Völklingen Ironworks, Industrial heritage museum in Völklingen, Germany
The Völklingen Ironworks is a former pig-iron plant in Völklingen, Saarland, whose blast furnaces, blower hall, coking plant and inclined skip hoists survive largely as they stood in the 1930s. Rust-brown tanks, chimneys and steel walkways fill the 7.46-hectare World Heritage core, with the Ferrodrom science centre housed in a low white-walled building.
Julius Buch built a puddling and rolling works by the Saar in 1873; it closed six years later, and the Röchling brothers bought the site in 1881. Their first blast furnace went into operation in 1882, followed by four more furnaces between 1885 and 1893 and a coking plant in 1897. Pig iron was produced until 4 July 1986, and UNESCO inscribed the ironworks in 1994.
The name "Hütte" (works) survives in the site's everyday German name, Völklinger Hütte. Since the 1990s the grounds have hosted rock concerts, chamber music and exhibitions on people, nature and technology. The UrbanArt Biennale has been held here since 2011, and the electro magnetic festival ran from 2012 to 2019, winning Best New Festival in Europe in 2012.
Visitors can climb stairs and platforms to reach different levels of the blast furnaces and walk inside the production halls. Sturdy footwear is recommended as many areas include metal grating and uneven surfaces.
The grounds include the ScienceCenter Ferrodrom, where visitors can conduct hands-on experiments related to steelmaking and metalworking at interactive stations. Part of the facility now serves as a venue for concerts and art exhibitions held among the old machinery.
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