Lünen, Industrial town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Lünen is a town in the Unna district of North Rhine-Westphalia, spreading along the River Lippe and bringing together neighborhoods on both banks. Brick buildings from the industrial era and green spaces along the water shape its appearance.
The settlement grew from a medieval Hanseatic trading post into a major mining center during the 19th and 20th centuries. The closure of the last collieries in the 1990s began its shift toward today's structure.
Former mining settlements and preserved pithead structures still mark parts of the town, offering a window into how workers and their families once lived. Locals now use these areas as starting points for walks or bike rides along the Lippe valley.
The town is easy to reach by train, with several regional lines stopping here and offering connections to Dortmund and other nearby cities. Walking or cycling along the Lippe makes it simple to explore different neighborhoods.
A municipal power plant has been generating electricity from animal waste since 2009, supplying public facilities. This technology was the first of its kind worldwide when it started operating.
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