Zeche Zollverein

What was once known as Zollverein Shaft XII was at its time the largest, most modern and most efficient coal mine in Europe. Closed down in 1986, after already being listed as a protected monument and under the heading Art, Culture and Design, the Zollverein had a new use, making the Zollverein XII one of the nicest shafts in the world. The fact that the shaft, along with shaft 1/2/8 and the coking plant was, on the 14th December 2001 listed in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage sites, adds to the significance of the Zollverein to heavy industry in the past and its key role as an international, exuberant cultural location for the region today.

www.zollverein.de