Part of the Zeche Zollverein colliery-turned-cultural centre, this museum showcases the best in contemporary design in the former stoker's hall, creatively adapted by British architect Norman Foster. In a perfect marriage of space and function, this four-storey maze incorporates many of the original fixtures: bathtubs balance on grated walkways, bike helmets dangle from snake-like heating ducts, and beds perch atop a large oven. All objects are winners of the Red Dot award, the Oscar of the design world.
Red Dot Design Museum
The Ruhrgebiet
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
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The former coal-wash plant at the Unesco-listed Zeche Zollverein provides a suitably atmospheric setting for accessible and engaging exhibits on the…
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11.3 MILES
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28.83 MILES
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Nearby The Ruhrgebiet attractions
0.09 MILES
A key site along the Ruhr area's Industrial Heritage Trail, the former Zollverein coal mine was a marvel of efficiency while in operation from 1932 until…
0.17 MILES
The former coal-wash plant at the Unesco-listed Zeche Zollverein provides a suitably atmospheric setting for accessible and engaging exhibits on the…
2.49 MILES
The grand Alte Synagoge served as the hub of Essen's Jewish community between 1913 and 1938 and miraculously survived WWII largely intact. A memorial site…
2.57 MILES
Essen’s medieval Dom is an island of quiet engulfed by the commercialism of pedestrianised Kettwiger Strasse, the main shopping strip. It has a priceless…
3.55 MILES
A grand dame among Germany’s art repositories, the Museum Folkwang has sparkling digs designed by top British architect David Chipperfield. Galleries…
4.58 MILES
The Tetraeder is one of the most striking stops on the Ruhr Valley's Industrial Heritage Trail. The airy 60m-high installation by Wolfgang Christ is a…
5.17 MILES
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6.24 MILES
Bottrop-born Josef Albers (1888–1976) was a painter of abstract works that combine bold use of colour with geometric forms. A member of the Bauhaus school…