The great Iron Age in Völklingen lasted a full century, from 1883 when the first furnace was fired up, to 1986 when the works were closed down. Now this fascinating monument to the industrial age, Völklingen Ironworks, has been declared a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. Six furnaces on a 250-metre long axis form the centre, then there is also the coking plant, vast halls, conveyor belts, lifts and giant blowers which blew hot air onto the melted iron to make it glow white.