Discover the business end of industrial tourism

Ironbridge Gorge in Shropshire is named for the arch bridge that spans the River Severn. Opened in 1781, it was the first major bridge in the world to be made of cast iron and is celebrated as a symbol of the Industrial Revolution. The gorge itself represents the spot where industry in Great Britain started, and the area is home to 10 separate museums dedicated to the industrial theme.

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Ironbridge Gorge, England -

Besides the museums, which are administered under the umbrella Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust, visitors can explore a number of settlements important to industrial history and with heritage assets. Adding a touch of authenticity are volunteers attired in period dress who are on hand to welcome the public.

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Murano Glass Factory, Italy -

They've been making handmade glass at Murano since 1291. This is where the finest Venetian glassware in the world is manufactured, on the island of Murano near the city center. A cluster of factories offer guided tours of their facilities, plus glass-blowing demonstrations.

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Murano Glass Factory, Italy -

The excellent Museo Vetrario (Museum of Glass) provides an opportunity to learn more about the history of Venetian glassmaking. A number of truly rare and exquisite examples of early glassware, some dating back to antiquity, complement the collection.

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Heineken Experience, Netherlands -

A top Amsterdam tourist draw, the Heineken Experience is located in one of Europe's most historic brewery premises, opened by Heineken in 1867. The famous Dutch pilsner is no longer brewed on site, but in 1991 the building was repurposed as a brewery tour and visitor center.

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Heineken Experience, Netherlands -

Today, the Heineken Experience is just that—a facility designed to educate the public on the process of pilsner brewing and to showcase the brand's history and technological innovations. And they save the best till last: a drink in the Heineken Museum bar!

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Parfumerie Fragonard, France -

Located in Grasse in the Provence-Alpes-Côte-d'Azur region on the French Riviera, Parfumerie Fragonard is housed in a 18th-century former tannery. In 1926, it became the home of one of the oldest perfume houses in France. Visitors can tour the factory floor and discover the mysterious delights of perfume making.

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Parfumerie Fragonard, France -

Grasse is considered the world's capital of perfume, and browsing the perfume museum takes you into the fragrant world of floral bouquets and complex aromas.

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Cadbury World, England -

A veritable temple to the chocoholic, Cadbury World is located in the company's Bourneville manufacturing site near Birmingham. This where some of the world's yummiest confection is made, and while visitors don't actually embark on a factory tour, they do end up discovering chocolate's history and learn about the origins and story of the Cadbury business.

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Cadbury World, England -

Cadbury's heritage is explained through a series of engaging multimedia displays. The walk-through also takes in a gift shop and chocolate-themed café. Pictured is one of their special creations: Windsor Castle made entirely out of chocolate, including the Henry VIII gate with a hand-piped picture of St George's Chapel visible through it.

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Airbus assembly plant, France -

The Airbus assembly plant at Blagnac, a suburb of Toulouse, is huge. A guided tour of the final assembly plant is a magnificent flight of fancy, and takes in the production line of the world's largest passenger airliner, the A380.

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Airbus assembly plant, France -

After landing, so to speak, visitors can browse Aeroscopia, a museum dedicated to aviation. Exhibits include two Concorde aircraft and the Super Guppy, the only cargo airplane in the world that has carried a complete S-IVB stage (third stage) of the Saturn V rocket.

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Voestalpine Stahlwelt, Austria -

Voestalpine AG—stylized as voestalpine—is one of Europe's largest and most profitable steelworks. Based in Linz,
Voestalpine is also one of the world's cleanest and most innovative steel plants. Voestalpine Stahlwelt (or Steel World) offers visitors a rare opportunity to step beyond the factory gates and tour the site in multimedia buses.

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Voestalpine Stahlwelt, Austria -

After a presentation of material and information in a dedicated reception area, the behind-the-scenes expedition offers a first-hand look at the steel-making process.

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Swarovski Crystal Worlds, Austria -

Located near Innsbruck in the pristine Austrian Tyrol, Swarovski Crystal Worlds (Kristallwelten) is an extraordinary visitor attraction dedicated to the highly-respected crystal glass manufacturer Swarovski, known for its range of jewelry, collectibles, and optical instruments such as telescopes and binoculars. Welcoming the public is "The Giant" (pictured).

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Swarovski Crystal Worlds, Austria -

Inside the Giant is the Chamber of Wonders, a series of exhibition spaces featuring crystal-inspired art installations, and a maze of illuminated gardens.

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Landschaftspark Duisburg Nord, Germany -

A coal and steel production plant abandoned in 1985 and leaving an area near the city of Duisburg significantly polluted was repurposed into Landschaftspark Duisburg Nord, a massive adventure playground.

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Landschaftspark Duisburg Nord, Germany -

Landschaftspark has traveled from coal to culture. Music and dance concerts take place here regularly, and there are rock climbing and even scuba-diving facilities. The light shows, meanwhile, are legendary, with the once industrial behemoth illuminated by all the colors of the rainbow.

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New Lanark, Scotland -

New Lanark in Scotland was born out of the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century. Founded in 1786, the village was built to accommodate cotton mill workers and their families. Preserved for posterity, New Lanark stands as an important milestone in the historical development of urban planning, and appears more or less as it did over 230 years ago.

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New Lanark, Scotland -

Now a major tourist attraction, New Lanark is effectively an open-plan museum of the cotton industry. Pictured are rolls of spun blue woolen thread on display at the Heritage Wool Spinning Company.

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Oldisleben Sugar Factory, Germany -

After the Oldisleben sugar beet factory in Thuringia closed in 1991, few realized that in the final decade of operations it would be repurposed as an industrial heritage site. But that's exactly what happened, and the facility is completely preserved as it appeared in 1872.

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Oldisleben Sugar Factory, Germany -

Tours of this important monument allow visitors to ponder historic 19th- and 20th-century machinery such as cast iron pillars, huge steam turbines, and impressive boilers. In fact, many original components remain, making exploration of the premises an eye-opening and educative experience.

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Portimão Sardine Factory, Portugal -

Portugal's seafaring heritage is admirably upheld in this former sardine cannery facility, set on the quayside at Portimão, in the Algarve. Portimão was once the country's most important sardine processing center, and this 19th-century factory is where huge volumes of the fish were sent after being landed.

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Portimão Sardine Factory, Portugal -

The former factory now serves as a regional heritage museum and contains many of the original machines used by the mostly female workforce.

Sources: (English Heritage) (FranceToday.com) (The National Interest)

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Discover the business end of industrial tourism

Explore the most impressive European industrial tourism sites

15/10/21 | StarsInsider

TRAVEL Europe

When we think of tourist attractions, industrial sites are not often at the top of the list. And yet there are a wealth of repurposed factories, plants, and even underground mines that deserve full and proper investigation. Furthermore, many of these places are in fact still in operation but are happy to welcome the public onto the shop floor. So, where in Europe can you find the most impressive industrial tourism sites?

Click through and work out where to go and what to see.