The historic ironworks at Völklingen was the first monument from the golden age of industry to be added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list. Having produced iron and steel for over 100 years, and through two world wars, the blast furnaces were shut down in 1986. Today, visitors can tour certain parts of the site to get an idea of how everything worked whilst it was up and running. The attached ScienceCenter Ferrodrom is another great place to learn about the process. Here, there are around 100 different hands-on experiments for you to get involved with.

This World Heritage site is not just one of industry and science though; it also offers beauty in many different forms. Whether that’s the fantastic panoramic views of Völklingen from the blast furnace viewing platform, the sights and sounds of the 12 garden spaces known as The Paradise, or the thoughtful installations that are part of the UrbanArt Biennale, there’s plenty to prove that manufacturing and nature can exist side by side.