Zonguldak is a industrious city at the Black Sea coast, to the East of Ereğli. A bit grimy, but well situated with good views on the Black Sea and a harbour that seems to have seen better days. A monument reminds us of the hard-working miners who brought wealth to this region. But a large industrial area that I remember well from a visit fourteen years back has been almost totally obliterated. I wonder what the city will look like next time I am there.

I found information on the Wikipedia that was very interesting, indicating the name derived from Zone Göl Dağ, the zone of the “Lake Mountain”. This indicates the city started out as an industrial zone, it was dedicated to coal mining. The article even mentions the heat produced by a kilo of Zonguldak coal is 7000 kcal/kg.