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Exploring - Experiencing - Touring the Ruhr!
There, where once the Roman Empire ended, where wild horses peacefully grazed, where remote small provincial towns flanked an ancient trade route, later on easy workable coal was found in abundance. A great many people flocked together to gain by the "Black Gold". More and more and bigger and bigger greefield mills were established. Within a few decades the rustic area became an urban agglomeration and Europes largest industrial region - the Ruhr area.
After the post-war German "Wirtschaftswunder" (economic miracle) big crisises struck the region. Cheaper production somewhere else on the earth led to the shut-down of many manufacturing plants. First the collieries passed away, then the iron works and steel plants. Polluted landscapes and a high unemployment rate remained. But the region changed again.
The competent office for the urgent required structural change was the "Internationale Bauausstellung Emscher Park" (1989-1999). Industrial fallow land was transformed into parks or technology centres, industrial cathedrals into palaces of art. The Ruhr area has almost wiped away all the coal dust from its face and presents itself now as a cultural metropolis. Consequentially the City of Essen - representative of the Ruhr area - was elected as European Capital of Culture 2010.
That called even more tourist's attention to this unique region, where every era left its mark. You're invited to experience the prominent monuments of the industrial heritage on a 400 km long circuit, the so-called "Route of industrial culture". But there is much more to explore in the Ruhr area: a sheer amazing variety of fine arts and nature, sights and leisure activities, pubs and football clubs.
If you want to look behind the scenes of this astonishing region, become familiar with all its contrasts and highlights, alone or in a group, with the family or on a thematic expedition, on foot or on a boat, by bike, bus or historical tram, we gladly offer our service - competent, entertaining and creative.
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