Introducing Essen

Even seasoned Euro travelers have a hard time plotting Essen on the map. But, Germany’s sixth largest city has emerged as a major industrial player with a thriving economy based on car manufacturing, engineering, and the oil and natural gas industry. Until quite recently, most travelers who came to Essen were of the accidental variety, converging on the city for any number of trade shows, conferences, and business events that pepper the city’s busy economic calendar. In 2010, Essen came to the world’s attention when it was named European Capital of Culture. Glowing in the spotlight of its cultural ascendancy, the city is fancying its chances as a hot tourist destination and is keen to harness its cultural heritage to glorious effect.

It seems that even coal has poetry. The colossal Zollverein Industrial Mining Complex (a Unesco World Heritage Site) is Essen’s most famous landmark and is synonymous with the city’s fortunes. The coal mine (closed in 1986) and the coking plant are the largest of their kind in Europe. The curvaceous tower of the Bauhaus-style Shaft XII embodies the rise and fall of one of the world’s essential industries. Hailed by Unesco as a site of ‘outstanding architectural merit,’ it’s widely considered to be the most beautiful surviving coal mine. A fantastic counterpoint to industrial history, the Museum Folkwang is one of Germany’s finest contemporary art galleries, featuring post-impressionist works by Gauguin and modern, color-block canvases by Mark Rothko.

Airports within a 30-mile radius of Essen:

  • Essen Mulheim Airport (ESS, 5 miles from the city)
    • Dusseldorf International Airport (DUS)
    • Dortmund Airport (DTM)
    • Monchengladbach Airport (MGL)

Popular aircraft charters* in the Essen area include:

  • Citation Excel (super light)
  • Learjet 45 XR (super light)
  • Citation CJ3 (light)
  • Learjet 31ER 400A (light)
  • Learjet 60 XR (midsize)
  • Citation III (midsize)
  • Gulfstream G200 (super midsize)
  • Citation Sovereign (super midsize)

*This is just a sample. Zephyr provides access to aircraft at every end of the spectrum, from luxurious VIP airliners, to ultra long range business jet, helicopters, and economical turboprops.