Weltkulturerbe Völklinger Hütte

Amazing place for an exhibit! This old iron works used to employ over 17,000 people but was shut down when modernization became too much to keep up with. Now it houses some really cool tours and various traveling exhibits

This season, they're showcasing Buddha & offer almost 250 treasures - all from private collections. Some never seen before & most are a one of a kind in its design, material make up or the fact it's intact

Loved how they intertwined the statues in between the huge machinery of the iron works

On the other side of the building complex is the UNESCO heritage portion where they have plaques and multimedia videos about the iron works and you can even put a hard hat on & go up the elevators to the tops of the furnaces where they'd shovel in the raw materials to be melted down & also the huge fire steam pressure release valves where they'd keep the temp regulated. So very cool!!!

Most info in German, French & English.

Another UNESCO World Heritage site, this one dedicated to the 100 year old ironworks here in the Saargebiet. This particular ironwork was influenced by iron production witnessed in the US. It is responsible for armaments production during both world wars. The entire site of 6 huge blast furnaces and coke ovens and gas capturing devices really makes one feel so insignificant. Was lucky enough to see an exhibition on Buddha, all of the pieces belong to private individuals so this was the only time in my life that I could witness these beautiful pieces. The ironworks are unique, it is not just another industrial site after the Ruhrgebiet. All of the placards and electronic stations were also in French and English. Just outside the compound, steel products are still being produced. All simple amazing.