Volklinger Ironworks

When the Völklinger Hütte, or Völklinger Ironworks, was named an UNESCO World Heritage site in 1994, it was the first industrial site to be honored on that list. And as one of the oldest and most intact of the 19th and 20th century ironworks in the region, it remains an integral site to that industrial history.

The site is staggeringly huge and looms over the surrounding city of Völklingen, Germany. It closed in 1986, and now visitors can tour through the rusting machines of its production areas. 

There’s also a science center on the site called the Ferrodrom where visitors can learn about the science of making iron, and art exhibitions as well as concerts are often held in the massive power halls.