Paderborn between Nature, Culture and History

Discover Water and Habitats

The Ems spring in the “Moosheide” nature reserve is not a single point of emergence, but a seepage spring formed by a variety of different water outlets. A wooden walkway offers a close-up impression of the natural spring environment. From here, you can experience the spring area from a perspective that focuses on the water and its many outlets.

The Steinhorster Basin is also shaped by water and diverse habitats. On both sides of the Ems, shallow ponds, islands, reed beds and wet grassland form a varied mosaic. Migrating waders and waterbirds find undisturbed areas there to rest and forage. The basin is considered the largest reserve in North Rhine-Westphalia deliberately planned and created by people for nature conservation, rather than originating from a previous use such as excavation sites, quarries or sewage farms. Those interested in the landscape and birdlife will find a different focus here than at the region’s cultural sites.

Another special feature is the Krollbach bifurcation: at this rare fork, the water of the Krollbach is divided between two river systems. The focus here is on an unusual course of water, rather than a spring landscape or a mosaic of wetland habitats.

Museums and Historic Sites

The Heinz Nixdorf MuseumsForum in Paderborn brings together more than 5,000 years of developments in information technology. The journey through time ranges from the first written characters and historic writing and calculating machines to early computers, modern robots and artificial intelligence. The museum thus spans the history of information processing, from its earliest forms to today’s technological topics.

At the Wewelsburg 1933–1945 Memorial and Museum, the permanent exhibition “Ideology and Terror of the SS” presents the local history of the SS in Wewelsburg and the concentration camp there as part of a comprehensive account of the SS. It is part of the Wewelsburg District Museum, which also includes the Historical Museum of the Prince-Bishopric of Paderborn. Those interested in history can treat this visit as a distinct focus alongside the technology museum and nature experiences.

Dalheim Monastery combines an almost completely preserved medieval monastic complex with a splendidly painted late Gothic cloister. The site covers around 20,000 square metres of monastic gardens and 3,000 square metres of exhibition space. The Dalheim Monastery Market takes place there every year at the end of August, where members of religious orders from across Europe offer monastic goods. If you would like to plan your trip around this market, the end of August is a specific date to bear in mind.

Explore by Cycling and Walking Routes

The Paderborner Land Route is a 250-kilometre circular route that links cultural and historical attractions with natural sights across the Paderborn region. It runs almost entirely on dedicated cycle paths directly to the region’s towns and municipalities. There, cosy cafés and country inns serve regional specialities such as bread, beer and asparagus. Its length and circular route format make it a different way to discover the region than a stay focused on individual museum or nature visits.

Around Altenbeken, the 30-kilometre Viadukt hiking trail combines railway and nature experiences. At the Altenbeken Viaduct, 20 of its 24 arches are illuminated after dark. The trail and the viaduct therefore showcase different aspects of the railway experience. When planning your holiday, you can consider whether a longer walking route, the cycling circuit or individual cultural and natural sites better suit your interests.

Regional Specialities

The history of regional foods is also connected to water: the fast-flowing water of the Pader springs was historically essential as an ingredient in Paderborn bread and the famous Paderborn beer. Bread and beer also feature as regional specialities along the Paderborner Land Route, alongside asparagus. This connects the landscape and regional history with the dining options described in the towns and municipalities along the route, helping you plan your holiday.

For further information about the localities, visit their pages: Bad Lippspringe, Paderborn, Hövelhof, Herbram, Delbrück, Büren, Borchen, Bad Wünnenberg, Barkhausen, Lichtenau, Altenbeken and Salzkotten.

For the wider travel overview: North Rhine-Westphalia.