Völklingen Ironworks, Industrial heritage museum in Völklingen, Germany
Völklingen Ironworks is a former steelmaking facility in Völklingen, Saarland, now recognized as a World Heritage Site. The complex includes blast furnaces, blowing engine halls, coking plants, and loading ramps that remain largely in their original condition across several hectares.
The facility began in 1873 with a single blast furnace and expanded over decades until reaching peak output capacity in the 1960s. After closure in 1986, the grounds were preserved as an industrial monument and declared a World Heritage Site in 1994.
The site preserves the industrial equipment and structures while hosting international art exhibitions, festivals, and the UrbanArt Biennale in its vast spaces.
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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