Hardly any other winter leisure activity at the World Heritage Site attracts as many visitors at the same time as the 150-metre-long Zollverein Ice Rink: When the former printing machine track on the coking plant site is transformed once again into probably the most beautiful place to skate in Germany from 6 December to 6 January, everyone from beginners to professionals is invited to take to the ice in front of the impressive industrial backdrop – whether on skates, with or without skating aids, in a wheelchair or in a rehab buggy. A visit to the ice rink after dark is a particularly impressive experience thanks to the dazzling light installation by Mark Major and Jonathan Speirs. Anyone who can’t get enough of this should definitely mark 3 January in their calendars, because that’s when the spectacular ice disco takes place again. For convivial competitions in small groups, there is an additional area for curling right next to the Zollverein Ice Rink – this team event is particularly popular with companies and families.
No problem: in the winter village around the Zollverein Ice Rink, cosy street food huts offer warm drinks and tasty snacks to keep you going. Throughout the event, the deinKult Café in the former coking plant mixing facility will be serving winter hot drinks and hearty Ruhr classics. And, of course, the restaurants on the site of the former coal mine, such as Café Kohlenwäsche, Bistro Schacht XII, The Mine and Casino Zollverein, are also looking forward to welcoming hungry guests.
Throughout the year, the various shops at Zollverein offer high-quality items to give as gifts or treat yourself to, such as the unusual furniture from MÖBELLOFT, the distinctive tiles from Golem, the sustainably produced soaps from Sapor or the handmade pieces from the Margaretenhöhe ceramics. Suitable gifts for all fashion-conscious friends and acquaintances can also be found in the shop of the fashion label Grubenhelden or in the Schmuckprodukt gallery. And why not give a piece of world heritage as a gift? A selection of varied Zollverein souvenirs is available at the Walther König bookshop in the coal washing plant, and the complete range is available in the Zollverein online shop.
And since the best gift is time spent together, you can get tickets for many future events at the World Heritage Site at www.zollverein.de at the touch of a button. The Zollverein ticket shop also offers a selection of vouchers for the most popular guided tours of the World Heritage Site – even on 24 December for last-minute visitors!
Traditionally, many institutions at Zollverein are closed on 24, 25 and 31 December, and the impressive outdoor area with its illuminated Christmas tree in the courtyard invites visitors to take a contemplative stroll. From the 26th to the 30th, many attractions such as the Zollverein Ice Rink, the Ruhr Museum, the Portal of Industrial Heritage and the Red Dot Design Museum will be open, so nothing stands in the way of an extended visit to Zollverein and participation in an exciting and informative guided tour of the Zollverein Denkmalpfad. However, please note that opening hours are subject to change.
While things are likely to be fairly quiet, the New Year’s Eve run on 31 December will once again bring plenty of excitement to the World Heritage Site. The traditional run across the grounds of the huge industrial monument offers all athletically ambitious Zollverein fans the opportunity to finish 2025 with their personal best time. The Folkwang Chamber Orchestra Essen will provide the perfect musical finale to the year, kicking off the Final Countdown with its two New Year’s Eve concerts in the late afternoon and evening.
The Zollverein Foundation wishes all visitors a happy new year 2026 and thanks them for an eventful 2025 with many highlights.