The Giant Old Ironworks Anyone Can Explore (Without Getting In Trouble)

When Germany shut down the monstrous 100-year-old Völklingen Ironworks in 1986, they decided to do an unusual thing: keep it. And then RE-OPEN IT AS A TOURIST ATTRACTION 😍😍. I went to Saarland to explore an incredible piece of industrial heritage...
Drone shots by Drohne Pix, with kind permission. Full 3-minute video here -
• Saarland von oben #3 W...
INSTA - / the.tim.traveller
TWIT - / thetimtraveller
FACE - / thetimtraveller
CREDITS
Photo of the new steelworks by A. Josef Dernbecher - commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
Cologne Cathedral photo by Robert Breuer - commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
Rhein Valley photo by Manfred Heyde - commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fi...
Magnetic Festival - / electromagnetic.de

[@edbarsalou9593]

Tim - we appreciate your warning about "how an ironworks works" - quick note - at 4:00, that's a coke oven battery (for making coke) and the massive machine is the charging and pushing machine for preparing the coal to charge the battery as well as to push the hot coke out. If you have any other questions, I would be happy to answer them. I too have spent many hours at that facility, ironically on a day off from starting up a new coke oven battery in a mill in the Saarbrucken area.

[@TheTimTraveller]

Ah thanks for the correction! Will pin this

[@edbarsalou9593]

@@TheTimTraveller Absolutely love your videos, was really excited to see a location I have visited. I wish I could have shown you around!

[@hubertblastinoff9001]

@@TheTimTraveller the coke also does a second thing in addition to taking the Oxygen away from the iron, some of the Carbon forms an alloy with the iron. "Steel" is nothing but "iron with a certain percentage of carbon". One of the big tricks (which took the 19th century quite long to figure out) is to get *just* the right amount of carbon in there...

[@tanithrosenbaum]

And for those snickering about "coke", the black (solid) kind, not the white nor the black liquid kind... :)

[@ChuckNorris-wx6xh]

"Iron"ically

[@robnorris4770]

4:20 Those are windows. To see things on the other side of the wall without having to smell them. You’re welcome.

[@TheTimTraveller]

Haha thanks! I knew I recognised them from somewhere...

[@Pixel_Higitsune]

@@TheTimTraveller I think the stuff on 4:18 are fuse boxes.

[@matekochkoch]

best definition of a Window ever

[@davidhollenshead4892]

@@TheTimTraveller Said by a man from a primitive nation that has yet to discover window screens are for. Technology which does let you smell the things on the other side of the wall without being savaged by nasty insects who want to drink your blood...

[@Suthek]

"Africa as seen by photographers" As a german: Raw poetry!

[@p4rz1val]

Descriptive, Short. Efficent. As another german, i approve

[@hanswoast7]

Yeah, but also very broad and generalizing. Third German here. I do not approve. I would like it to be more precise and specific to avoid clichés.

[@Dreyno]

Hans Woast Indeed. What type of photographers. Wildlife, landscape? What part of Africa? What type of camera were they using. Some of my German friends would lose it with such imprecise nomenclature.

[@TheR971]

​@@hanswoast7 1th Swiss here. Why would you waste a good name on an exhibition that contains generalizing and cliché photographs though? (Yes, I have just seen the like 5 images shown here in this video, but honestly they were enough...(hopefully there are better ones in there too))

[@Dreyno]

Roman Riesen "What makes a man turn neutral ... Lust for gold? Power? Or were you just born with a heart full of neutrality?"

[@louischo2701]

Imagine getting lost in there. That would be di-saar-strous.

[@danielelvin44]

Booooo!

[@euanmcgill918]

We don't know that Tim found his way out, he might steel be in there

[@danielelvin44]

@@euanmcgill918 BOOOOO!

[@euanmcgill918]

@@danielelvin44 And that's not even my most ore-ible joke 😁

[@louischo2701]

@@euanmcgill918 Ore-ally? It better be a pretty metal joke...

[@truckerallikatuk]

Totally agreed. Germany is TOTALLY under-rated for a holiday destination.

[@SeverityOne]

I wouldn't necessarily say so. For the Dutch, it's one of the most popular holiday destinations (especially now that it's basically impossible to travel outside Europe). What I like about the touristy areas, like the mountains: beautiful landscapes, reserved though friendly people, good food for reasonable prices. What I like about the cities: shopping.

[@daniel-xj1su]

As long as you dont go to sachsen anhalt. theres literally nothing.

