Abandoned But Not Forgotten: Gelsenkirchen’s Track

The circuit which is deep in the heart of Gelsenkirschen in Germany, now left behind and it is abandoned.

There is a hidden memory most people have never heard of, the Motodrom Gelsenkirchen, known to locals as the Almaring.

Today it sits still silent, but once a beating heart of local motorsport, and it is not entirely forgotten.

Where grit fueled the Grid

This circuit was never meant to be glamorous and that is what made this one special.

So we go back in 1968, this track emerged on the grounds of the Alma coking plant, a piece of land that once dealt in coal dust and furnace heat.

However, Anton Brenner and his crew from the Rheinlandische Autorenn, had a vision, no corporate millions, but just a group of passionate racers and builders who carved out a 750-meter circuit from industrial leftovers.

Initially unpaved, it was not until 1977 that the track was finally dressed in asphalt.

But it never lost its edge, with just five corners, it demanded quick thinking and brave driving.

It was not big seating maybe for 2000 fans, but it had soul.

Every race weekend it came alive, the scent of fuel in the air, families packed along the fence line and sometimes over 150 cars squeezing into the paddock.

This was not Formula 1, it was something else, and yeah, it was something real.

The Final Lap

But grit alone could not keep the engine running forever, as the ’80s wore on, the Almaring location in a tightly packed neighborhood became its undoing.

Residents grew weary of the noise, legal battle dragged on and the tension finally reached a breaking point in 1984 when the last race was held, the checkered flag dropped for the final time.

It was not demolished, no farewell event, the crowds just did not come back, and the nature took it.

Time’s Takeover

So if you want to visit today, you won’t find grandstands or banners, but look closer, the skeleton of the circuit is still there, sunken curbs, twisted guardrails and cracked concrete peeking through ivy and wild grass.

Nature did not erase it all, she just slowed it down, so you can walk and pass through.

Many people go there with the cameras, some of them have memories, some of them want to explore, just a fascination for forgotten places.

And there is no ticket booth, no gift shop, just the sound of wind, the occasional bird and the faintest ghost of an engine in your imagination.

The Almaring Lives Again — Virtually

Motodrom has found a new home, inside your PC!

Small group of simulation racers, who make MODs, they created the layout of 1981 in games like Assetto Corsa and BeamNG.drive.

Every twist and turn, every uneven bumb, digitally preserved, virtual racers can now enjoy the circuit and battle on this track.

It’s not quite the same as standing trackside, but it’s something. A digital heartbeat, keeping the memory alive.

Planning a Visit?

There’s no official entrance, but the site is very much accessible. Just a short walk or bike ride from the city center. Wear sturdy shoes, especially if you plan on exploring the rougher patches. Nature may have softened the place, but the concrete bones still bite.

While you’re there, don’t miss:

Halde Rheinelbe – A nearby slag heap turned art installation, with panoramic views of the region.
The Solarbunker – A curious building reimagined into a solar-powered marvel.
Erzbahntrasse Cycling Path – A green, peaceful route passing straight by the old circuit’s edge.

Bring a camera. The light here has a strange kind of magic — like the place knows it’s being remembered.

So why do we remember?

It never hosted a GP, no legends were there, no champagne, but that is not what this place was for.

Working class dreamers built it and the weekend warriors, the kind of racers who wrenched their own engines and loaded their cars onto trailers after long shifts, we all would enjoy something like this on weekends, for three or four hours.

Now it grands a reminder, that even small circuits, once forgotten can hold enormous stories.