Over 0.5 million people live in this city, which is one of the 10 largest cities in Germany. The smoking chimneys of this Ruhr metropolis are far in the past. However, there are traces of the mining industry and other industry everywhere, even if they are simply the declining remains of closed shafts and furnaces. Today’s “green” Essen offers an exciting mix of original places, cultural and gastronomic experiences, and also offers an interesting secondary programme when visiting the trade fair.