[@Mira_linn]

@@daniel-xj1su love how the swedish wiki page have a section about ways to get trough the region, this section just happens to be the longest on the wiki page.. xD

[@daniel-xj1su]

@@Mira_linn What do you mean with ways to get trough it?

[@Mira_linn]

@@daniel-xj1su about what freeways and rail corridors that crosses the region

[@stroznik]

Its strange for me to see so many people exited over the Völklinger Hütte. I grew up in the Saarland and went to school in Völklingen and the hütte and saarstahl in general was just a fact of life for most people here. It seemed like every town had active Steel works (Saarbrücken, Dillingen, Völklingen, Neunkirchen) and some had old ironworks (Völklingen ,Neunkirchen) and the only interesting bit was that the one in völklingen was just bigger and in better shape. But now i know that this is somthing special and very unique to my home state altho it is probobly the only big noteworthy attraction here. Thanks for sharing something whitch i found so normal with poeple all over the world who think exciting.

[@1121494]

But it's slightly funny that he'd get all excited introducing Germany as a Tourist Destination, then proceed to make do with Saarland. Wonder if he's also gonna show any tourist destinations from Germany propper.

[@SleepyTrapp]

Yea I agree, it's so weird seeing this as someone that grew up close to this.

[@nomadMik]

That's one of the things I love about visiting people… taking them to local things they didn't realise were special and cool, or even existed. Atlas Obscura is your friend. 😊

[@derbalou_]

My father worked there and so He bought me there often in my younger years. When I go near there I'm always just like "Yeah, fine that's normal..." I can't believe how other people can See this as a tourist attraction...

[@hunterlines5704]

Damn me too, wasnt expecting so many people from right next door on here

[@gorankrajnovic]

For anyone wondering about the music: it's Jan Hammer - Crockett's Theme, from the album Escape From Television. (edit: and it's a cover by The Tim Traveller himself!)

[@truckerallikatuk]

Or a cover of it in this case. Sounded just off enough from the original. And the bit at the beginning was a clip from O Fortuna.

[@rosiefay7283]

@@truckerallikatuk O Fortuna from Carmina Burana by Carl Orff. Except that it was ruined by intrusive rock drumming.

[@gorankrajnovic]

@@truckerallikatuk Yup, and it's a cover by The Tim Traveller himself!

[@basdefantastische]

In a place that's about as un-Miami as it gets. Fantastic!

[@KX36]

sounded more like darude sandstorm to me.

[@AverytheCubanAmerican]

Ironworks became a UNESCO World Heritage Site? Well that’s interesting, never heard of this place but it’s been added to my bucket list because it does indeed look incredible

[@GiladPellaeon]

The Coal Mine and Coking Plant Zollverein (Zeche und Kokerei Zollverein) in the Ruhrgebiet was also deemed a UNESCO World World Heritage site in 2001. If you are there, check it out, the Cokery is very interesting and the Ruhr Museum in the Coal Preparation Plant gives a social, natural and historical presentation of the Ruhrgebiet. Cheers!

[@danielpimenta4788]

a can factory it is also a UNESCO world heritage site.

[@geoffreyvincent3290]

The Blaenavon Ironworks in Wales is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, although it's a century older.

[@SeverityOne]

The Netherlands have a steam-powered pumping station, which pumps water from low-lying or below-the-sea-level areas to higher areas, as a world heritage site. Fun fact: they still use it about once a year, when there's an abundance of water to pump away.

[@ColinH1973]

Iron ore bucket list?

[@gingerberry101]

Such a great beginning, big overview shots of an industrial landscape with epic music then ... ‘Right, shall we pop in?’

[@lennartmiau6504]

Hi Tim! I had to pause a bit at your quip about youtube "not being professional" - I actually prefer youtube videos to big productions in terms of professionalism. KZbinrs often don't really have ulterior motives when making a video (except when they've become too big, in which case it wouldn't matter since it's virtually indistinguishable from big productions), which keeps the content real and close to the heart. Another point is that content creators on yt have way more interaction with their audience than some lofty BBC bigshot, which leads to better accountability since you WILL hear about that mistake you made in that one video back then, over and over and over... ;) so to avoid that I would imagine youtubers go to relatively far lengths to ensure factual validity. And what else is professionalism? Politeness, honesty, production value, ethicality? You got that in spades, dude. I know it's just supposed to be a joke, but damn if I didn't feel attacked by that. :D

[@ala0284]

Totally agree, if only the older generation were more willing to give up traditional media in favour of online platforms for this sort of thing

[@nomadMik]

To be fair, some KZbinrs are getting pretty pro-Tom Scott, for example. But as much as I also love those channels, it's channels like Tim's that makes me watch so much KZbin. Tom does stuff I like to dream about, and Tim does stuff I'll definitely do, next time I'm in Europe. 😉 And channels like this make inside jokes even more delightful… when you're at a party, make a joke about climbing the highest hill in the suburb, and some stranger says says, naah, the train is much more interesting. 😉 Yes, this happened to me.

