If an industrial site is jokingly called the Eiffel Tower of the Ruhrgebiet Region, it seems to be quite an impressive landmark. In fact, the Zeche Zollverein made it from a mining area to a UNESCO World Heritage. It received that status in 2001. During a visit in early 2021, I took some daytime impressions of the area. Here is my Pictured Story, i.e. I am focusing on major size pictures rather than a lot of text and a rating.
Zeche Zollverein – Location & Transport
Zeche Zollverein is located in the Northeast of Essen, close to the city limits towards Gelsenkirchen. The former industrial site nowadays hosts a couple of museums and also companies. Two Zollverein museums I will feature on Flyctory.com soon is the Ruhr Museum and the Red Dot Design Museum. The borough in which the site is located is named Stoppenberg.
There are multiple parking lots on the Zollverein grounds – but in general, driving may be a bit of bothering. Local transport connection is quite good. Close to the Ruhr Museum, there is a tram stop Zollverein, which is featured by tram 107. The Kokerei area is connected by bus (stop: Essen Kokerei Zollverein, line 183). There is also a regional train station, Essen Zollverein Nord, from where you can either walk or take the 107 tram. The Zollverein area as such is accessible 24 hrs (apart from some parts of the Kokerei area). The museum and other attractions, of course, have opening hours.
Zeche Zollverein – History
Zeche Zollverein was a black coal mining area from 1851 to 1986. The name is related to the Deutscher Zollverein, the German Customs Union. Franz Haniel was the person who drove the construction of the site, after he found coal in 1834 in the Essen borough Schönebeck for the first time. The pit was steadily enlarged and finally took an area which is much larger than the Zollverein space you currently can see and visit. Major parts are nowadays hosting other businesses or residential areas. Shaft #12 was likely the most prominent, beautiful, but also highest capacity part of the whole mining area. In 1937, the mini produced 3.6 million (metric) tons in one year. At that time, there were roughly 7,000 employees. In the late 1960’s, the Ruhrkohle AG became the new carrier of Zollverein. Coal extraction in the region steadily decreased and Zollverein was finally closed in 1986. Two of the shafts, 2 and 12, are still active in order to pump water into the nearby river, the Emscher.
Impressions of Zeche Zollverein
I did not have the chance to have a tour inside the mining area, but the buildings are already quite impressive. I started my visit close to Schacht 12, which is likely one of the two most iconic places in the whole area. This is also where the two museums I mentioned are located.
I then strolled along to the East part of the mining area. This is also where the Folkwang University of Arts is located. It also hosts the theatre PACT and a museum.
After strolling through that area, I headed to the iconic Kokerei (cokery). Regarding industrial structures, this is likely the most impressive part of a walk through the Zollverein grounds (which is also a beauty in the night, when parts of the industrial sights are illuminated). You see a lot of industrial equipment from outside, even though parts of the area are closed. This area features an art gallery, an event space, a cafe, but also a swimming pool.
Here are some impressions of were I started. The whole walk around the area took me about one hour, which suited well between the (time slotted) visits in the Ruhr Museum and Red Dot Design Museum. The Zeche Zollverein rather recommends a walk along the rear of the cokery plant, for which I would add at least 30 minutes.
Flyctory.com Pictured Stories
The key contents of Flyctory.com Pictured Stories are the picture, not the text:

Impressions of Andorra La Vella (Pictured Story)

A Trip To Saksun (Faroe Islands, Pictured Story)

A Walk Around the Grounds of Wacken

A Short Roadtrip along Northwest Reykjanes

Inverness Cathedral (Pictured Story)

Schnoor – Bremen’s Oldest Borough (Pictured Story)

Hveradalir Geothermal Area (Pictured Story)

The (Vending) Machines of Tokyo (Pictured Story)

The Waterfalls near Seljalandsfoss (Pictured Story)

Brussels Grand Square – The Heart of the City (Pictured Story)

Walking Through Lillehammer City Center (Pictured Story)

Klaksvik and Djupumyra Stadium (Pictured Story)

