Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [514]
For travellers with an open mind, a sense of adventure and a desire to get off the beaten track, the Ruhrgebiet delivers a treasure chest of surprises and unique sights, locations and experiences.
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Information
DISCOUNT CARDS
The RuhrTop-Card (adult/child €44.90/29.90) gives free public transport and free one-time admission to 90 attractions, including theme parks, museums and tours during the course of a calendar year. It’s available from local tourist offices and online at www.ruhrtopcard.de.
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Getting Around
All cities covered in the Ruhrgebiet section have introduced low-emission zones in their city centres, meaning that your car needs to display an Umweltplakette (emission sticker). Rental cars have these, but if you’re driving your own, Click here for details on how to obtain one.
Each Ruhrgebiet city has an efficient and comprehensive public transport system made up of U-Bahns, buses and trams. Cities are also connected to each other by S-Bahn and regional trains. The same tariffs apply within the entire region, which is divided into three zones. Study the displays on the orange ticket vending machines to determine which price applies for your trip. Single tickets are €2.30/4.50/9.20 for one/two/three zones. Single day passes are €5.30/10.50/21.40; group day passes for up to five people travelling together are €11.70/17.30/28.40.
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ESSEN
0201 / pop 585,000
It’s taken a few decades, but Germany’s seventh-largest city has mastered the transition from industrial powerhouse to city of commerce and culture like few others. Van Gogh, anyone? Go to the Museum Folkwang. Fancy a look at Emperor Otto III’s gem-studded childhood crown? Head for the cathedral treasury. A Unesco-listed Bauhaus-style coal mine? Look no further than the Zeche Zollverein.
According to no less an authority than Men’s Health magazine, Essen is Germany’s third-greenest city (after Hanover and Magdeburg), with 9.2% of its area claimed by nature. Make it out to the verdant green belt and the half-timbered suburbs and you too will believe it. Old images die hard, but even cynics would find lots to like about Essen. If only they’d come and see for themselves.
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Orientation
The Hauptbahnhof’s Nord (north) exit drops you right onto the centre’s main drag, the pedestrianised Kettwiger Strasse. Essen’s major sights are rather spread out, but all are accessible by U-Bahn, S-Bahn or trams. The handiest line is tram 107, which shuttles between the Zollverein coal mine, the Museum Folkwang and the Rüttenscheid restaurant and pub mile. The Baldeneysee and the suburb of Werden are further south and served by S-Bahn.
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Information
Mayersche Buchhandlung ( 365 670; Markt 5-6) Bookshop.
Medical emergencies ( 192 92)
Police headquarters ( 8290; Büscherstrasse 2-6)
Post office (Willy-Brandt-Platz 1; 8am-7pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-3.30pm Sat) Near the Hauptbahnhof.
ReiseBank ( 202 671; Hauptbahnhof; 7.15am-7.45pm Mon-Fri, 8.15am-4pm Sat, 9.45am-1.15pm Sun)
Stadtbibliothek ( 884 2419; Hollestrasse 3; 10am-7pm Tue-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat) Internet access.
Tourist office ( 194 33, 887 2048; www.essen.de; Am Hauptbahnhof 2; 9am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, 10am-1pm Sat)
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INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE TRAIL
Most of the smokestacks and mines are eerily silent today, but many of these ‘cathedrals of industry’ have taken on a new life as museums, concert halls, cinemas, restaurants, lookouts, playgrounds and other such venues. Dozens of them are linked along the 400km Industrial Heritage Trail that takes in such cities as Dortmund, Essen, Duisburg and Bochum. Most sites are