[@galier2]

Indeed. Professional documentaries are also very often bloated and slow as molasses. A YT video has often significantly more information in 10 minutes as an hour BBC or ARTE documentary.

[@not_on]

@@galier2 Totally. I get the impression most TV productions are mostly focused on looking and sounding impressive instead of conveying information. Channels like this show that you can make better content at a fraction of the cost.

[@pootis3836]

As a german, the dry way how you explained the name of the art gallery at 6:15 absolutely killed me. Hilarious!! xD

[@dissonantdreams]

I really appreciate how you include accessibility information in your videos. So helpful for wheelchair users & those of us with mobility issues ❤️

[@MoultrieGeek]

I really appreciate it as well. My wife's mobility is good but not great and knowing ahead of time saves disappointment later.

[@cosmicdredd4911]

Yes. I noted this in your videos also. Very useful and an important thing to do. As someone who worked In accessibility for those who needed it I salute you.

[@almostanengineer]

Forget the ‘Electronic Music’, can we have a Rammstien concert there.

[@gregoryclark8217]

I would sell my left, my right, and maybe even my centre kidney for a ticket to that concert.

[@hansdietrich83]

Only if you can spell their name correctly...

[@hansdietrich83]

@@gregoryclark8217 you pretty much have to do that to get tickets anyway

[@almostanengineer]

Oooooh, I’m sorry little English me defaulted to ‘I before E except after C’, naughty naughty English man *slaps wrist* 🙄

[@ElGreco291]

@@almostanengineer And as QI taught us many years ago, the rule isn't even correct since there are more exceptions than words that follow the "rule". :D Greetings from Germany. Oh and BTW: I didn't even see that you spelt Rammstein wrong. Who cares? Overrated Popband. ;)

[@Bryzerse]

That Pepsi gag was funny

[@dans4323]

Indeed. Had me really laughing out loud.

[@petertaylor4980]

I suspect the coke actually does *triple* duty by also being the source of the carbon that makes the output steel rather than pig iron.

[@QemeH]

That's kinda the thing in making steel, innit? ;)

[@mariosebastiani3214]

Actually, you need the coke to put the carbon in, but you still produce pig iron, wich has a higher carbon grade. Then you refine it by recooking and remelting, burning the excess carbon and thus obtaining steel.

[@mariosebastiani3214]

@bademeister Now you got me very interested. I'm trying to plan a visit there in the future, with a friend of mine who is both a mechanical engineer and a true lover of steam engines.We'll make sure we don't miss that!

[@Xgiovi9810xTk]

@@WildRover1964 fun fact the iron is useless, expensive and only exists in some lab. Everything we call iron is actually just some steel

[@Astrofrank]

Pig iron contains far too much carbon, so the amount has to be *reduced* to turn it into steel.

[@forestmanzpedia]

I can remember a quote of a German old man: "I dont understand other people leaving our country to do their vacation outside. Our country is beautiful and has nice spots, too. These are literally right in front of your front-door*." Seeing this video makes me realize that yes, Germany has really nice and beautiful spots and places. We just need to know where and go there. * Thats a metaphor. We Germans often like to use metaphors.

[@gr8sword97]

It’s always been funny to me how well Germans travel, because I’d love to go there myself. You people would literally get themselves killed in our deserts than go to a beautiful castle within your own country lol. I guess it’s a grass is always greener thing though. There’s millions of people who would love to see New York, but I’m only an hour away and I’m kinda used to it.

[@Zarkovision]

The only trouble is the weather. Germany is beautiful, but you have to like 13°Celsius and rain in the middle of August or snow on Easter...

[@heidi466]

@@Zarkovision that is true. I as a saarlander can confirm

[@MatthewWalster]

The quality of your production used to be great. Recently it's changed, it's... Absolutely fantastic! You haven't compromised on the content for views, it's incredibly well presented, wonderful music accompaniment, and short enough to be concise without being long enough to get boring. Funny, too! Congratulations on yet another smashing video, Tim!

