For those of us without cars, travel can sometimes be a challenge. Here are two interesting industrial monuments, the Zeche Waltrop and the Boat Lift of the Dortmund-Ems Canal. Both are located in Waltrop, which is difficult to get to without a car, but this hike connects both with a tour of the fading post-industrial landscape of the Ruhr, as its being reclaimed by nature.

This is more of a niche hiking experience, but one that could still prove interesting from various perspectives. The route travels up and around several slag deposits from 19th and 20th-century mining operations. Once upon a time, this region was so industrialized that finding any kind of vegetation was challenging. Decades later, though, nature is slowly returning.