Essen

Essen is an important metropolis in the Ruhr area.
Known as an important industrial location, Essen is the site of the “Zeche Zollverein” mine, one of Germany’s most renowned industrial landmarks.
From 1847 to 1986, the Zeche Zollverein was an active coal pit.
Today, it is part of the UNESCO world cultural heritage and a center for culture, design and architecture.

Visitors of the city can explore the “Weg der Kohle” (path of coal) museum trail. Düsseldorf hosts the visitor center of the “Industry Culture Route”, a 400 km road through the Ruhr area.
It is also home to the “Red Dot Design Museum”, the largest design museum in the world.

The renowned Folkwang art museum (named after the palace of the goddess Freya) is another hub for visitors, as is the opera house at the Aalto Theater.

Those who come to Essen often can’t keep up with all the sights, which include the German poster museum and Europe’s only voodoo museum.

If this is all a bit too serious for you, you may enjoy the Stratmanns Theater in the Europahaus on Kennedy Square, where Ludger Stratmann performs with his “hilarious medical cabaret”.

Despite its location in the center of the Ruhr area, Essen ranks third in Germany with respect to the size of its park areas. Take a look at Grugapark, for example, which not only has a lot of green, but also numerous works of art and sculptures scattered across its expansive landscape.