[@oscar7513]

Tim used to be great… He still is, but he used to be, too

[@GeographyWorld]

Once again, Tim can travel. First stop, an iron works! (I want to visit this place now!)

[@Sofus.]

Love Germany reasonable prices and down to earth people.

[@bigd7108]

Germany ist f*cked

[@norgeee]

@@bigd7108 you're German yourself.

[@benholroyd5221]

2:18 pretty sure they said "Nein"

[@Animaniac-vd5st]

That strange moment when a video starts about 200 meters away from your childhood home.

[@DasIllu]

Molschder? :D

[@OliverSchmehr]

Hehe, St. Josef... also my childhood home.

[@DasIllu]

@@OliverSchmehr St. Johann?

[@OliverSchmehr]

@@DasIllu Nee, Molschd!

[@ThePostApocalypticInventor]

Fantastic. I hope to go there on my next Saarland trip.

[@mugginsthejinx1037]

A wheelchair accessible ironworks, how amazing is that. Thank you for including this piece of information, many wouldn't, simply because it doesn't affect them personally.

[@nrahim91]

It's thanks to Tim that I'm currently here on the way from the UK to Italy. What an amazing place to wander around.

[@la33s18]

Yeah, I did not think of either the fuel nor the soda when you said coke but I guess you ruled out the last one😅

[@JeremiCzarnecki]

I was actually considering a trip to Saarland, thanks for reminding me of the Volklinger Eisenhuette! PS. For being relatively remote and unknown, Saarland is surprisingly easy to get to, as there are multiple daily high-speed trains from Frankfurt, stopping at Frankfurt Airport, some of which cycle between Frankfurt and Paris (doubling as TGVs). There is also an hourly bus between Saarbruecken and Luxembourg, so you have at least three cities with major airports to choose to arrive from (given that Saarbruecken's airport is fairly poorly served). You can also combine your visit to Saarland with two underrated yet beautiful regions of Germany, which are very well connected to it, the rolling hills of Rheinland-Pfalz (or Palatinate) known for their vineries, with a smattering of cities dating back to medieval or even Roman times, and Baden-Wuertemberg, with more wineries and historic cities. On the French side, Alsace and Lorraine are incredibly often overlooked parts of France that are so close to Paris by TGV (and even closer to Saarbruecken by multiple modes of transportation) that they should be featured in one of your next videos (not sure if they have an incredibly underwhelming point of elevation anywhere, but you could make a video of why Nancy has a statue of the King of Poland in the very centre and how he got to be the king for two, non-consecutive, terms)

[@tim_goll]

I'm from there and already visited the museum multiple times. I can highly recommend it. Have fun!

[@theunheardprophet4315]

Good points!

[@apveening]

Describing Luxembourg airport as "major" is a bit of a stretch.

[@OenopionOenopion]

"It's amazing! I love it!" that was the most joyous and authentic statement in these videos.

[@ingenium5831]

Wow... shivers down my spine... last day of my vacations at my parents just a few minutes away from Völklingen and you are now uploading this video... stopped this evening on a nearby bridge to make photos of the Hütte which is also illuminated in various colours at night! (And because of the massive >10m high flame which comes out of the new iron works every now and then!!). Hint: I think the entrance was even free on late Tuesday afternoons if they didn't changed it. Glad you liked it. And for your viewers: there are other nice tourist attractions in this area. Baroque churches and castles in Saarbrücken or Blieskastel, a reconstructed roman villa in Borg, the Saarschleife in Orscholz, a celtic ring wall in Otzenhausen, and pretty good restaurants (must be the influence of nearby France ;-) ), Luxembourg is not far, Saarlouis is an old Vauban/Choisy fortress, etc. Saarland - Großes beginnt immer im Kleinen.

[@ingenium5831]

Note to avoid disappointed people: the Hütte (Iron Works) is great. But Völklingen itself is an industrial city and not very wealthy, and therefore it is not really interesting.

[@thegreenmadow]

Oh My God, one of my favorite KZbinrs visited a place which is merely 20 km away from where I live! I feel so honored! I've been in the Völklinger Hütte many times over the years and can tell you it is definitively worth a visit, especially because of the impact the industrialisation in mining and ironworks had for the region. In reality it's even more impressive, especially in combination with its own, very special, smell. I' quite happy to see someone from outside of Germany make a visit to the Saarland!

