On an excursion in GelsenkirchenExploring new paths

Gelsenkirchen is ideal for real discoveries. Because most people are probably like Silke and Hannah: they know two of the city's flagship attractions, the Zoom Erlebniswelt and the Arena AufSchalke, but have hardly any other images in their heads. This is a good prerequisite for a real expedition. Their pioneering spirit is awakened and so they set off with an open mind and a curiosity to experiment in a city that leaves plenty of room for their own explorations and personal experiences.

Our expedition skills are tested as soon as we arrive at the main railway station: Google Maps shows that we have reached the bus station. But we can't see it. We turn in all directions, take a few steps here, look round the corner there. Only when we look up to the sky for help do we realise that we have to go up a flight of stairs and the buses are one level higher. Test passed, let's go!

We take the bus southwards to the Rheinelbe spoil tip and get off at the Halfmannsweg stop. The short walk to the slag heap makes us realise once again how these mountains in the Ruhr region came into being: we walk past the red brick buildings of the former Rheinelbe colliery and remember that the slag heaps are nothing more than large piles of unusable rock that were mined underground during coal extraction.

What sounds so technical is actually quite something: at the top of the spoil tip, we have an impressive view over the region, which is astonishingly green. And there on the horizon behind the dense treetops - isn't that the Oberhausen gasometer? And can't you make out the Zollverein colliery? We could stand here and marvel forever, but we are only at the beginning of our tour and continue on our way.

We head towards Bochumer Straße, the centre of the Ückendorf district. In the middle of the greenery, we discover the Rheinelbe forestry station on our way. There are various programmes on the topics of the environment and sustainability here. Today, however, we only come across a locked building in the forest.

Murals on the walls of buildings, an urban gardening project here, a café there, an event church over there and a small studio called "GeOrgel" - we have arrived in the centre of the Ückendorf district. More precisely, on Bochumer Straße, a central axis of the neighbourhood. But first things first. First, we stroll along a few side streets through the former Dickebank coal seam workers' housing estate, one of the oldest in the Ruhr region. At the beginning of the 1970s, the workers' housing estate was threatened with demolition, but the residents put up resistance. Fortunately. We can stroll along the streets here - there are no paved pavements - and have the feeling of having fallen back in time. The oldest houses date back to the 1870s, and the estate gradually grew in the style of the time, now enriched with splashes of colour from today, such as a particularly colourful garden gate.

Back on Bochumer Straße, the journey through time continues and we discover a small shop filled with dark, bulky furniture. Is this Gelsenkirchen Baroque? "GeOrgel" is the name of the studio, which describes itself as a "mix of grandma's living room as upcycling and a studio for rarities". Unfortunately, it is closed and only open at weekends. We peek inside and see drawers that promise surprises. A place for discoveries.

Time for coffee and a second breakfast. Everything at Café Ütelier is handmade and we can hardly decide between sweet and savoury. So we have a tomato and mozzarella roll and two cakes, raspberry and lemon, to share. Delicious! We also really like the interior: industrial charm, a mix of stylish and antique furniture and a large outdoor area. We stay here for now.

Before we start our journey north (by train, of course), we definitely want to stop by the mural "The Butterfly Catcher". An interpretation of Carl Spitzweg's painting can be seen right next to the Lidl car park. A transfer to the present day. A particularly impressive picture that was well worth the short diversions. But now it's time to get on the train and head north!

We quickly reach the former Consolidation colliery, now the Consol cultural area, by train. Unfortunately, the sky has darkened and it looks like rain. But we're not made of sugar and our pioneering spirit can't be captured today anyway. We stroll around the site, passing a pithead, machine halls, which sometimes host exhibitions, and courts for boules, basketball and other sports. At the other end, Erdbrüggenstraße offers us another window into the past: framed by unpaved pavements and small houses, we feel transported back to the turn of the century - only the parked cars spoil the picturesque overall impression.

We take the train once again, the convenient way to speed up our city walk, and let it take us a little further north towards the Bismarck district. Waterways await us there, which are further evidence of structural change and are no longer used for work but for recreation. The new harbour, called Stölting Harbour, is not only a marina and exclusive residential area, but also a starting point for boat trips on the Rhine-Herne Canal. This waterway is still used today for transporting coal, steel and scrap metal, but much less than in the past, so we can relax and unwind while strolling along the banks and not have to think about work at all. However, a rumbling stomach can be heard in the peace and quiet, which is a good thing: we are on our way to the last stop on our tour anyway: the cult chip shop from Curry Heinz. A good portion of red and white chips is served here and they also offer their own beer. The sausage here comes from the butcher, fresh every morning. And recently they've also started offering vegetarian options, we learn when we pay. Let's try it next time, we can't fit anything else in today, our stomachs and heads are full of new impressions and tastes of this city.