The Ruhr Area
Over the past six decades, the Ruhr region has evolved from being Germany’s leading coal and steel industry region into a science hub with over 20 institutions of higher education—more than any other metropolitan area in Europe. The establishment of universities in Bochum, Dortmund, Duisburg, and Essen marked the beginning of this extraordinary transformation. Today, they form the backbone of a unique innovation ecosystem, in which universities are closely working together with non-university research institutions, municipalities, companies and a rapidly growing start-up scene. This network not only drives progress within the region but also serves as a real-world laboratory for transformation processes around the globe.
With its 53 cities, the Ruhr region is home to more than five million people, making it the most densely populated region in Germany. Here, the benefits of urban living seamlessly blend with nature, offering parks, forests, lakes, and our namesake river, the Ruhr, which invites everyone to unwind amidst serene landscapes far from the city’s hustle and bustle. Beyond the green trails, the opportunities for leisure activities are virtually limitless. Whether you’re attending sporting events or concerts, enjoying bars and restaurants, or exploring our numerous cultural institutions, the Ruhr region has something for everyone.
Wherever you spend your time, you’ll encounter traces of our rich history as a mining region, which remains visible throughout the landscape. This unique blend of industrial heritage, nature, and art creates unforgettable experiences. Imagine relaxing in recreational areas around an old blast furnace, visiting a museum housed in a former coal mine, or chilling next to a historic winding tower—these are experiences you won’t find just anywhere. In the Ruhr area we know how to reinvent ourselves while staying true to our roots.
Radiant Landmarks
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It looks like a giant roller coaster—only without the fairgrounds around it. And that’s exactly how it’s supposed to be: “Tiger and Turtle” is a large sculpture modeled after a roller coaster on the Heinrich-Hildebrand-Höhe in Duisburg-Angerhausen. The accessible artwork by Heike Mutter and Ulrich Genth was created for the capital of culture “Ruhr 2010“. -
If the sight of the Horizon Observatory on Halde Hoheward reminds you of prehistoric stone circles such as Stonehenge, you are correct. The structure is intended commemorate this and has a similar function: Standing in the lowered center of the observatory, the plateau spreads out like an artificial horizon. You can then observe the sunrise and sunset on important calendar days such as the summer or winter solstice. -
If an ancient Egyptian ever found his way to Bottrop, he would be amazed by the glowing pyramid on the Halde Beckstraße. The “Haldenereignis Emscherblick,” better known as the “Tetraeder,” is an accessible viewing terrace—deliberately designed in the shape of a three-sided pyramid. The artwork was built in 1995 as part of the Emscher Park International Building Exhibition. -
For decades, Dortmund was considered Germany’s number one beer city. The high-rise building on the western edge of the Dortmund city center reminds us of this tradition. It was built in 1926/1927 as the “fermentation and storage cellar” of the Dortmund Union Brewery. For the Capital of Culture Year “Ruhr 2010“, the building with the Brewery’s company logo, visible from afar, was converted into a center for art and creativity. -
The Halde Rheinelbe in Gelsenkirchen, close to the border with Wattenscheid, is 100 meters high and, like many other slag heaps in the Ruhr area, accessible to the public. Since the Emscher Park International Building Exhibition in the 1990s, the slag heap has been accessible via spiral paths. At the summit stands the "Himmelstreppe" (Stairway to Heaven), a ten-meter-high structure made of heavy concrete blocks that is visible from afar. -
Almost all cities in the Ruhr region are located along the A40 motorway. On the one hand, this makes it a vibrant lifeline that connects people and places. On the other hand, it is where the still industrial north and the much greener south of the region meet. -
Nowhere is the successful structural transformation of the Ruhr region more palpable than at Mark 51°7, the former Opel car manufacturing site in Bochum. Once employing 20,000 people, the factory’s closure in 2014 cast a shadow of uncertainty over the area. Yet, thanks to the concerted efforts of political and economic stakeholders as well as the Ruhr University Bochum, the site has been reborn as a dynamic hub of innovation.