[@S1r0nX]

If you want to visit an active ironworks, come to Linz in Austria. We have here the voestalpine Stahlwelt. We have got plenty of trains, too.

[@TheObsidianX]

I think that the complexity of an industrial complex can be just as interesting as any other building and I’m glad that Germany agrees. It may not have been built as art but it can be considered art.

[@DaveTexas]

Seriously, somebody get Tim a job reading audiobooks or narrating documentaries. His voice is absolutely perfect.

[@bjornkeizers]

Ha, the coking plant, Miami Vice Crockett theme and Miami filter... you silly bugger you :D It's a bit 'on the nose' as they say.

[@SeverityOne]

Aaaah... now I get it. I recognised Crockett's Theme, I recognised that it was a cover, but I didn't make the link with coke.

[@benholroyd5221]

I was trying to work out the link. not quite as obvious as Homes under to hammer. I'm patiently waiting for Hot Stuff.

[@mm-qd1ho]

or up it

[@ColinH1973]

Not a joke to get sniffy about

[@benholroyd5221]

@@ColinH1973 if I had a rolled up fiver for every dodgy pun on this thread.

[@honzaasterba]

Much smaller, but equally beautiful is the Iron works in Ostrava, Czech Republic, also host to the Colors of Ostrava Music festival.

[@huttenbar4806]

thank you very much for presenting this mostly unknown part of Germany. Greeting from a borne Saarländer and former steelworker

[@TheTrainGal]

Came to this channel for the railroad vids, stayed for the pedantry and museums. This is my kind of traveling!

[@lorenzbossmann4427]

You should have lingered at any of the stations between Dillingen Ironworks and Völklingen Ironworks to see one of those torpedo car trains go by with molten steel glowing out of the top of them!

[@ingenium5831]

Or if the pour out molten slag at the new iron works at night and the sky turns orange... 😍

[@buddabulletproof]

There's a similar site in the US in Bethlehem, PA, about 90 minutes from Philadelphia. They've turned the giant old steel works into a museum and art center / theatre, and you can explore large sections of the structure. Honestly an attraction worth traveling for.

[@yurimow]

germany is totally underrated! i am from italy and i and my wife usually go on holiday on the baltic coast.

[@Bruce-1956]

Love Germany. Full of history, clean, friendly, good beer, excellent food. Spend a couple of holidays a year there.

[@alex_evstyugov]

Oh my. The moment you click on TIm's latest video and the first thing you see is an obscure church in the middle of nowhere in whose backyard you used to live for seven years. The Völklingen Ironworks are fantastic. You should visit. To add to all the wonderful things Tim mentioned, they also offer guided tours. We went on one for Christmas, maybe ten years ago, with our entire company of forty. It's a couple hours long and you get to see all the places Tim showcased, inside and outside. But rather than reading the signage to piece it all together, you are guided by elderly gentlemen who actually worked there for forty years and can answer any question at all about every last bolt and nut. Our tour was in German, but I wouldn't be surprised if you can also book one in French or even English. (Oh, but if you're interested in that church at the beginning, that's in Saarbrücken. Half a mile from the central station as the crow flies.)

[@YetAnotherGeorgeth]

The music was mostly not piano, but absolutely made the video!

[@TheTimTraveller]

I had a LOT of fun with the music in this episode 🎸🤘😀 Admittedly I'm going to lose half the ad revenue due to copyright claims. I have absolutely no regrets.

[@setharnold9764]

@The Tim Traveller if it's any consolation it took me forever to figure out how I knew the music. Excellent choice.

[@DanHalford75]

Would love to know what the version of Carmina Burana is at the beginning ...

[@TheTimTraveller]

@@DanHalford75 I'm afraid this is the only place it exists - I made it specially for the video. But if you search KZbin for "Carmina Burana Metal Cover" you'll find loads of people doing similar stuff :)

[@jojojojo4332]

@@TheTimTraveller theme from Miami vice ?

[@paxnorthwilliamson2689]

So grateful they saved this. In a few centuries people will be even more grateful.

[@DIOMOSTRO]

I watched this video on a saturday afternoon, and that very same evening I bought a train ticket from Italy to Germany to visit this place (and a few more). Thanks Tim for solving my yearly "where could I go this summer" conundrum.

[@briangarrow448]

Having toured across the Western United States as a child with my family, we visited nearly every, (I thought), hydroelectric project built by the WPA during the Great Depression, I can understand why there is a curiosity about industrial facilities. In fact, all those hydroelectric projects gave me a lifelong interest in seeing similar facilities. So, I would love to visit a closed steel and iron smelting facility.

