The city of Bochum in the Ruhr region is around 680 years old, but the most interesting and defining era for the city was the age of industrialisation when its economic boom began with the discovery and mining of coal. There are countless monuments to this period of the city's history such as the Westphalian Industrial Museum and the Jahrhunderthalle (Century Hall).Westphalian Industrial Museum - Hannover Colliery & Knirps "children's mine"
The 200 year history of industrialisation is brought to life at eight former industrial sites. Together with the Rhenish Industrial Museum it forms part of a collection of museums that are unique in Europe. One of these historical sites is the Hannover Colliery in Bochum which contains a series of exhibits on the development of the industrial Ruhr area. At Knirps "children's mine" kids can learn about mining through interactive exhibits.Jahrhunderthalle (Century Hall) Bochum
This impressive hall built in 1902 and was restored during the Emscher Park International Construction Exhibition and is currently used for exhibitions and cultural and sporting events. The airy steel construction is one of the leading venues for the RuhrTriennale festival.Parish Church of St. Peter and St. Paul
This triple-naved hall church reconstructed in the Westphalian Gothic style was originally built during the time of Emperor Charlemagne between 785 and 800. Its 68 metre high steeple is the city's most famous landmark. Inside the church are many fascinating works of art from various periods in history including a Romanesque font from around 1175, the high altar with a statue of Christ dating from 1352 and the reliquary shrine of St. Perpetua and her slave St. Felicity.