Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [516]
Tram 107 travels to Zollverein straight from the Hauptbahnhof.
BALDENEYSEE & VILLA HÜGEL
Essen’s green belt follows the Ruhr River to the large Baldeneysee. OK, so it’s not quite the Med, but on hot summer days there’s an undeniable holiday feeling at the Seaside Beach ( 839 2836; Freiherr-vom-Stein-Strasse 384; adult/concession €3/2; from 10am), a 250m-long stretch of sand perfect for swimming, windsurfing, picnicking and playing beach volleyball. It’s also a stop for the cruise boats plying the lake from April to September.
On the lake’s north shore looms the imposing Villa Hügel ( 188 4823; www.villahuegel.de; Hügel 1; adult/under 14yr €3/free; 10am-6pm Tue-Sun), where the Krupp dynasty made its home from 1873 to 1945. You can wander around the partially furnished private quarters of the main building, which also hosts the occasional concert and internationally acclaimed art show (call or check the website for hours and admission). The former guesthouse presents an exhibit on the history of the family and the company. The lavish park ( 8am-8pm daily) is a pleasant place for a picnic or relaxing.
To get to the lake and the villa, take the S6 to Essen-Hügel from the Hauptbahnhof.
WERDEN
On the southern Ruhr bank, the half-timbered houses and cobbled lanes of the suburb of Werden intimate at what a pre-industrial Ruhrgebiet must have looked like. Students of the prestigious Folkwang School for Music, Dance and Drama fill the many pubs, cafes and restaurants, and the DJH hostel is here as well.
Werden’s main sight is the 1175 Abteikirche St Liudger ( 491 801; Brückstrasse 54; 10am-noon & 3-5pm Tue-Sun), a beautiful late-Romanesque church named for the Frisian missionary buried here. It has an impressive exterior as well as a commendable treasury (adult/concession €2/1).
The S6 goes straight to Werden from the Hauptbahnhof.
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Sleeping
Hotels in the centre cater for business visitors and are mostly nondescript and overpriced. The more charming places are in the suburbs.
DJH hostel ( 491 163; www.essen.jugendherberge.de; Pastoratsberg 2; dm/s/tw €23.70/37.50/58.40, incl linen & breakfast; ) Essen’s updated hostel is in the pretty but rather remote suburb of Werden. Many rooms have private bathrooms. Take the S6 to Essen-Werden, then bus 190 to Jugendherberge.
Welcome Hotel Essen ( 177 90; www.welcome-hotel-essen.de; Schützenbahn 58; s €83-123, d €113-153; ) Sure, this hulking property can’t shake the business vibe, but its handsomely furnished rooms have plenty to offer those who’ve left their tie at home. Space cravers should opt for a ‘superior room’, which comes with such perks as a kettle, a fluffy robe and bottled water.
Hotel Margarethenhöhe ( 438 60; www.margarethenhoehe.com, in German; Steile Strasse 46; s €100-150, d €115-185; ) A former Krupp guesthouse has been reborn as a cheerful hotel, filled with youthful flair, art and designer touches. It’s about 5km south of the centre in the Margarethenhöhe, a gardenlike art nouveau workers’ colony. Take the U17 to Laubenweg.
Hotel Résidence ( 02054-955 90; www.hotel-residence.de; Auf der Forst 1; s €110-190, d €157-210; ) Posh and petite, this 18-room hotel in an art nouveau villa in the historic suburb of Kettwig appeals to refined tastes. Dinner in the restaurant, which boasts two Michelin stars, will likely cost more than your bed (five-course menu €110).
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Eating
There’s a dearth of interesting restaurants in the city centre, which is also pretty dead after dark. Head south to the Rüttenscheider Strasse (known as ‘Rü’ locally) where you have your pick from dozens of eateries. Take the U11 or tram 107 to Martinstrasse.
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THE KRUPP DYNASTY – MEN OF STEEL
Steel and Krupp are virtual synonyms. So are Krupp and Essen. For it’s this bustling Ruhrgebiet city that is the ancestral seat of the Krupp family and the headquarters of one of the most powerful corporations in Europe. (To avoid confusion, Krupp has nothing to do with the company that produces coffee-makers and other appliances