Top 15 Attractions and Activities in Recklinghausen, Germany

The northernmost municipality in the Ruhr industrial region, Recklinghausen is a former mining city situated on the northern bank of the Rhine-Herne Canal. The southern part of Recklinghausen, in proximity to the canal, showcases significant industrial heritage, including the tallest spoil tip in the Ruhr and the headframe of the Zeche Recklinghausen II mine. However, as you venture northward, the industrial landscape transitions to an expanse of arable farmland and picturesque villages.

During the Second World War, Recklinghausen experienced minimal damage, primarily affecting its industrial areas beyond the city limits. Unlike other regions in the Ruhr, Recklinghausen boasts a well-preserved old town featuring gabled burgher houses surrounding the historic market square, alongside half-timbered structures dating back to the 16th century.

Let us delve into the notable attractions in Recklinghausen:

1. Ikonen-Museum

Opposite the Church of St. Peter in the historic town lies an impressive museum housed within an elegant 18th-century townhouse.

This establishment possesses the largest collection of icon paintings outside the Orthodox regions, featuring 3,500 icons sourced from Greece, Russia, the Balkans, Ethiopia, and Egypt’s Coptic community.

Complementing the paintings are miniatures, metalwork, wooden sculptures, and embroidery. The Coptic exhibition is particularly captivating, as it captures the transition from paganism to monotheism in Egypt, showcasing artifacts from the 1st century through to the Middle Ages.

Visitors can explore a collection of crosses, sarcophagus portraits, textiles, bronze works, and intricately carved reliefs.

2. Zeche Recklinghausen II

In the Hochlarmark district, close to the Rhine-Herne Canal, sit the substantial remnants of a colliery founded in 1883. Zeche Recklinghausen remained operational until 1974, and its massive machinery now stands as a monument to what was once the city’s largest employer.

A towering headframe marks the site of the second shaft of the Zeche Recklinghausen II.

Adjacent to it is the machine house, home to a steam-powered winding engine dating back to 1967, noteworthy as the last steam-powered machine produced for the German industry.

The social history of the community built for the colliery’s workers at the turn of the 20th century can also be explored at the Dreieck-Siedlung Hochlarmark.

3. St Peter

While Recklinghausen’s old center largely evaded severe wartime damage, its most significant historical asset, the Church of St. Peter, suffered a direct hit during an air raid in 1944. Although the sacristy was destroyed, the church underwent prompt restoration post-war.

This Gothic and Baroque edifice is easily identifiable by its square tower located near the historic market square, with origins tracing back to 1247. On the northern side, visitors can observe the building’s earliest Romanesque elements.

Inside, one can discover the Gothic baptismal font, crafted in 1400, and the 17th-century Baroque high altar.

The altar features paintings from the studio of Peter-Paul Rubens, as does the west wall of the nave displaying the investiture of a bishop.

4. Museum Strom und Leben

Recklinghausen’s former substation, a remarkable Bauhaus building constructed in 1928, serves as the venue for Germany’s largest museum dedicated to electricity.

This attraction, positioned along the Ruhr’s Route of Industrial Culture, was established during the modernization of the switchgear, which created additional space inside the hall.

Visitors will engage with the groundbreaking work of 18th and 19th-century physicists like Ohm, Faraday, Siemens, and Volta, and witness how electricity revolutionized daily life upon its commercial adoption in the early 20th century.

The museum showcases numerous early applications, from electric trams to various vintage household appliances.

One can also witness Europe’s largest plasma globe in action and discover future concepts for electric transportation.

5. Halde Hoheward

Situated between Recklinghausen and the city of Herten, Halde Hoheward represents an immense spoil tip measuring 152 meters in height.

This accumulation comprises the waste from three different mines: Zeche Recklinghausen II, Zeche Ewald, and Zechhe General Blumenthal/Haard, making it the largest spoil tip in the entire Ruhr region.

Part of the Route of Industrial Culture, Halde Hoheward integrates into a 7.5-kilometer landscape park.

The area includes promenades and stairways on all sides of the hill.

For those willing to undertake a calorie-burning climb of 529 steps to the northern summit, an observatory awaits, marked by two impressive arches outlining the meridian and equator.

On a clear day, one can see as far as 50 kilometers to the Rheinturm in Düsseldorf.

6. Tierpark Recklinghausen

Covering an area slightly larger than a football pitch, Recklinghausen’s zoo offers complimentary admission and is not particularly large.

Historically, the park hosted a variety of exotic animals; however, it has adapted over time and now primarily features domestic animals and wildlife native to Central Europe due to its compact size.

The sole exotic species remaining are the rhesus monkeys, alongside 50 other species, including goats, sheep, steppe foxes, ferrets, donkeys, pigs, and numerous birds ranging from finches to parrots in a walk-in aviary.

Additionally, the zoo includes a playground for children and a petting area with rabbits and guinea pigs.

7. Institut für Stadtgeschichte

After the closure of Recklinghausen’s history museum a few years ago, the municipal archive began hosting exhibitions that explore the city’s history.

The highlight of this venue is the Retro Station, which presents a comprehensive timeline of Recklinghausen, beginning with the imperial decree that established its city status in 1236. It also showcases medieval documents, various artifacts, maps, photographs, and firsthand accounts from the industrial and mining eras.

