Industrial Culture Route

Stuttgart: Kleiner Schlossplatz, Kunstmuseum ©Stuttgart-Marketing GmbH (SMG)

Stuttgart (3 nights)

• Day 1: City centre and Weissenhofsiedlung with the Le Corbusier House (500 metres on foot or by bus from Killesberg underground station).
  Tip:
  Visit the modern observation tower on Killesberg with its beautiful over the city.
• Day 2: Excursion to the Völklingen Ironworks (2.5 hours by train), in the evening enjoy one of the many wine bars in Stuttgart city centre.
• Day 3: Excursion to Augsburg (1.5 hours by train), enjoy an audio tour(in German and English) through the city centre, and discover the most important facets of the Augsburg Water Management System.
  Tip:
  Stay an extra day and discover the "Industrial Heritage Trail" in Filstal by bike (30 mins by train).

Leipzig: Cotton spinning mill at dusk from above ©Leipzig Tourismus und Merketing GmbH

Leipzig (1 night)

• Day 4: Continue to Leipzig (4.5 hours by train), in Leipzig, industrial heritage takes on new life. Former factory sites such as WERK 2 and the Baumwollspinnerei have evolved into vibrant spaces for art, culture and creative ideas. To round off the day, Leipzig offers culinary surprises – from traditional coffeehouse flair to modern fine dining.
• Day 5: Excursion to Freiberg (1,45 hours by train) the UNESCO World Heritage Mining Region Erzgebirge/Krušnohoří can be explored individually along five themed routes. The Freiberg & Brand-Erbisdorf route creates an impressive connection between centuries-old mining history, a romantic old town and historic technical monuments.
  Tip:
  If you would like to discover more, simply stay a few days longer and explore the other themed routes through the Erzgebirge.

Essen: heritage-protected colliery Zollverein ©DZT

Essen (1 night)

• Day 6: Continue to Essen (5 hours by train), visit the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex (take the Kulturlinie 107 from Hauptbahnhof), then discover the heart of this European Green Capital 2017 on foot along the Essen Monument Trail.
  Tip:
  If you want to burn off some energy, stay an extra day and go climbing - or diving - in the industrial monument that is the Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord (1 hour by train).

Hanover: New City Hall ©HMTG

Hanover (3 nights)

• Day 7: Continue your journey to Hanover (2.5 hours by train), stroll through the Old Town or take an excursion to the architecturally fascinating Expo Park (30 mins from Hauptbahnhof by Underground).
• Day 8: Excursion to Alfeld to the Fagus Factory (30 mins by train).
• Day 9: Excursion to Goslar (1 hour by train), round trip on to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Goslar Old Town and Rammelsberg mines, onwards to Clausthal-Zellerfeld and enjoy a walking tour to the Upper Harz Water Regale.

Hamburg: Speicherstadt ©DZT

Hamburg (1 night)

• Day 10: Continue to Hamburg (1.5 hours by train), stroll through the modern, sustainably designed HafenCity, enjoy evening boat trips through the canals of the illuminated Speicherstadt, followed by dinner in one of the many restaurants in the historic warehouse buildings, or find a concert in the nearby Elbphilharmonie.