Why this ride
330 km from Gelsenkirchen to Gelsenkirchen, about 4 h 13 of riding. On the way it passes Xanten-CUT, Cologne Cathedral and back through Xanten-CUT. The line favours views over speed.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in and Cologne Cathedral
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 330 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 13
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in
The headframe of Shaft XII at Zollverein, with its red steel lattice and double wheels, is the Eiffel Tower of the Ruhr, and it is easy to see why. Designed by the architects Fritz Schupp and Martin Kremmer and opened in 1932, the shaft and its surrounding buildings were built in a clean, functional style influenced by the Bauhaus, and it was hailed as the most beautiful coal mine in the world. At its peak, Zollverein was one of the largest and most productive mines in Europe, and the adjacent coking plant processed coal into coke for the steel industry. The mine closed in 1986, the coking plant in 1993, and UNESCO listed the complex in 2001.
Read the complete Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in is where the day begins. Next is Xanten-CUT.
2. Xanten-CUT
Xanten is an old Roman town that still behaves like a small, cosy market town on the Lower Rhine, and right next to it lies one of the largest archaeological parks in Germany. Colonia Ulpia Traiana, CUT for short, was founded around AD 100 under the emperor Trajan, who gave it the rank of a colonia and his family name. At its height it was a walled city of several thousand people, the second most important Roman city in the province of Lower Germany after Cologne.
Read the complete Xanten-CUT write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Xanten-CUT comes up about 59 km into the recorded legs. Next is Cologne Cathedral.
3. Cologne Cathedral
Six hundred and thirty-two years. That is how long it took to finish Cologne Cathedral, from the laying of the foundation stone in 1248 to the completion of the spires in 1880, and when you stand at its foot by the main station it feels as though the building is still growing. The twin towers climb to around 157 metres, black with soot and weather, and for a few years after completion they made it the tallest building in the world.
Read the complete Cologne Cathedral write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 160 km into the recorded legs you reach Cologne Cathedral. Next is back through Xanten-CUT.
4. back through Xanten-CUT
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Xanten-CUT write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Xanten-CUT, late in the day. Next is Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in.
5. Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in to Xanten-CUT
Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in → Xanten-CUT is 59 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Xanten-CUT to Cologne Cathedral
Xanten-CUT → Cologne Cathedral is 101 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Cologne Cathedral to back through Xanten-CUT
Cologne Cathedral → back through Xanten-CUT is 102 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
back through Xanten-CUT to Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in
back through Xanten-CUT → Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex in is 67 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.