[@Snowshowslow]

This is probably the first of your destinations that I have actually visited :--0 Such a strange experience ;-)

[@timflatus]

Thank you Tim. I've had the most godawful week and that has lifted my mood to start the weekend. Never underestimate the power of running around like an over-excited 6 year old and talking off the top of your head with a video camera in your hand!

[@DasIllu]

Greetings from a native Völklinger. There is still some active steel processing along the river banks, a giant forge and a steel rolling facility. Whilst not open to the public you can get a few gazes in the twiglight or after dark, when whole place starts glowing as they unload the molten metal at the train station. It is quite a sight, especially when it''s just a little overcast and/or foggy. I live approx. 1km away in the city's core but i can tell when a delivery arrives by the endless screecing noise of the braking trains. Too bad it is the only thing worth seeing in all of Völklingen. The town is dying a slow death. :-(

[@catherineallen6024]

That was super fun to watch! My wife is now telling me she wants to go there (before Neuschwannstein!!!! wie bitte???!!!!!) with her Father-in-law and her wife. Thanks for a super introduction which certainly macht appetit for going to see it ourselves!

[@themrninja101]

I really appreciate all of the extra travel information that you put at the end of your videos, Tim! Knowing the pricing, the location, and the accessibility of the places you show off (alongside other tidbits) makes planning to visit someday much easier. Thanks!

[@AB-Prince]

I love the archetecture of these old industrial buildings beause it's all functionallity, and no frills. which is beautiful in it's own right.

[@exilsaarlander9813]

I'm a regular viewer of this Channel, and I think your absolutely right about how underrated Germany is. Fun fact: I lived for 10 years in that town and know every corner of the areal. Good old. Times

[@cam4894]

That place looks amazing! In Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in America there's a closed down steel works that isn't quite preserved, but they have a little museum, outdoor and indoor music stages and a casino on the property. You can walk along the steel stacks and it's awesome!

[@JoTheBaer]

As a Saarländer I approve this video :-)

[@stephenboerner251]

You know its a Tim Traveller video because even though the title wouldn't lead you to believe there's a train in the video, you still hear about trains n monorails consistently throughout. Fabulous content

[@matthayward7889]

The overhead shot at 1:00 makes it looks like the most steam punk rollercoaster ever

[@nickdecoster]

I really mis traveling, lucky we got Tim to go to all the quirky places!

[@alanwrigley3154]

I just came across this video by chance, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I took a number of photographs of these ironworks in 1982 when they were still working, while on my way through Saarland. I knew they were no longer operational but I had no idea they had been turned into a tourist attraction. I think another trip to Germany is in order once Covid has been beaten!

[@raysomo1740]

Thank you for the train shots, I love that you always show us the railriders! Keep up the good work, love your travels.

[@JohnRunyon]

This actually looks really cool. I need to make a bucket list now...

[@gideonb93]

Germany is rad. I live in the UK but my wife is German and I flipping love coming here!!

[@derauditor5748]

But Dude, you have so much awesome stuff over there. After all YOU started the Industrial Revolution. Most of those Guys that later became big German Steel Moguls, went over to England to steal... uhm... learn how you do it. And then added some German efficiency to the whole shebang. The rest is History.

[@hjalfi]

"If you have ever wanted to explore an enormous abandoned ironworks..." One of my earliest memories is of exploring an abandoned military installation of some kind in Orkney. There are few jams more my jam than this. Sadly it's five and a half hours from where I am in Zürich, making it too far for a day trip.

[@Robutube1]

Not sure if others also noticed, but I smiled at the inclusion of the "Vision On" tune at the appropriate time!

[@Olivers-trains]

I love trains Tomorrow I am going to The National Railway Museum in York

[@paulkroger3019]

Funny that even in English "coke" is misunderstandable. In german it's called "Koks", what's literally the short word for cocaine. XD

[@AMSinc301]

"Coke" is also short for cocaine in English!

[@paulkroger3019]

@@AMSinc301 So it's even worse for you 😂

[@philippwie3539]

@@AMSinc301 Well German and English are bascially "language-cousins" as in they are both West-Germanic languages. Take a look in the bottom left here: upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/IndoEuropeanTree.svg I mean it isn't a scientifically correct and accepted graph, but I think it shows their common roots pretty well.

[@nzd3742]

Coca-cola contained cocaine in its early days, so it's not all that surprising really.

