01 Aug A Hiatus in Hattingen: Hills, Dales, Steel & Truth
Life coasts at a lovely, simple suburban pace in Hattingen, Germany, situated on the south bank of the Ruhr River close to the Netherlands border. My time was mostly spent strolling about the old town among the charming half-timbered homes, appreciating landscapes tucked between rolling hills and dales, figuring out what’s for dinner, and spending time with friends. My stay in Hattingen was brief, but this fairytale of a German hamlet proved sweet relief from my recent big city travels. I don’t think I’m a city girl anymore.
I’m having a horrible day.
Actually, that’s not true. But a German wouldn’t hesitate to greet an acquaintance with the truth like that. I learned that they always say what they mean and mean what they say—something that can be quite jarring for American ears. If you’ve put on weight noticeably, or someone doesn’t like your cooking, you’ll most likely hear about it even if you hadn’t asked. But after the initial culture shock, I found the idea quite refreshing. You never need to wonder what people really think. Along the same vein, when someone shows his or her appreciation, you don’t have a sliver of a doubt that it’s sincere.
Coal and Steel Industry Town
You still see industrial remnants here and there like (pictured above) an object that looks like a gigantic mining drill, which shines light on the history of this town at the Oberhausen train station, neighboring Hattingen. In 1720, Hattingen became one of the first industrial cities of the Ruhr region with 52 operating coal mines at the time. The Henrichshütte factory became one of the largest employers of the area, providing work for at least 10,000 people until it was closed in 1987. Today it is an iron and steel museum, where you wander through the bunkers, see the oldest existing blast furnace in the region, and gain insight as to how the steel industry influenced history.
The Tunnel
I found this long, eerie tunnel with a bike path that proved an excellent running trail off the main streets of the town. It continued for approximately half a mile and then took me out of suburban Hattingen into valleys of farmland shadowed by cozy rolling hills and through pastures of cows and barnyards. The run made me long for a bicycle; a couple of weeks zigzagging through western Germany and eastern Netherlands would be a dreamy springtime adventure.
Old Tudor Homes
Characteristic of the entire area along the Rhine, old town Hattingen is made up of many decorative half-timbered houses, recognizable by their stucco and exposed wooden framework, these, built between the 14th and 16th centuries. The old city is still partly walled.
Coveted Outdoor Space
In countries where the climate is cooler, it seems to be a common trend to find folks desperately craving outside space to call their own. Locals in Hattingen want to dig their hands in the dirt, grow vegetables, train vines over trellises — to carve out a little garden for themselves even if it means right next to one another. They must have some time in the sun. These are the community gardens.
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