Podcast Tour Siegen: Iron Mines and Rubens Masterpieces

A city built on two contradictions: brutal mining and exquisite masterpieces, told through the same streets.

A self-guided podcast tour of Siegen with seven stops over 86 minutes, led by audio narration from experts and locals. You follow the app's point-to-point navigation through a medieval fortress housing both Rubens paintings and an underground iron mine, past the 13th-century church with its golden crown, the Protestant rulers' residence, and bronze statues of miners and foundry workers, ending at the revitalized riverbanks where water once powered the forges. The tour is available in English and German. Minimum age is 13.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Siegen's history and landmarks

• Visit medieval fortress with Rubens art
• See memorial plaque of Rubens' birthplace
• Explore 13th-century church with golden crown
• Tour residence with the Thick Tower
• Visit Siegen's oldest church for miners
• View bronze statues of miner and worker
• Walk revitalized riverbanks of ironworks

The experience

The tour starts at a medieval fortress that holds both original Rubens masterpieces and the entrance to the dark mines of the Siegerland: the physical embodiment of Siegen's contradiction. You descend into the echoing tunnels where iron miners broke stone and bone to finance the exquisite paintings upstairs. The podcast narration, told by experts and locals, weaves together the scandalous affairs of Baroque nobility, a princely captivity, and the relentless hammering of water-powered forges that shaped the city.

The route covers 1.6 kilometers across seven stations: a memorial plaque marking where Peter Paul Rubens was born in exile; the 13th-century church crowned with gold, a symbol of wealth and colonial reach; the Protestant rulers' residence with its imposing Thick Tower; Siegen's oldest church, built to serve the workers on the outskirts; bronze statues romanticizing the grueling industrial labor; and the riverbanks now revitalized into a peaceful public space. The app provides interactive navigation between each stop and answers questions about the history and surroundings as you walk.

You move at your own pace through the city, following the app's directions and listening to the podcast on your phone. The entire route takes around 86 minutes. No guide accompanies you. The audio narration and the interactive guide handle the storytelling and context. The tour is suitable for all fitness levels and welcomes service animals.

What’s included

• Exciting audio narration in podcast style delivered by experts and locals.
• interactive guide in the app with historical context and questions answered as you walk.
• verified facts woven into the story.
• point-to-point navigation between all seven stops.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Under 13: can't be booked

Audio guideEnglish and German

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Red Thread

Is this one for you?The tour is self-guided and moves at your own pace, so it suits anyone who prefers to explore without a group or a fixed schedule. The 86-minute walk across 1.6 kilometers is manageable for all fitness levels, and you can pause, linger at any stop, or move faster depending on your interest.

Top questions

What is the Siegerland iron mine like, and can you actually go inside it?

The Siegerland mines are dark and echoing, accessible from within the medieval fortress at the first stop. The tour descends into these tunnels to show the brutal conditions where miners worked to finance the city's Baroque art above ground.

How long does the whole tour take, and can I do it in one morning?

The tour takes around 86 minutes to complete all seven stops across 1.6 kilometers. Yes, it fits comfortably into a morning or an afternoon, and you control the pace entirely.

Do I need to download anything before I start, or does the app work on the spot?

The interactive guide and navigation run through an app, so you'll want to download it before you begin. The app provides turn-by-turn directions between stops and answers questions about the history as you walk.

What languages is the audio available in?

The podcast narration is available in English and German, so you can choose whichever suits you.

Can I see actual Rubens paintings on this tour?

Yes. The medieval fortress at the first stop houses original masterpieces by Peter Paul Rubens alongside the mine entrance, so you encounter the art and the brutal labor that financed it in the same building.