The RevierRoute Black Gold - Experience the coal route

Black gold, as coal used to be called, has had a significant impact on the Ruhr area. After being hauled up from the depths, it proceeded to the coking plant, where the coal was processed into coke at high temperatures before finally being burned to make steel. On our "Black Gold" RevierRoute you will discover the route of coal and important places of industrial history over a distance of around 41 kilometers by bike.

You are currently viewing placeholder content from the standard version . To access the actual content, click the button below. Please note that this will involve sharing data with third parties.

Unlock content

Further information

Ruhr area history by bike

The tour begins and ends at the Zollern Colliery in Dortmund. Here you'll gain insights into one of the Ruhr region's most beautiful colliery complexes and learn more about the miners' social relationships. The tour then continues to the Hansa Coking Plant , where coke and coke oven gas were produced for the Dortmund steelworks until 1992. The route then follows the Emscher River southwards. A detour to the impressive Phoenix West site with its Skywalk is highly recommended . On a guided tour, you can explore the blast furnace complex from the Skywalk at dizzying heights or enjoy a cold beer with a view of the blast furnaces at the Bergmann Brewery's beer garden.

About the Rhenish donkey from Witten to Dortmund

Then you continue your bike ride south to the Rheinische Esel ( Rhenish Donkey) . This former railway line was once used to transport coal, among other things. Once you arrive in Witten, we recommend a visit to the Nachtigall Colliery , which was also one of the largest coal-mining centers in the Ruhr region. Finally, the Rheinische Esel will take you back to Dortmund and the Zollern Colliery.