Oranje Nassau I shaft building

The Oranje Nassau I shaft building is a relic of the coal mining that once defined Heerlen and the whole of South Limburg. Coal was mined in the area from the early twentieth century, and the Oranje-Nassau mines were among the largest and most important in the Netherlands, employing thousands of workers, many of whom came from elsewhere in the country and from abroad. The shaft building, with its headframe and machine house, is the surviving centrepiece of the Oranje Nassau I mine and one of the best remaining examples of Dutch industrial architecture from the period.

The mining era changed Limburg completely. Before coal, this was a quiet agricultural region, and Heerlen was a modest village on the site of the Roman settlement of Coriovallum. Within a few decades, the arrival of the mines turned it into a busy industrial town with new housing, shops and services for the miners and their families. Then, in the 1960s and early 1970s, the Dutch government closed all the mines because coal could no longer compete with imported energy and natural gas, and the region faced mass unemployment and a long process of reinvention. Heerlen's current focus on culture, design and creative industries is part of that story.

The building is imposing even from outside. The tall winding tower, built to hold the wheel from which the cages were lowered into the shaft, and the heavy brick machine house show the scale of the operation, and the style, with its clean lines and functional design, is typical of early industrial buildings. The site is not always open to the public, so visitors should check the current situation before planning a visit, but it can be appreciated from the surrounding streets, where information panels explain the mine's history and the working lives of the miners.

For those who want more detail, a mining museum in Heerlen presents exhibits about the industry, including large machines and the personal stories of former miners, and guided tours are sometimes offered. The Vibrant Street Art Scene in the city centre, the International Breakdance Event and the Limburgs Mooiste route are among the other things to see, and the Thermenmuseum shows the Roman baths of the old settlement.

The shaft building suits those interested in industrial heritage, architecture and the social history of Limburg. Allow half an hour for the building and its surroundings, and more if you visit the museum. Combine it with a walk through the city centre.