Nachtigall Colliery
Nachtigall Colliery is located at the entrance to the idyllic Muttental valley in Witten. This is where Ruhr mining began more than 300 years ago. Initially, horizontal tunnels were driven into the mountain to access the "black gold", followed by vertical shafts. In the low corridors of the visitor mine, you can experience the special atmosphere of this past working world. A quarry and brickworks were later established on the site. The exhibitions immerse visitors in the world of raw materials and the pioneering days of mining in the region.
The Nachtigall Colliery museum site offers a range of gastronomic options. The 'Auf Nachtigall' coffee garden offers museum visitors, hikers and cyclists a range of homemade cakes. Stews and barbecue specialties are also on the menu, depending on the weather.
Mining circular hiking trail in the Muttental valley
The mining circular hiking trail in the Muttental valley is also highly recommended. The first thing you notice as you stroll through the wooded idyll of the quiet side valley of the Ruhr is "pure nature" and extensively used cultural landscape: lush meadows grazed by cows, crossed by a stream, the Mutte, and mixed forest areas. At second glance, however, you discover various references to Ruhr mining, which began here 450 years ago: tunnel mouths, an old half-timbered house - which was once a colliery building - and much more. Over 30 relics from the early mining era can be seen here along a 9 km circular route. So what you see here, where coal was mined very close to the surface, are the origins of the Ruhrgebiet. And last but not least, this is also the cradle of industrial culture.