Self-guided Podcast Tour Solingen: Steel & Industrial History

Five stops through the machinery of a city turned workshop

A self-guided podcast tour of Solingen following 3.6 km through five stations that map the "Solinger System". The decentralized industrial network that made the city's steel famous. You navigate with an app, listen to audio narrated by experts and locals, and walk the routes of merchants, workshop fitters and delivery women. The tour takes roughly 1.8 hours and is available in English and German.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Solingen's industrial heritage

• Start at Solingen brand landmark
• Visit historic merchants' square
• Walk through Reider workshops alleys
• Follow delivery women's daily path
• Explore riverbank industrial geology

The experience

What made Solingen's steel brand legendary wasn't a single factory. It was an entire city organized as a workshop. This self-guided tour walks you through that landscape, starting at the point that established the worldwide prestige of the name, then moving through the historic square where merchants and guild masters held power. You navigate between stops using the app, which gives you precise directions and lets you pause to ask questions about what you're seeing. The audio, told in podcast style by experts and locals, explains what each place meant to the system.

The route takes you through narrow alleys where the Reider (fitters) worked, then along the path that delivery women, the Liewerfrauen, walked daily, carrying finished goods on their heads. The final stop is the riverbank, where you see the geological necessity that forced industry into the Wupper valleys. The whole walk is 3.6 km and takes around 1.8 hours at a pace you set yourself. Service animals are welcome, and the terrain suits all fitness levels.

The app gives you navigation between the five stations, the audio content itself, and an AI guide you can ask about the story or your surroundings as you go. You'll need a smartphone and the app installed before you start. The tour is available in English and German. Minimum age is 13.

What’s included

• Podcast-style audio narrated by experts and locals.
• interactive in-app AI guide for questions about the story and surroundings.
• precise turn-by-turn navigation between the five stops.
• verified historical content woven into the route.

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 9 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Red Thread

Is this one for you?The self-guided format means you walk at your own pace and pause the audio whenever you want, so you can linger at stops or move through quickly depending on your interest. If you prefer a live guide leading a group, look for a guided tour instead.

Top questions

How does the self-guided format work? Do I need to download anything before I start?

You navigate using an app on your smartphone, so download it before you leave for the starting point. The app provides turn-by-turn directions between the five stops, the podcast audio, and an AI guide you can ask questions during the walk.

What is the Solinger System and why does it matter to understanding Solingen?

The Solinger System was the decentralized network of independent workshops, merchants and fitters that turned the entire city into a production landscape rather than relying on one factory. The tour explains how geology, labor and radical inequality built this system and made Solingen's steel famous worldwide.

Who were the Liewerfrauen and what does the tour show about their role?

The Liewerfrauen were delivery women who carried finished goods on their heads between workshops and merchants. One of the five stops follows the path they walked daily, and the audio explains what this labor meant to the city's industrial system.

Can I do this tour if I'm not very fit, or if I have mobility concerns?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels and covers 3.6 km over roughly 1.8 hours at your own pace. You set the speed and can take breaks whenever you need them.

Is there parking or public transport near the starting point?

Public transportation options are available nearby. Check local transit maps for routes to the starting point, which the app will show you once you download it.