German Infrastructure Trip

In October 2025, thanks to some of my own research and the Infrastructure Club Travel Guide I decided to go on an infrastructure tour of the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany!

I chose this area as it’s pretty easy to get to by train from the UK - and it has some amazing places that have been preserved that you can’t find here. Plus, the D-Ticket is such amazing value and meant I could travel around very cheaply.

I visited the following places - and I share a full itinerary and map at the end of the post.

Tagebau Hambach Aussichtspunkt - Terra Nova 1 - the largest open cast lignite (coal) mine in Europe. I genuinely have never seen anything like this, the scale is incomprehensible and photos don’t so it justice.

A suspended blue carriage hanging from a green track over a river with green trees on either side.

Wuppertal - the Schwebebahn - I spent all day going back and forth!

A large building that looks to be made of brick with rails going underneath embedded in the ground with a diagonal part in front.

Zollverein - a preserved mine complex

A large, rusted industrial facility with metal structures and a chimney, surrounded by greenery.

Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord - a preserved ironworks - really quite incredible, going up the blast furnace was a highlight of the trip.

A train carriage with a large smelting pot in a platform at a station.

Oberhausen Hbf - for the museum on the platforms

A large yellow cutting machine cutting away at a coal face

Deutsches Bergbau-Museum Bochum - The German Mining Museum

You can find more photos on my photography website.

My itinerary infrastructure-wise was as follows:

  • Get a local train to London, using a CIV ticket
  • Stay overnight at the London Kings Cross Premier Inn Hub hotel
  • Get the Eurostar from St Pancras to Brussels-Midi
  • Get the DB ICE from Brussels-Midi to Koeln Hbf - there was a 20 min connection time between the trains, but this was totally fine. I was able to get a hot meal from the restaurant on this train too!
  • Stay one night at the Ibis Koeln Am Dom - it’s literally part of the train station, so is very convenient!
  • Visit Aussichtspunkt - Terra Nova 1 for viewing the biggest open cast lignite mine in Europe.
    • I took a local train to Horrem and then a local bus (941) to Elsdorf. From there, I could walk for about 20 mins to the viewing point.
  • After getting back to Koeln, I took a Regional Express train to Essen Hbf - the D-Ticket is valid on these, and not the ICE trains that make the same journey. It’s really not much longer on the local train anyway.
  • I stayed 5 nights in the Premier Inn right next to the train station - also very convenient for getting around. Essen was a good base for going to all the other places I wanted to see.
  • I spent the day in Wuppertal, going back and forth on the Schwebebahn!
    • I got here via local train, the S9. I had to make my way back a different way because of disruption, but thanks to the DB Navigator app I was able to reroute myself easily.
  • I went to Zollverein, exploring the grounds there all day, and also visiting the Rhur Museum whilst I was there. It is very easy to spend a whole day here, wandering around and looking at all the different component parts of the coal mine and coking plant.
    • It’s direct from Essen Hbf on the 107 tram.
  • The next day I went to Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord. An incredible place - given you can go all the way up the top of the blast furnace! I also spent a whole day here wandering and exploring.
    • I took a local train from Essen Hbf to Duisburg Hbf and then a tram to Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord.
  • On the same day, I also went to Oberhausen Hbf, where they have a couple of platforms out of use and used as a museum.
  • I then, the next day, went to Deutsches Bergbau-Museum Bochum - The German Mining Museum. This is really cool as they have a replica mine underground that you can explore at your own pace!
    • You can take a Regional Express (11) from Essen Hbf to Bochum Hbf, and then the underground service to the museum.
  • To return home, I took a Eurostar (Red, ex. Thalys) service from Essen all the way to Brussels. I wanted to try out a different service on the way back - but in the future I’d just get a DB ICE service, they run the same route and are a lot cheaper.
  • From Brussels I then took Eurostar (Blue) back to London.

This kept me very busy for a week!