International award for cultural significance and tourist importance: Völklinger Hütte receives MERIAN ICON Award
The Saarland state government congratulates the Völklinger Hütte World Heritage Site on being awarded the MERIAN ICON Award 2026.
With the newly awarded prize from the renowned German travel magazine MERIAN, the Völklingen Ironworks is recognized as an outstanding international cultural and tourism destination.
Prime Minister Anke Rehlinger: "The Völklinger Hütte impressively demonstrates how industrial heritage can evolve into cultural radiance of worldwide significance. It has not only become an international flagship for the Saarland but also a place that unites different worlds within itself. The award of the MERIAN ICON Award is a wonderful and special recognition for the Völklinger Hütte and for all those who shape this extraordinary place with creativity and passion. We can be very proud of that in the Saarland."
With the MERIAN Awards being given for the first time, the renowned German travel magazine honors outstanding destinations and institutions in tourism, hospitality, and culture in seven categories. The jury of experienced travel journalists particularly praised the exceptional combination of industrial culture, contemporary art, memory culture, and nature experience at a unique location worldwide. In their reasoning, they state, among other things, that the Völklingen Ironworks is "memory culture in the very best and progressive sense – and a unique experience."
Minister of Education and Culture Christine Streichert-Clivot: “The Völklingen Ironworks is a special place that makes history, technology, and culture vividly experienceable in a unique way. As a UNESCO World Heritage site, it connects industrial heritage with contemporary art, cultural education, and collective memory. It creates spaces for encounters, critical engagement, and new perspectives — far beyond the Saarland region. The award of the MERIAN ICON Award is therefore also a recognition of the outstanding cultural and educational work done there. For this, I sincerely thank Ralf Beil and his team.”
The award simultaneously underscores the great tourist importance of the UNESCO World Heritage Site for the Saarland. The Völklinger Hütte is one of the most important tourist landmarks in the region and attracts visitors from all over the world with its unique combination of industrial culture, international exhibitions, festivals, and events.
Minister of Economic Affairs Jürgen Barke: "The Völklingen Ironworks has meanwhile become an international ambassador for the Saarland. The award of the MERIAN ICON Award confirms its enormous appeal and outstanding importance for tourism. As a genuine magnet for guests from all over the world as well as for Saarlanders, the Völklingen Ironworks significantly contributes to making the Saarland visible as an attractive location with a high quality of life."
