Mining history and trails along former railway lines give Sprockhövel’s attractions a clear focus. The prominent Malakow Tower stands on the site of the Alte Haase mine, which closed in 1969; the Sprockhövel Industrial and Cultural Park is adjacent to it. The town center and named trails also offer different points of interest for a stay.
Alte Haase Mine and Niedersprockhövel
The first section of the Alte-Haase-Weg passes through the town center of Niedersprockhövel and, immediately to its west, over the Hölter Egge ridge. It lies between the valleys of the Sprockhöveler Bach and the Paasbach. Thus, the route described takes you from the town center to a distinctive stretch of landscape.
The historic town center includes numerous buildings dating from the 17th to the 19th century, some of which are listed. A distinctive architectural feature is the Baroque dome of the Evangelical Church in Niedersprockhövel. Visitors interested in local and architectural history will find both older buildings and a clearly identifiable feature of religious architecture here.
The second section of the Alte-Haase-Weg runs south of the town center through the area where mining at the Alte Haase mine was concentrated between 1950 and 1965. This places the information about the mining history in context: mining was concentrated during this period, and the mine closed in 1969.
Mining traces in the landscape
Another visible trace is the Max mine subsidence hollow on the hiking trail in Schevener Holz, about 100 meters east of Schevener Straße. The depression formed when the former mine workings subsided. Max shaft was a 111-meter-long, inclined shaft belonging to the Stock und Scherenberg mine in the Mausegatt seam. Coal was mined there from 1810 to 1840. Here, a landform visible today and the history of a former shaft come together.
Trails along old railway lines
The Glückauf-Trasse is a popular walking and cycling trail in Sprockhövel and Hattingen, and is also known as the old coal railway. The approximately 19-kilometer-long Alte Trasse is a family-friendly cycling and hiking route along a former railway line in Sprockhövel. For a longer route, there is the 57-kilometer Von Ruhr zur Ruhr circuit, which follows former railway lines and connects Hattingen, Sprockhövel, Gevelsberg, Wetter, and Witten. The options therefore range from a cycling and hiking route located in the area to a circuit through five towns. The Alte Trasse is described as family-friendly and suitable for cycling and hiking; Von Ruhr zur Ruhr is identified as a circuit, with its length and connected towns specified.
The three trail names offer different points of reference: the Glückauf-Trasse is known as a walking and cycling trail as well as an old coal railway, the Alte Trasse is approximately 19 kilometers long, and Von Ruhr zur Ruhr is a 57-kilometer circuit. If you would like to plan your trip around outdoor activities and history, you can take these differences into account alongside the mining traces and the historic town center.
Discover more destinations: Wetter, Ennepetal, Herdecke, Breckerfeld, Hattingen, Schwelm, Witten, Gevelsberg.
Go to the overview of the wider travel region: Ennepe-Ruhr District.
