There was a time when people did their best to avoid western Germany's Ruhr region, best known as a decaying industrial area dominated by coal mines and blast furnaces. But now the area is enjoying a "green" transformation that is powering a tourist boom. A number of former industrial sites have been transformed into centers for business, entertainment, and tourism.
From Coal Mines To Gold Mines In Germany's Ruhr
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The Zollverein industrial complex in Essen
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A view of Shaft 12 at the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in Germany's western Ruhr region, an iconic example of Bauhaus design
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Another view of Shaft 12 at the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex
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The former cokery in Essen
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The former iron works in Duisburg
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A concert hall in the former iron works at Duisburg
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An outdoor cinema at the former iron works in Duisburg
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An academy for civil servants at Mont Cenis, a former coal pit in the Ruhr region
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At the former Mont Cenis mine
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A former coal mixing hall in Dinslaken, now used for large public events
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A cabaret at the former coal mine in Herten
