Trial piece – Experience the radrevier.ruhr on a small scale

Almost everything that the Ruhr area has to offer is briefly presented on this tour - from the former colliery to beautiful heaps, nice workers' settlements, great railway lines and a shipping canal. The tour is particularly family-friendly, as the route leads almost exclusively away from road traffic. And as a special highlight, the UNESCO World Heritage Site Zollverein in Essen awaits visitors.

The starting location
The well-known colliery is also the starting point for this bike tour. The area can be reached quickly by train via tram line 107 from Essen main station. Alternatively, you can also take the regional train to Essen Zollverein-Nord station. Those arriving by car will find plenty of parking spaces around the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visitors can find a good rental bike at the RevierRad station almost directly in front of the distinctive Doppelbock.
 
start of the tour
Junction 59 is in the immediate vicinity of pit 1/2/8. The tour leads directly past the striking Sanaa building, a large concrete cube. Here the route leaves the UNESCO World Heritage site via the Zollvereinweg, a former railway line. After just a few hundred meters, the route branches off to the right at junction 60. The Zollverein 3/7/10 colliery area is quickly reached. In the shadow of the headframe is the Phenomania experience field, an exciting hands-on museum that deals with physical laws. Especially for families, the Phenomania is a worthwhile first stopover.

Railway track cycling away from road traffic
The tour continues along the Zollvereinweg in the direction of Essen-Kray. From here the tour runs on the Kray-Wanner-Bahn. The next destination is the Rheinelbe spoil tip with the artist Herman Prigann's staircase to heaven. Until 1928, the heap was heaped up with overburden from the mine of the same name. The tip of the Halden can be reached quickly by bike. At the top is the Himmelstreppe, from which a beautiful 360-degree panoramic view of the central Ruhr area is possible.

Büdchenkultur in the Ruhr area
Further along the Kray-Wanner-Bahn, the next worthwhile stop for cyclists is the Erzbahnbude directly at junction 46. The little booth at the triangle between the Kray-Wanner-Bahn and the Erzbahntrasse is one of the cult cyclists' hangouts in radrevier.ruhr.
Live music is also popular at weekends and a bicycle shop carries out free checks on the bicycles.

The Erzbahn route
From the Erzbahnbude the route leads slightly downhill to the north to the Rhein-Herne Canal. Shortly before the canal, you climb the small heap Pluto, which was dumped from the overburden of the colliery of the same name, with just a few pedal turns. The ZOOM Erlebniswelt would be a longer stay that is particularly worthwhile for families. The architectural highlight on the canal is the strikingly curved bridge construction of the Grimberger Sichel. The bridge hangs from just one large steel pylon and won the 2010 European Steel Bridges Award.

Along the Rhine-Herne Canal
The route now leads directly along the canal. The old coal port of Bismarck is now a chic and modern marina with good gastronomy. The port entrance is spanned by a new bridge. The next destination for cyclists is the Nordsternpark in Gelsenkirchen. At the beginning, a large children's playground and a beautiful water playground appeal primarily to families with children. The detour to the pit is particularly worthwhile for the ascent to the viewing platform of the winding tower and a closer look at Markus Lüpertz's "Hercules".

The Target Grades
 From the Nordstern colliery, cyclists quickly reach the approximately 50 meter high Schurenbach heap with the large slabs by the artist Richard Serra on the heap plateau. A great 360-degree view of the central Ruhr area also opens up from this heap.
 
The last few kilometers lead the route along the former Nordsternweg railway line, past what is probably the world's only carrier pigeon clinic, back to the Zollverein UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The grounds of the Zollverein World Heritage Site
At the end of the bike tour, visitors should definitely allow plenty of time for the UNESCO World Heritage Site Zollverein. The monument trail provides insights into the history of the colliery, the Ruhr Museum shows the history of the entire region. Visitors can learn a lot about the Industrial Heritage Route and its anchor points via the Industrial Heritage Portal. The Zollverein coking plant, the Red Dot Design Museum and several restaurants and cafés can also be easily integrated into a bike tour.