[@Wandering.Homebody]

What's the other meaning of Koks then? I don't get it. Oh, I see. I d never heard of the other meaning before.

[@themayors2347]

Visited this week due to this video. Utterly awesome place, kept two children entertained for a day in an old factory, not bad. Top Tip, Tim.

[@mojeminifilmy1973]

I LOVE the Hello! in the intro, it gives a worderful positive vibe!

[@mikeblatzheim2797]

Another place to recommend along very similar lines is Zeche Zollverein, which is a former mine+cokery and now World heritage site that has been entirely preserved as well, with very interesting tours around the place. And it's even bigger than the Völklinger Hütte, the cokery alone is more than a kilometre long (and could process 10 thousand tonnes of coal a day).

[@derauditor5748]

There are also Iron Works to Visit in the Ruhr Area: Duisburg Landschaftspark Nord (for Free), Hattingen and Dortmund.

[@haruc]

lol was on a scooter concert there... epic

[@Gogstradamus]

Super geworden, da hat sich das Warten gelohnt. Danke für das gute und informative Video.

[@bawdydog176]

Thank you for brightening my day a bit!

[@hedgehog3180]

You scored this video like German documentaries do except of course when they put that kinda music over factories and industrial landscape it's because they think it's awesome and the best part of the documentary but when you do it, it's dramatic irony.

[@Okurka.]

"Not coke the drink." You're so innocent.

[@thedavecwright]

Another cracking video Tim. "The Tim Traveller" is the best thing on You Tube!

[@MrKoolDragon]

I love watching your videos. I also love how they are often niche places to visit that could be done in a long weekend. Also, I appreciate the gratuitous trains.

[@OrangeAgent5]

*You had me at "Halloooo"* - Jerry Maguire -

[@seatedliberty]

Nice use of Crockett's Theme from Miami Vice for the music- I wonder if Don Johnson ever did a commercial for Coke?

[@ColinH1973]

He was a bit sniffy about doing one.

[@timm9631]

Nope, written by a German: Jan Hammer....

[@starlittardis2049]

I'm so glad you posted today. This really lifted my mood, thank you. The dramatic music had me grinning; I wasn't expecting that. I found myself bopping my head to the montage music too, nice. "here are some gratuitous shots of a train" Ah, you know what we like. "And hey, if you wanted 100% professionalism, you wouldn't be watching KZbin, would you?" Wow, you didn't need to call us out like that, Tim. Your enthusiasm (and humour) absolutely make your videos the joy they are. I'm sure I've said it before, but I do appreciate how you can take something I'd usually have no interest in and make it very engaging, inspire my own curiosity.

[@timm9631]

I lived 30 minutes from here in 1986 when it closed, but had no idea this place existed. This is definitely on my list of places to visit when I return to Germany! Thanks for sharing Tim! Please stay safe!!

[@mittfh]

"This might be my last chance for an international trip this summer" - as you're currently at 147k subscribers, maybe before the year's out there'll be Mediocre Mountain Challenge Mk II (especially with localised lockdowns being implemented here, there and everywhere)...

[@ThedwarfsizedWorkshop]

We should make it a "mediocre historical site" challenge

[@woutervanr]

9/10 of my vacations are in Germany, but I guess being Dutch helps. We get thought german in school. Anyway, Köln is great, awesome Choclate museum as well. Bonn has a great Natuaral history museum. Idar-oberstein has a nice mine to explore (plenty of other copper/schieffer mines around as well), but if you can visit only one place though, visit Trier.

[@apveening]

In that case, I recommend you stop at Remagen sometime and visit the Friedensmuseum in the old Rhine bridge there. I worked at the renovation of the buildings as volunteer in the early 80s.

[@miniscus5]

It's really awesome to hear the stories from the old workers.We met one when we visited and was almost like we could imagine ourselves working there.

[@SwPiotrek]

Thanks for the tour.

[@Jeagles]

What’s the music around 3:10, I’m sure it’s a cover of something I heard on KZbin long ago and forgot about until now? Also, I like the Vision On theme when you show the artwork

[@gorankrajnovic]

Jan Hammer - Crockett's Theme, from the album Escape From Television. Though it's not the original version.

[@TheTimTraveller]

Yep Goran is correct - I had to record a home-made cover version because that way I only lose half my ad revenue instead of all of it Of course, I could have just used a different song, but where's the fun in that

[@Jeagles]

Thanks both of you, it’s definitely the song I remember. :)

[@gorankrajnovic]

@@TheTimTraveller That's home made? Wow, it's great! I never would have guessed!

