Industrial Heritage Trail



The Industrial Heritage Trail (Route der Industriekultur) links tourist attractions related to the industrial heritage in the Ruhr area in Germany. It is a part of the European Route of Industrial Heritage. The series of routes were developed between 1989 and 1999, however additions are still being made.

The route
The trail network connects museums and exhibitions that present the industrial revolution during the last 750 years in the Ruhr area. It includes 400 km of road network and about 700 km of bicycle tracks.

The attractions
There are 52 main attractions on the trail.
 * Bochum Dahlhausen Railway Museum
 * German Inland Waterways Museum
 * Villa Hügel
 * Zeche Carl

Visitor centres and anchor points

 * German Inland Waterways Museum
 * Duisburg Inner Harbour
 * Oberhausen Industrial Museum
 * Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord
 * Gasometer Oberhausen
 * Aquarius Water Museum
 * Villa Hügel
 * Nordsternpark
 * World Heritage Site Zeche Zollverein
 * Marl Chemical Park
 * Bochum Dahlhausen Railway Museum
 * Henrichshütte
 * Centennial Hall Bochum
 * Recklinghausen Substation
 * German Mining Museum
 * Zeche Nachtigall
 * Henrichenburg boat lift
 * German Occupational Safety Exhibition (DASA)
 * Hansa Coking Plant
 * Zeche Zollern II/IV
 * Hohenhof
 * Hagen Open-air Museum
 * Lindenbrauerei Unna
 * Maximilianpark Hamm
 * Halde Rheinpreußen

Theme routes
Ruhr Industrial Heritage Trail by bike
 * 1) Duisburg: Town and Harbour
 * 2) Zollverein Industrial Landscape
 * 3) Duisburg: Industrial Culture on the Rhine
 * 4) Oberhausen: Industry makes the Town
 * 5) Krupp and the Town of Essen
 * 6) Dortmund: Dreiklang Coal, Steel and Bier
 * 7) Industrial Culture on the Lippe
 * 8) Erzbahn-Emscherbruch
 * 9) Industrial Culture at Volme and Ennepe
 * 10) Brine, Steam and Coal
 * 11) Early Industrialisation
 * 12) The History and the Present of the Ruhr
 * 13) On the Way to the Blue Emscher
 * 14) Canals and Shipping
 * 15) Railways in the Area
 * 16) Westphalia Mining Route
 * 17) Rhenish Mining Route
 * 18) Chemistry, Glass and Energy
 * 19) Workers' Settlements
 * 20) Entrepreneurial Villas
 * 21) Bread, Grain and Beer
 * 22) Myth of the Ruhr Region
 * 23) Historic Parks and Gardens
 * 24) Industry/Nature
 * 25) Panoramas and Landmarks
 * 26) Sacred Buildings
 * 27) Iron and Steel
 * 28) Water: Works, Towers and Turbines
 * 29) Bochum: Industrial Culture in the Heart of the Region
 * 30) Ruhr Industrial Heritage Trail – Gelsenkirchen (in preparation)