We spent 3 days visiting our friend Tobit in Dortmund, and aside from the opportunity to try a variety of local beers (Dortmund is famous for its brewing tradition), and see Tobit’s bike shop, we also visited the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex. For anyone who doesn’t know much about the Ruhr region of Germany (admittedly we didn’t), it has a strong industrial heritage and the landscape is still dominated by derelict coal mines, coking plants and blast furnaces. Local communities of course went through wrenching changes as they transitioned from industrial economies and now that coal is no longer mined in the area, these monuments to an industrial past serve as museums, parks and venues for the arts.
The Zollverein complex was truly grand in scale and fascinating to explore. Although a little unpleasant, the rainy weather seemed somehow suited to this site full of old buildings and machinery now frozen by time and rust.
Stopping for a local beer on our first day exploring Dortmund
Picture of the old Union Brewery in Dortmund (now an art museum)
Tobit’s bike shop
Car in front of Tobit’s shop
The main structure at Zollverein now houses a museum
The rain added to the eerie atmosphere
We weren’t sure what this was for, but certainly looks like a ferris wheel
Inside the museum building
View of the landscape