Introducing the German Ruhrgebiet
Are you an independent-minded traveller?
Are you interested in heritage, history and tradition?
Do you like to really get to know the places you visit?
Do you want to visit Europe’s biggest and most vibrant metropolis?
If the answer to any of these questions is ‘Yes’ then you should read this new ebook.
Bordered by the rivers Rhine, Ruhr and Lippe the Ruhrgebiet is one of Germany’s ‘hidden gems’. It is a vibrant, exciting and thoroughly modern metropolis, steeped in history and tradition.
This guidebook introduces its major cities and towns, and the history, culture and traditions of its people. There is advice on how to plan a visit, what to see and do and where to find out more.
A region transformed
They used to say that you could never see the sun in the Ruhrgebiet because the clouds of smoke and dust blocked out the sky. Hanging your washing up outside was a waste of time. It would end up covered in soot and dirtier than before you started. Little animal or plant life survived in the rivers and canals and you wouldn’t think of going for a swim.
If you lived and worked in the Ruhrgebiet you had a lower life expectancy than anywhere else in Germany. You had a higher chance of dying young from lung diseases. You were more likely to live in crowded accommodation and to have a dangerous and exhausting job.
Today’s Ruhrgebiet is completely transformed. The coking plants, blast furnaces and winding towers are all silent. The toxic emissions from thousands of chimneys have disappeared. The air is clean. Nature has begun to reclaim the vast tracts of land that were once occupied by sprawling industrial plants. City centres are attractive, dynamic, modern places. The arts are flourishing.
But the region’s industrial past has not been swept aside. People are proud of the bravery and sacrifices of those who came before them. They value history and tradition. Former industrial sites have been imaginatively repurposed as cultural or entertainment centres or preserved as memorials to the past.
A guide for the inquisitive tourist
This book is for anyone who wants to find out more about the towns, cities and people of this fascinating region. Whether you are coming for a short visit or planning a longer stay, the book is packed with suggestions about how to get the best out of your time here.
