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Guided Tour Ruhr 33 Zollverein coking plant
UNESCO World Heritage site in northern Essen
The Zollverein coking plant was constructed between 1957 and 1961 and linked with the central shaft XII at pit Zollverein. This was built 30 years earlier by the renowned architects Fritz Schupp and Martin Kremmer as a masterpiece of industrial architecture.
In the early 1970s the capacity was expanded and the number of coke ovens increased to 304. Zollverein as one of the world's largest coking plants produced up to 8,600 tons of coke, 4 million m³ crude gas and around 350 tons of tar every day (plus many other things in the by-product plant).
The steel crisis reduced the demand for furnace coke so that the Zollverein coking plant was closed in 1993. After negotiation with China to sell the whole plant failed it was included to the conception of the International Building Exhibition Emscher Park. Together with the pit Zollverein the coking plant forms an ensemble of high industrial architectural quality and was set in 2001 on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
Today the Zollverein coking plant is open to the public. Only here in the northern districts of the city of Essen You may stroll on a guided tour right through the coke ovens, drink a cold beer below a 300ton-machine or do some swimming in summer or ice-skating in winter in a terrific industrial scenery.
Operator: Stiftung Zollverein
Meeting-point: Infopunkt, blending station
Length: about 120 minutes
Dates: none
Max. number of participants: 20 people
Price: English tours 210€; all the year round on request
Special note: Please wear convenient and weatherproof shoes/clothing.
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