A Company of the Contilia Group
		Essen where big city flair meets idyllic countryside The Ruhrgebiet is the third largest conurbation in Europe. 5.3 million people from 140 countries live in the region. With a population of almost 600,000 people, Essen is the largest city in the region. 890,000 guests visit Essen each year. Over the last few decades the Ruhrgebiet metropolis has been transformed from a coal and steel city to a trade fair and university city and a service industry, health care industry and business location. Eleven of the top 100 businesses by turnover in Germany are run from Essen, including ThyssenKrupp, RWE, RAG Aktiengesellschaft and E.ON Ruhrgas. Despite this rapid transformation, the city has preserved its monuments to its industrial heritage. The Zollverein Colliery to the North of Essen is one of the most important architectural monuments to heavy industry in the world and was awarded World Cultural Heritage status by UNESCO in 2001. Today, the old boiler houses and machine halls are home to numerous cultural projects. And Essen has many more cultural attractions to offer. For example, the cathedral, with its valuable treasures or the Margarethenhöhe residential area, which conveys a feeling of the garden city movement of the early 20th century. The 28 hectare Villa Hügel estate - former seat of the Krupp industrial dynasty - is worth a visit. The Philharmonie concert house and the Alto Theatre regularly stage ambitious productions and the Colosseum 12 Theatre stages world class musical productions. Essen is also popular locally as a shopping metropolis. The city centre attracts many visitors, especially during the advent period, with its atmospheric 'Lichterwochen' and the traditional Christmas market.