Nyhavn Copenhagen (Pictured Story)

Wawel Castle Royal Gardens (Krakow – Pictured Story)

Helsinki Old Market Hall (Pictured Story)

Church of Saint Lazarus (Larnaca, Pictured Story)

Views of Wawel Royal Castle (Krakow – Pictured Story)

The Gunwharf Quays in Portsmouth (Pictured Story)

Walking through Nicosia (Pictured Story)

The New Bedford (MA) Whaling District (Pictured Story)

A Walk Through Inverness (Pictured Story)

There is a single Büchting Street in Germany – and I take you there

Dyrholaey (Iceland, Pictured Story)

Pasteis de Belem – Home of the Famous Pastry (Pictured Story)

Trafford Palazzo – Posh Shopping in Manchester (Pictured Story)

A Walk Through Valletta Old Town (Pictured Story)

Rock of Ages Opening Night – Red Carpet Impressions

Nice Upgrades to Manchester Airport (MAN) Terminal 2 (Pictured Story)

Big Mac Museum (North Huntingdon PA, Pictured Story)

A Look Inside Palma Cathedral (Pictured Story)

Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Orlando, Pictured Story)

Al Majaz Park & Waterfront Sharjah (Pictured Story)

Hambach Surface Mining – The Largest Man-Made Hole in the World

Leadenhall Market in London (Pictured Story)

ICE 3neo High-Speed Rail First Class (Pictured Story)

Phantasialand Wintertraum on the Evening (Pictured Story)

Asam Chruch Munich (Pictured Story)

Advent Time at Skanderbeg Square Tirana (Pictured Story)

Carlo’s Bakery Hoboken NJ – The Heart of a Cake Empire (Pictured Story)

Limassol Marina and Harbor (Pictured Story)

Gullfoss – Iceland’s Most Famous Waterfall? (Pictured Story)

Walking Along Castle Ruin Hohensyburg (Dortmund – Pictured Story)

Sunderland Empire Theatre Guided Tour with Rock of Ages Stage

Nashville Mural Art in the Broadway District (Pictured Story)

Exploring Hamburg with the HADAG Public Ferries – Line 61

Exploring Hamburg with the HADAG Public Ferries – Line 73

Exploring Hamburg with the HADAG Public Ferries – Line 72

Exploring Hamburg with the HADAG Public Ferries – Lines 62 & 64 & Overview

View Over Akureyri from Hlidarfljall

Khorfakkan – Amphitheatre and Waterfall (Pictured Story)

3,337 Waffle Houses Away – A Walk through Paola, Kansas

A (Partial) Trip along F899 (Flateyjardalsvegur – Pictured Story)

Exploring the City Center of Woodstock, NY (Pictured Story)

Helgoland Dune Ferry (“Dünenfähre” – Pictured Story)

UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex (Pictured Story)

Akureyrarkirkja – Akureyri Church

Oodi Helsinki – The Modern Library (Pictured Story)

The Historic District of Streetsville, Ontario (Pictured Story)

A Walk Through Greetsiel in East Frisia (Pictured Story)

Sharjah Central Souq (Pictured Story)

Al Madam Ghost Town (Pictures Story)

Austrian Sculpture Park Graz (Pictured Story)

A Walk Through Gdansk Old Town (Pictured Story)

Riding the Swan Adventure Pedal Boat in Dubai – A Special Ride and Posting

Cuvillies Theater (Cuvilliéstheater) Munich (Pictured Story)

Souk Madinat Jumeirah Dubai (Pictured Story)

Walking Through Historic Remscheid-Lennep (Pictured Story)

Ottawa ByWard Market (Pictured Story)

Geysir Hot Spring Area (Iceland – Pictured Story)

Urridafoss – The Highest Flow Waterfall in Iceland (Pictured Story)

Hverir Geothermal Area (Pictured Story)

Walking the Ulica Florianska in Krakow to Market Square (Pictured Story)

The Bridge Between Europe and North America (Pictured Story)

A Walk Through Westerland (Sylt – Pictured Story)

