Cycling between the mine & future gardens

Discover the Ruhr area from a whole new perspective – active, surprisingly green, and full of exciting contrasts. On varied cycling paths, you will experience former industrial sites, historic miners' settlements, idyllic lake landscapes, and the fascinating future gardens of the International Garden Exhibition 2027. Your bike tours will take you along disused railway lines, alongside the Emscher and Ruhr rivers, and past impressive testimonies of industrial culture. Among other places, you will visit the IGA sites in Dortmund and Gelsenkirchen, the UNESCO World Heritage site Zollverein, and the historic Nachtigall mine. Green recreational areas, wide views, and the charming Ruhr lakes will provide special moments along the way. Look forward to three eventful days that uniquely combine cycling enjoyment, industrial culture, and modern garden worlds.

Day 1 | Arrival – Dortmund & IGA

Future Garden

Departure in the morning and drive to the Ruhr area, where you will start your first bike tour. The starting point is the former steelworks site Phoenix-West in southern Dortmund, whose historical machine halls and blast furnaces still tell the story of the region's industrial past. Cycling along the Emscher, you will ride through Dortmund towards the north to the IGA Future Garden Dortmund on the site of the former Hansa coal mine and coking plant. Here, there is plenty of time to explore the diverse landscape garden. A special highlight is the viewpoint on the Deusenberg hill, which offers an impressive view over the Dortmund skyline. Afterwards, your bike tour continues through green recreational areas towards the west until you reach your hotel in Bochum. Check-in and joint dinner.

Bike route: approx. 40 km

Day 2 | From the Mining District to the Future Garden

Today, your route takes you along the beautiful Grummer ponds, past lovely gardens and half-timbered houses. You will pass the old miners' settlement "Dahlhauser Heide", one of the largest preserved miners' settlements in the Ruhr area. From there, the path leads you over the old ore railway line and the Zollverein cycle path to the UNESCO World Heritage Zollverein coal mine. Here, you will visit the mining facilities of the then largest coal mine in Essen with a local tour guide. Afterwards, you will cycle along the Nordsternweg to the Nordsternpark at the Rhein-Herne Canal, which forms one of the five future gardens of the IGA 2027. Highlights of this future garden in Gelsenkirchen include the floating beds and the 3,000 m² changing flower display, which makes industrial history and urban culture visible in colorful plant arrangements. You will visit the colorful garden and flower exhibition in the afternoon before the bus takes you back to the hotel.

Bike route: approx. 31 km

Day 3 | Along the Ruhr Lakes – Return Journey

After breakfast, you will leave the hotel and cycle along the Ümminger See and the Oelbachtal towards the Ruhr and then along the Ruhr cycle path through the three Ruhr lakes eastwards from Bochum via Witten and Wetter to Herdecke. On the Ruhr cycle path, you will first circle the Kemnader See, then cross the Ruhr by ferry (free of charge) and reach the "Zeche Nachtigall", which is considered the cradle of Ruhr mining. Later, you will pass Witten and reach the Harkortsee. The journey continues past Wetter on the Ruhr to the beginning of the Hengsteysee, where the bus is already waiting for you for the further return journey.

Bike route: approx. 37 km

• Travel by modern coach
• 2x overnight stays including half board at the 4-star Achat Hotel Bochum Dortmund in Bochum
• 2x day tickets for the IGA Ruhr area for Dortmund and Gelsenkirchen
• Guided tour of Zollverein Coal Mine
• Qualified cycling tour guide on all days
• BOHR travel companion on site

The hotel is pleasantly located in greenery and at the same time conveniently situated in the heart of the Ruhr area. In the immediate vicinity is the Westfield Ruhr Park with numerous shopping and dining options. The facilities include a breakfast room, bar, elevator, conference rooms, sauna, and terrace. The 108 comfortably furnished rooms are equipped with a bath or shower, toilet, hairdryer, telephone, TV, and Wi-Fi.