[@Jeagles]

Goran Krajnović it’s certainly a fantastic cover

[@PanterC]

If you're interested in disused ironworks, go take a look in Liège, Belgium.

[@Tom-hb4un]

I don't understand how people can downvote something like this. Thank you Tim, I love your work!

[@AJUEA]

Thank you so much for another fascinating, informative and comical travel video. Of all the channels I subscribe to, yours is the most I look forward to receiving notifications from. I hope the latest round of travel restrictions doesn't impede too much your ability to keep posting these videos. Thanks again.

[@SupremeLeaderKimJong-un]

Even though Saarland is no longer French, the TGV makes it seem like it’s still a protectorate of France

[@antalz]

"Don't worry dearest Sarre, we know you're still French. We both know the German thing is a mere technicality, an unfortunate accident of history" -France

[@tjendenys5028]

Yes my dear supreme leader, I wonder in the glorious eloquence of your comment!

[@SystemfehlerK]

There's a TGV that travels through Stuttgart, Ulm (onwards to Munich?). So I know it more as a sign of the German-French friendship (especially because the stretch between Göppingen and Ulm is a two-rail "Bummelbahn").

[@julianhaupt1480]

We don’t need the Saarland (we let you take it an invade Elsass Lothringen) now everyone’s happy XD

[@p4rz1val]

@@julianhaupt1480 No, we need the Saarland as a unit of measurement. How many Saarlands is that?

[@julianreverse]

In Germany we don't say "footballfield", we say "Saarland"!

[@philippm.1271]

haha ! RIGHT !

[@stickoutofthemud]

Thank you for the gratuitous shots of trains. Even though the entire video was free of charge!

[@connellhopkins2467]

Electric as always Tim. I call you ‘The Postman’ because you always deliver.

[@MABfan11]

i'm disappointed that you didn't play Rammstein when you introduced it

[@ColinH1973]

Love Rammstein!! 👍

[@LiquidShivaz]

Gehehe, yes 😎

[@sudonim7552]

He'd have been copyright striked in an instant unfortunately

[@schinkenspringer1081]

The Saarland is the Alabama of germany

[@The_Str4nger]

Wenn einer zu einen Date geht und dabei nur das Schlafzimmer seiner Schwester betritt 🎵Hier ist meine Heimat im Lande der Saar🎵

[@StephenMortimer]

they even have the SCHWARTZERS !!

[@laytonlambert658]

We even have a furnace like that y’all can explore sloss

[@allocater2]

But with healthcare

[@barvdw]

More Pennsylvania, I'd say. Lots of heavy industry, good beer and wine, often forgotten compared to their more important neighbours...

[@elvindeboisblanc7595]

This guy is severely underrated on KZbin. He should have at least 900k subscribers. In my opinion anaways.

[@tonysg13qa]

He's got about 150k right now. It only seems a few months ago when he had a few hundred...

[@eastpavilion-er6081]

I live half an hour away from the 3rd largest iron&steel works in Asia. I must admit this old-school iron works is so cool.

[@williamthomas7031]

The iron works that you can explore, but you can't *Thanks 'rona*

[@dutchuncle2716]

That's ironic indeed.

[@scanida5070]

Well yes you can... The Lockdown here in Germany is over since about the end of May...

[@williamthomas7031]

@@scanida5070 well no I can't because it is a bit tricky to get out of the UK - you are lucky in Germany if your lockdown is over though...

[@scanida5070]

William Thomas Oh right, keep forgetting that most of the english speaking world is still in Lockdown. Good luck then :D

[@ChemySh]

"With a nice drink of-" COKE COKE COKE "-pepsi." that's it, I'm unsubbing!

[@ryanelger07]

You really do have a talent for promoting Europe Tim. I really must get around to seeing more of it!

[@HenrysAdventures]

Looks fantastic! Definitely putting this on my bucket list for when things get back to normal!

[@MylesHSG]

Awesome German visitor attraction: "now let me tell you when forced labour died here"

[@QemeH]

At least we're honest about our history. Can't be said for all countries... **cough** British Empire **cough**

[@appleslover]

@@QemeH yeah It's hurtful to national pride and shit

[@jellygirljude]

Herbert Erdferkel sadly the UK can’t say the same…

[@derauditor5748]

That would be Mittelbau Dora in the Hartz Mountains then... Or every other Factory in the Ruhr Area.