BlueBrixx Megastore (Loop5 Weiterstadt) – The World Largest Brick Bar

Walking around Pilsum Light Tower (Pilsumer Leuchtturm, Pictured Story)

Walking in the London Docklands (Pictured Story)

A Walk Through Berlin’s Government District

The Eschede Derailment Memorial

A Walk Through Cologne / Bonn Airport Terminal at Covid-19 Times (Pictured Story)

Yas Mall Abu Dhabi

Al Seef – A Historic District at Dubai Creek

Paseo de Canarias & Paseo de Gran Canaria in Firgas (Pictured Story)

Views of London from One New Change (Pictured Story)

Aviation Monuments on Gran Canaria (Pictured Story)

Namco Funscape London (Pictured Story)

The train to Hogwarts? King’s Cross, Platform 9 3/4 (Pictured Story)

Rossfeld Panoramic Route

Watching Cologne from Europa Rad Ferris Wheel

Elbphilharmonie (Elbe Philharmonic Hall) Hamburg

Hangar 7 (Salzburg, Austria – Pictured Story)

Milan Cathedral (Pictured Story)

Herbertstrasse Hamburg – A Covid-19 Vacuum in the Red Light District

Fujairah Fort (Pictured Story)

St. Helier (Jersey) Markets (Pictured Story)

Cologne/Bonn Airport during Covid-19 Times (Pictured Story)

Clarke Quay (Singpore) by Night (Pictured Story)

Dublin – A Walk along the River Liffey (Pictured Story)
Top Pick! Technical Museums
Here are all my technical museum reviews, which have been assigned a Top Pick! rating:

Gatwick Aviation Museum

Arabia Steamboat Museum

Henri Tudor Museum (Rosport, Luxembourg)

Andorra National Automobile Museum

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum

Lane Motor Museum (Nashville)

American Space Museum (Titusville)

Dutch Railway Museum Utrecht

Umberto Panini Collection Motor Museum

German Rail Museum (DB Museum) Nuremberg

Takis Pattichis Museum of Industrial Pharmacy (Limassol)

Phänomenta Lüdenscheid

German Röntgen Museum Remscheid

Ystafell Auto Museum (Iceland)

Polish Aviation Museum (Krakow)

Icelandic Aviation Museum (Akureyri)

Halton County Radial Railway / Streetcar Museum

Museum of The Story of Alfa Romeo

Sharjah Off Road History Museum

Deutsches Museum Traffic Center (Verkehrszentrum)

Automobile & Toy Museum North Sea (Norden, Germany)

Porsche Museum Stuttgart

Lokwelt Freilassing

Jet Age Museum Gloucester

German Spy Museum Berlin

Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization

Auto & Traktor Museum Bodensee (Lake Constance)

Schleusenpark Waltrop-Henrichenburg – History of Naval Locks

German Oil Museum Wietze

Enzo Ferrari House Museum Modena

ESO Supernova Munich – Garching

Marconi Automotive Museum & Foundation

Bergisches Museum for Mining, Craft & Trade Bensberg

Lyon Air Museum Santa Ana

Siku & Audi-Museum Höing (Stadtlohn, Germany)

Computer History Museum (Mountain View CA)

Museum Prototyp Hamburg

USS Requin – A Submarine in Pittsburgh

Louwman Museum The Hague

Miniatur Wunderland Hamburg

Dornier Museum Friedrichshafen

HomeComputerMuseum Helmond (Netherlands)

Pinball Hall of Fame (Las Vegas)

Zeppelin Museum Meersburg

Nelson, Nevada – A Ghost Town

De Havilland Aircraft Museum (London Colney)

Arithmeum Bonn – A Museum about Calculations

Sharjah Al Mahatta Historic Airport Museum

Titanic Belfast

Flugausstellung Peter Junior (Hermeskeil)

Madrid Railway Museum

Platform 0 Chamberí – A Madrid Metro Ghost Station

National Emergency Services Museum Sheffield

Alte Dombach Paper Mill

Speyer Technology Museum

Emirates National Auto Museum
