The Blue Bastion

Bergkamen

The Blue Bastion

The Großes Holz slag heap in Bergkamen used to be a barren mountain of rock. This waste material came from mining. Now, many plants grow there, covering the gray surface. The landscape has been transformed.

A Ribbon of Blue Flowers

The color blue is the most distinctive feature of the slag heap. A wide ribbon of greenery stretches across the site. Only blue-flowering perennials and shrubs grow there, including lavender, lupines, and meadow sage. Viper’s bugloss and butterfly bush can also be found there. This blue ribbon connects the various themed areas. It leads from the Nature Arena in the center to the plateaus with trees and grasses. Hikers reach the summit via steep trails or wide switchbacks.

Glass and Light at Night

The Blue Bastion itself is a platform halfway up the slope. It is surrounded by wire baskets. These baskets contain stones at the bottom and blue glass at the top. After dark, the main path is illuminated in blue. This is provided by eight-meter-high lights. These blue beacons are modeled after the winding tower of the Monopol coal mine. The Ruhr Regional Association opened this corridor park in 2009. In this way, the memory of mining remains alive in the modern landscape.

Bergkamen

The Blue Bastion