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New resort on the Emscher: Beach opening in the Ruhr area from July!
A new beach will open on the border of Recklinghausen and Castrop-Rauxel in July 2025. Find out more about this recovery project!
New resort on the Emscher: Beach opening in the Ruhr area from July!
A new beach in the Ruhr area is causing excitement! On July 11, 2025, a very special place will be officially opened on the city limits between Recklinghausen and Castrop-Rauxel. With an area of 1,000 square meters and a length of 70 meters, a free recreational area is being created here that also serves as a meeting room. However, swimming will remain prohibited. This exciting development is part of the extensive renaturation of the Emscher, which once served as a sewage channel. But that will change: The Emscher will soon be transformed into a blooming natural paradise, as Ruhr24 reports.
A public “beach day” will take place on June 13, 2025, where citizens can participate in shaping the new beach. It is another step in a large-scale infrastructure project that includes over 400 kilometers of pipes and modernized wastewater treatment plants. This project is part of an initiative called “Join the River!”, which aims to set up additional beaches along the renovated Emscher in Gelsenkirchen, Bottrop and Oberhausen-Holten by 2027.
Together for nature
The reconstruction of the Emscher began in 1991, when the master plan for renaturation was launched. With an investment volume of 9 billion German marks, the goal was to create a clean river from the former sewage route within 30 years. According to National Geographic, untreated wastewater has no longer flowed directly into the Emscher since the end of 2021, which is remarkable progress.
During the renaturation, large areas of the former concrete enclosures were dredged up to give nature more space. In the last ten years, 170 kilometers of main and tributary rivers have been restored. Professor Uli Paetzel from the Emschergenossenschaft emphasizes how important it is for nature to reclaim open space. “We have shown a good hand for the environment,” he notes.
A look into the future
However, the Emscher is not just a pure environmental protection project. Tourism also benefits from these changes. The region is seeing increasing numbers of visitors, and around 130 kilometers of cycle paths on the banks of the Emscher are already in use. Up to 200 kilometers should be added. The former BernePark sewage treatment plant in Bottrop is being redesigned and now offers overnight accommodation in a “sewer tube” – a completely new form of adventure holiday. Art projects such as the Emscherkunst project, which features, among other things, the artwork “dasparkhotel” by Andreas Strauss, also attract interested parties.
The new beach will create a place where people can experience nature while at the same time pushing forward ongoing renaturation measures on the Emscher. The whole thing is a prime example of how nature and people can be brought back together through citizen participation and innovative projects. One thing is certain: the new beach will soon be a symbol of creativity and relaxation in the heart of the Ruhr area!