The smelters, collieries and coking plants are witnesses to the mining history of North Rhine-Westphalia. In the past, they were centres of mining and coal processing, starting points for the economic upturn in Germany. But they were also places of hard labour and social cohesion between the coal and steel miners. Today, the handling of the historical heritage of the industrial age is considered a model for industrial sites on all continents. Places such as the Zollverein UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Duisburg-Nord Landscape Park are a focal point for exhibition fans and those interested in history and culture. They offer interesting exhibitions that go far beyond the mining theme, exciting discovery trails, ascents to via ferratas and blast furnaces, industrial nature, concert venues and open-air cinemas, often with a wide range of guided tours.
