's largest, privately run railway museum is located here in the Ruhr valley near Dahlhausen. A special highlight is the 14-stall locomotive shed with a 20-meter turntable. Many historic locomotives and trains can be viewed. Each of these exhibits tells its own story of the heyday of industrialization and the subsequent structural change in the Ruhr area. 

The Springorum route
A cycle path leads from the Railway Museum into the district, from which the well-developed Springorum route leads up to Bochum. On the best asphalt, the route leads past many information boards telling about the history of early mining. A worthwhile, short detour is the castle of Weitmar, whose origin dates back to the 8th/9th century. Century go back and today with the art exhibition Situation Kunst and the Museum underground attracts people interested in culture from near and far.

The center of Bochum
From the end of the Springorum path it is not far to the main station. The tour leads directly through the city center and finally back to the Bochum Centennial Hall in the West Park. If you still haven't heard enough railway stories, you can still watch the world championship of trains on STARLIGHT EXPRESS in the evening.