City harbor • “Project Ruhrbania” – Mülheim on the Ruhr
It is not a city name misspelled in dialect, but rather an urban development project in Mülheim an der Ruhr that has been running since around 2003 under the motto “Mülheim an der Ruhr”. Its goal is to improve water access in the downtown area. The most important goals were to increase the attractiveness of the city center and to build apartments and jobs. One focus was the renovation and expansion of the promenade between the Rhenish Railway bridge and the castle bridge. The area is divided into several building areas that were built on in different periods of time.
The most striking part is certainly the new city harbor near the old town hall, a small marina, a water hiking rest area on the Ruhr where boats and yachts can dock. It was opened in 2014 and extends in a triangular shape right next to the old city swimming pool, which was partially demolished to make way for the harbor. You can sit down on the steps to the water and watch the hustle and bustle on the river. To the north, adjacent to the town hall, is the building complex from construction site 1, which houses both apartments and restaurants.
The harbor basin interrupts the historic towpath. When the weather is nice, you can see many people sitting down in the sun on the steps to the water, eating ice cream together, reading or simply watching the goings-on on the square.