On the fifth of january i visited the small village of Immerath and the Garzweiler II opencast mine which is very close. With me was my friend Edwin who i met online and share a big love for photography, we try to go out once in a while for a nice photowalk. This time a village and i mine, what is the relation between these two? Well the mine eats villages! And the village Immerath is next in line.
Immerath is almost a ghost town these days. Walking here was different. I visited Doel in Belgium but that was very colorful and cosier. Immerath felt cold and sad even on this sunny day. We walked the streets, we entered some houses and we talked about the feeling this village gave us. The following photo’s show Immerath as it is now. Not the most spectacular photo’s but more a documentation of what i saw.
After Immerath we drove to see the Garzweiler II Opencast mine. It was a nice short ride which took us through where the village of Pesch once was.
The mine itself was impressive, the machines are far away but it’s easy to guess the size of them. I had to use lot’s of telezoom to get the machines in the frame. Below are some shots taken at the mine form the ‘Aussichtspunkt’. Just the new end of a road which is gone now. In the series above you can see Edwin standing over the mine taking some shots, i didn’t dare walk on that sky view with my fear of heights.
If you want more information just google Garzweiler II, enough to be found on the villages, the mine, the machines.
PZ
Peter's Photography Blog 
Oh dear! For years now I want to go there when visiting my parents on Christmas and I never manage to get there then. Maybe next time 🙂 Nice shots, Peter!
Thanks Peter, it’s worth the visit i should say! Hope there is Immerath left next xmas for you to see!
that’s a valid concern! maybe i’ll pay them an easter visit 🙂