Zollverein Mining & Cokery complex

One of the most well-known and biggest industrial heritage complexes is Zollverein in Essen. Once a thriving domain with 12 mine shafts, a cokery, a power station, .... it is now a UNESCO world heritage site full of industrial museums, art galleries and amusement initiatives (eg a big ferris wheel at the cokery or the water next to it turned into an ice skating rink in winter).  It is also the Ruhr welcome center and one of the first & biggest reconversion projects in the Ruhr area.  Most of the remaining buildings had been built between 1927- 1932 in a consistent Bauhaus archetectural style you wouldn't expect immediately at a mining site.

We went on a 2 hour tour on the Shaft 12 site only (!) and toured the buildings & conveyerbelt lines where coals travelled through the buildings in carts, got washed in huge machines , sorted , etc etc...Huge site but amazingly automised then already with very few people operating above ground.  Huge crowds down below though.