Discover Werl: Museum, Old Town and Spa Park
Accommodation in Werl
Werl offers several ways to explore the town’s history and culture: non-European art and everyday culture, a model of the town in the 17th century, and a historic town centre with half-timbered buildings, neoclassical façades and cobbled lanes. There is also the spa park, with its tree trail, and four themed cycling circuits. On your trip, you can choose to focus on museum visits, a walk through the Old Town or time in the open air.
Museums with Different Perspectives
The Museum Forum der Völker has more than 10,000 objects of non-European art and everyday culture and is considered Westphalia’s largest ethnological museum. Its extensive collection makes it a special destination for anyone interested in art and everyday life outside Europe. If you would rather focus on Werl’s own history, the Municipal Museum at Rykenberg, the Wendelin-Leidinger-Haus, offers a different perspective. The museum is in the heart of the Old Town, near the Provost Church.
The Municipal Museum displays a model showing what Werl looked like in the 17th century. It also houses a collection of paintings by Gaudenz von Rustige, who was born in Werl in 1810. These two subjects offer a tangible historical and artistic connection to the town. When planning your trip, you can decide whether you are more interested in the non-European collection at Forum der Völker or in local history and the artist born in Werl.
Old Town and Church Art
Werl’s recognised historic town centre is characterised by restored half-timbered buildings, neoclassical façades, a castle ruin and numerous cobbled lanes. It is well suited to a walking tour, where the different architectural styles bring the character of the historic town to life. For context, the Municipal Museum at Rykenberg offers its own view of Werl in the 17th century; in the Old Town itself, you can take in the half-timbered buildings, façades and lanes as part of the townscape.
The churches also tell the story of Werl’s religious and art history. The Provost Church of St Walburga is a Gothic hall church dating from the 14th century. Its furnishings include the monumental Cross Altar, the Three Kings winged altar, the Erbsälzer and Rosary altars, and the richly decorated court chair of the ecclesiastical tribunal. The miraculous image “Comforter of the Afflicted” is also housed in the Werl Pilgrimage Basilica. The Werl Pilgrimage Church of St Mary of the Visitation was built between 1903/04 and 1906. These churches and their furnishings offer culture-minded visitors several different points of interest during a stay in Werl.
Spa Park and Cycling Circuits
The spa park offers a nature-focused change of pace from museums and the Old Town. Its origins date back to the 19th century, when Werl was a saltwater spa. A tree trail takes you past native and non-native species. If you would like to include trees and parkland in your city break, you can make this trail a focus of your visit.
For active days, there is the “Werler Kleeblatt” (Werl Cloverleaf), comprising four themed circuits through the Werl municipal area. Each route is 17 to 22 kilometres long and can be cycled on its own or combined with others. They follow quiet farm roads and cycle paths through the countryside, offering views away from the main roads. The stated distances and the option of choosing one or several circuits help you tailor your ride to the amount of time you have, without prescribing a particular route.
When choosing a holiday apartment in Werl, consider which aspects of the town you want your trip to focus on: museums and local history, church art, the Old Town, the spa park or cycling. If you want to combine several interests, you can weigh up these options as you plan your stay and choose Werl as your destination accordingly.
If you would like to explore other places in this selection: Welver, Ense, Warstein, Geseke, Lippstadt, Bad Sassendorf, Möhnesee, Rüthen.
For the broader travel overview: Soest.
