Halde Rungenberg, Mining spoil tip in Gelsenkirchen, Germany

Halde Rungenberg is a spoil tip in Gelsenkirchen, about 115.3 m above sea level, created by mining at the Hugo colliery. From the Schüngelberg settlement a staircase of roughly 300 steps leads up to a rubble pyramid cut through the middle by a valley. In the hollow on the axis of the two searchlight sites lies the "Schienenplateau", an elliptical floor relief 33 by 41 metres laid with 5,500 metres of railway rails.

The tip grew from the waste material of the HUGO colliery and expanded over the course of the 20th century until it became one of the most visible points in Gelsenkirchen. After mining activity ended, the area was gradually opened to the public as a place for walking and outdoor recreation.

The light installation "Nachtzeichen" by Hermann EsRichter from Oberhausen and Klaus Noculak from Berlin won the 1992 competition for the artistic design of the tip. Two thick, rusted steel tubes stand like oversized telescopes aimed at the sky; at night their beams complete the cut pyramid into a whole one. The same artists also laid the "Schienenplateau", an elliptical floor relief of 5,500 metres of railway rails, 33 by 41 metres, in the hollow on the axis of the two spotlights.

The mounds can be approached from several directions, and the paths vary in steepness, so it is worth choosing a route based on how much effort you want to put in. Solid footwear is a good idea, especially after rain, when the ground can get slippery.

The "Schienenplateau" in the saddle between the two halves of the pyramid is a ground relief by Hermann EsRichter and Klaus Noculak, winners of the 1992 competition for the tip's design. It is laid from 5,500 metres of railway rails packed tightly together to cover an elliptical area of 33 by 41 metres, aligned with the axis of the two floodlights.