Start and end at Essen Central Station

As a circular route (or figure eight), the tour can be started at any point. For convenient arrival by train, we recommend Essen Central Station as your starting and ending point. You can also rent a bike at the bike station located there. Following the junction network , the tour initially leads you through Essen's city center. From there, you'll have to tackle the least attractive part of the tour, cycling a few hundred meters along the busy Gladbecker Straße. However, there is a bike path on the sidewalk. After the Grillostraße intersection, the actual bike path begins. Still in the center of Essen, you'll cycle past an allotment garden and into a small wooded area. The bike path follows the Berne, a tributary of the Emscher, northwards towards Altenessen. At the Cologne-Minden railway line, the route turns east, and you'll quickly reach the Zollverein UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The visitor highlight in Essen - the Zeche Zollverein

The cycle paths at the Zollverein UNESCO World Heritage Site take you across the entire grounds. Of course, a guided tour is a great option, for example along the Heritage Trail or through the Ruhr Museum. However, on this long bike tour, you'll likely only truly appreciate the beautiful colliery area by cycling through it. You leave the site heading east on the Zollvereinweg , a well-maintained former railway line. The path passes another colliery tower, which now houses the Phänomania Science Center . A few minutes later, you'll pass the Bonifacius Colliery and head towards Bochum. The popular " Erzbahnbude " (Ore Railway Hut) is a good place for a first stop. Afterwards, follow the Erzbahntrasse ( Ore Railway Line ) north to the Rhine-Herne Canal . From here, the eastern loop begins, which presents a more challenging ride.

Mountain stage on the Hoheward heap

The route begins through a wooded area to the Ewald coal mine in Herten. From there, a challenging climb to the Hoheward spoil tip awaits , rewarded with a magnificent panoramic view. Alternatively, the spoil tip can easily be bypassed. Crossing the Dragon Bridge, the tour leaves the Hoheward spoil tip and the terrain becomes more leisurely. Following the Emscher River, the route returns to the Rhine-Herne Canal, then continues westward to Gelsenkirchen. Another climb takes you up to the Schurenbach spoil tip . The path then follows the canal through Bottrop to Oberhausen.

Slinky Springs to Fame, RS 1 and home stretch

The striking and much-photographed Slinky Springs to Fame bridge in Oberhausen marks the western turning point of the tour (unfortunately, cyclists must push their bikes across the bridge). The Oberhausen Gasometer is another highlight of the route; a visit is a must. Passing Centro Oberhausen, the route initially follows the canal, then turns back towards Essen at Haus Ripshorst . The path leads through the green Hexbach valley, initially within the city limits of Mülheim, until you finally reach the RS 1 cycle route. The section towards Mülheim is already complete, but the tour continues towards Essen. Here, the route initially follows a water-bound surface, but the former railway line is still perfectly rideable. In Essen, a detour through the ThyssenKrupp grounds, with its new corporate headquarters and historic founder's house, is worthwhile before returning to Essen Central Station via the familiar route through Essen's city center.

Note on the discovery tours in the radrevier.ruhr

This tour is one of the discovery tours in the Ruhr cycling region. This means it also takes you along cycle paths that aren't among the region's most popular routes. Accepting compromises in cycle path quality, however, also means being able to experience "undiscovered" tours away from the popular and often heavily frequented cycle paths. Is good path condition important to you? Then you should check out our 17 Ruhr region routes instead!