Our last day in Doveren

Our last day has begun and we are nearly fit again. We have a little “sight-seeing tour” through Doveren and the surrounding towns, where we buy some gifts for our family at home.

We were in Hückelhoven, which is known for its coal-mines. The mine “Sophia Jacoba” can be found here; it was the most modern mine in Europe from 1960 to 1997 and produced coal from 1914 till its closing in 1997.

From 1936 to 1972 a hill arose from the mining waste, next to the mine. This hill is called “Millicher Halde” and is about 70 meters high and planted with trees since 1970.

In 2008 the “Himmelsleiter” (Skyladder) was built on the hill. The “Himmelsleiter” are 400 stairs that lead from the bottom of the hill to an outlook at the top.

 

 

The sight from the outlook and from the stairs is worth the ascent

 

 

Since the area of the mine is not used anymore (except of a part that is used as a historical monument), new shops arose on the empty space over the last years.

After we have seen everything in Hückelhoven, we went back to Doveren.

Here we visited the church: St. Dionysius. The church was built in 1771, but was destroyed in the Second World War, so that it had to be restored in 1949.

We learned that Doveren has many houses, which were built before the war and were restored instead of teared down.