Bad Salzuflen: Graduation Towers, Old Town and Landscape Garden

Salt History and Special Buildings

Bad Salzuflen’s three graduation towers are the Erlebnisgradierwerk, the Gradierwerk Uhrenturm and the Gradierwerk Parkstraße. The Erlebnisgradierwerk has a passageway with small rest alcoves and a brine mist chamber. Together with the other graduation towers, it represents a distinctive part of the town’s history, which you can learn more about in the permanent exhibition at the Wandelhalle. More than 250 exhibits and informational displays there tell the story of different eras, spanning almost 1,000 years of town history.

The exhibition covers salt, brine and starch, as well as salt production from the Middle Ages through to the 20th century. The healing effects of the mineral springs and the town’s internationally influenced industry are also among its themes. The salt-boiler monument on the Salzhof commemorates the saltworks that stood there until 1926. It was erected in 1988 to mark the town’s 500th anniversary and donated by Bad Salzuflen’s municipal utilities. The history of salt can thus be explored not only through exhibits, but also through a monument with a specific connection to the Salzhof.

Half-Timbered Houses and Old Town History

A historical tour of the old town takes you to places such as the historic town hall, the Paulinenquelle spring on the Salzhof, the Katzenturm and Haus Backs at the Hafermarkt. In the old town, you can also see richly decorated Weser Renaissance half-timbered houses and distinctive mayors’ houses. These houses date from the 16th and 17th centuries. Haus Backs is particularly richly decorated and is considered one of the most photographed houses in the old town. It is also described as the last house in Ostwestfalen-Lippe to have been richly decorated in this way.

Green Spaces, Animals and Trails

The landscape garden is laid out in the style of English parks. Expansive green spaces, ancient trees and groups of trees define its appearance. Animal lovers will also find a wildlife enclosure covering around 29,000 square metres, home to fallow deer and Cameroon sheep. You can take a rowing boat out on the Kurpark lake. These varied experiences make the landscape garden a destination in its own right, alongside exploring the old town and the town’s history.

For hiking, Bad Salzuflen has four dedicated circular trails, two VitalWanderWelt trails, the Karl-Bachler-Weg and an accessible trail. The routes offer different levels of difficulty. There are also options for different preferences when cycling: circular routes developed jointly by Bad Salzuflen, Herford, Lage and Leopoldshöhe are between 20 and 40 kilometres long. Some are suitable for families and have gentle gradients, while others are challenging and sporty. This lets you plan your outings around the activity you want, without treating hiking and cycling as the same thing.

When choosing a holiday apartment in Bad Salzuflen, consider which of these sides you would like to define your stay: salt history and half-timbered houses, time in the landscape garden, or active days on hiking and cycling routes. For families, animals, rowing boat trips and the routes specifically described as family-friendly offer different ways to enjoy time together. This helps you plan a trip around your own preferences, without assuming that every experience has to be the same kind.

More places to explore: Horn-Bad Meinberg, Schlangen, Hörstmar, Augustdorf, Lage, Dörentrup, Lemgo and Extertal.

For the wider travel overview: Lippe.