Cities & Culture

Völklingen Ironworks Völklingen

The Völklingen Ironworks are the world's only fully preserved ironworks from the heyday of industrialisation and one of the more unusual attractions to have been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status.

A visit to the Völklingen Ironworks is a full-on adventure that takes visitors deep down into the dark corridors of the burden shed and then back up to the lofty heights of the viewing platform on the blast furnace. The multimedia introduction to the sintering plant takes visitors on a journey through time from the very beginnings of the ironworks to our 21st-century present. There's a spectacular panoramic view from the roof of the ore shed and the climb up to the charging platform at a height of 27 metres is an incredible experience. This is where the raw materials would have been poured into the blast furnaces. Since 2007, visitors have been welcome to walk the entire length of the charging platform – that's 240 metres.

The coal track with its spiral chute measuring 20 metres in length and blower footbridge finally brings visitors to the blowing shed, where huge machines made of iron and steel used to generate the wind to be blown into the blast furnaces. The tour of the former ironworks is largely wheelchair-friendly, with well-signposted paths covering around seven kilometres leading visitors on quite an adventure. Opening times: April to November: Every day 10 am–7 pm, December to March: Every day 10 am–6 pm

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