Visitors can uncover the history of Vest Recklinghausen, the district governed by the Archbishopric of Cologne during the Holy Roman Empire, which was also the site of intense conflict during the Cologne War in the 1580s.

8. Stadthafen

An interesting fact about Recklinghausen is that the city initially lacked access to the Rhine-Herne Canal and had to exchange land with the neighboring city of Herne to establish a harbor.

This canal proved pivotal to the industrialization of the Ruhr region, connecting the Rhine to the Dortmund-Ems Canal to the east.

Recklinghausen’s harbor remains operational, even long after heavy industries declined within the city; a substantial grain terminal for United Mill was developed on-site just a decade ago.

Recently, the harbor has undergone revitalization.

During the summer, beneath the historic crane, an artificial beach offers a relaxing atmosphere where visitors can unwind on deck chairs beside the canal and enjoy beverages from a bar.

9. Westfälische Volkssternwarte und Planetarium Recklinghausen

Located within the Stadtgarten alongside the zoo, this observatory and planetarium, founded in 1953, serves the community by offering public observations of the night sky utilizing the Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings, in addition to hosting lectures by esteemed figures in astronomy.

The planetarium accommodates 75 spectators and depicts around 6,000 stars within sixth magnitude.

Externally, a three-kilometer-long planetary path facilitates a perspective on the dimensions of the solar system.

10. Ruhrfestspielhaus

On the “Grüne Hügel,” a hill located in the Stadtgarten, stands Recklinghausen’s most prominent cultural venue.

This Bauhaus-style structure was constructed in the early 1960s and subsequently remodeled between 1996 and 1998. The Ruhrfestspielhaus is utilized year-round, with its primary purpose being to host the Ruhrfestspiele, one of Germany’s most esteemed theatrical events, which commences on May 1 and continues until mid-June.

The festival presents performances by notable theatre companies throughout Europe, striving for both multilingual and multicultural representation.

Having a history of over 70 years, the festival has been graced by prominent figures from the stage, including Corinna Harfouch, Kevin Spacey, and Cate Blanchett in recent editions.

In front of the venue, attendees can view the sculpture Reclining Figure No. 5 by Henry Moore.

11. Kunsthalle Recklinghausen

The municipal art gallery, located opposite the Hauptbahnhof (Main Station), is actually a remnant from World War II.

The Kunsthalle resides in a former overground bunker and was labelled for art exhibitions as early as 1945. The building was redesigned in the 1950s and hosts exhibitions that complement the Ruhrfestspiele in May and June.

Throughout the remainder of the year, thematic exhibitions and retrospectives are held.

Notably, in the summer and autumn of 2017, the central exhibition featured the works of 20th-century artist and Holocaust survivor Rosemarie Koczy.

Additionally, the Kunsthalle showcases winning entries for the Kunstpreis Junger Westen, an award dedicated to artists under 35, named after the Junger Westen artist group that emerged in the Ruhr region post-war.

12. Halden-Hügel-Hopping

The Halde Hoheward is merely one of 20 spoil tips in and around Recklinghausen.

Only a few decades following the closure of the last collieries, one can witness nature’s remarkable recovery, with wildflowers and trees flourishing across the landscape.

To capitalize on these industrial remnants, the city has developed a network of interconnected walking trails, allowing visitors to navigate these elevated sites.

Under the designation “Halden-Hügel-Hopping” (Heap Hopping), the system comprises approximately 185 kilometers of paths across 12 themed trails.

Moreover, for those interested in the area’s industrial past, nearly 150 information stations detail the history of the once-prominent coal mining industry.

13. Rodelberg an der Mollbeck

Approximately five kilometers north of Recklinghausen’s old town lies Rodelberg, one of the area’s highest hills.

Crisscrossed by walking trails, the summit provides rewarding vistas of Recklinghausen and the surrounding Ruhr region.

In summer, visitors can enjoy a barbecue in designated areas on the northern side, while in winter, the hill becomes a prime location for tobogganing.

When temperatures rise in summer, at the base of the hill lies Freibad Mollbeck, featuring a 50-meter pool alongside sun loungers and shades, as well as a paddling pool for young children.

14. Outdoor Market

For those staying in self-catering accommodation in Recklinghausen, an opportunity exists to engage in traditional grocery shopping at the outdoor market located in Dr.-Helene-Kuhlmann-Park.

This market operates on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 07:00 to 13:00 and features an array of fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as cheese, meats, regional honey, and jams.

Dr.-Helene-Kuhlmann-Park is conveniently situated behind Palais Vest, Recklinghausen’s shopping mall, which houses over 80 stores, ranging from electronics retailer Media Markt to international fashion brands such as Mango and H&M.

15. Local Delicacies

There are various enterprises in Recklinghausen that utilize traditional methods to produce local specialties.

Suberg’s bei Boente, a craft brewery established in the former distillery (1830) in 2011, produces its own light, dark, and Märzen (Bavarian-style lager) beer.

The Boente brand, still based in Recklinghausen, manufactures schnapps and a variety of other spirits and liqueurs ranging from coffee to rhubarb.

Another notable distillery, Kornbrennerei Dörlemann, operates its factory shop in Recklinghausen-Essel, located a few kilometers east of the city.

For those eager to learn about the production of German confections, factory tours are available at Sindern confectioners, showcasing the artisanal creation of chocolates, marzipan, and pralines.