In historic town and village centres in NRW, visitors can immerse themselves in the past and experience the special charm of these places in quaint cafés or romantic squares - usually away from the conurbations and usual tourist routes. Here you will find an initial selection of historic town centres, but there are many more small towns in North Rhine-Westphalia worth discovering. So let's go on a romantic journey back in time!
Lemgo
The historic town centre of Lemgo is characterised by Renaissance flair. The Hexenbürgermeisterhaus is an important monument of urban architecture. The name goes back to the mayor Hermann Cothmann, who was actively involved in witch trials in the 17th century. Lemgo's town hall is also considered to be an architectural monument of special significance spanning several eras.
www.lemgo-marketing.de
Werther
In the small town of Werther near Bielefeld, the Peter August Böckstiegel Museum is another gem among the sights in addition to the pretty half-timbered ensembles: Right next to the birthplace of the artist, who is considered an important representative of Westphalian Expressionism, changing exhibitions show the painter's estate as well as works by his contemporaries.
www.stadt-werther.de
Freudenberg
In the midst of forests and meadow valleys, black and white half-timbered houses huddle close together and form the "Old Spot" - this is what the people of Freudenberg call their historic old town centre, which is also a very popular photo spot.
www.siegen-wittgenstein.de/info/alter-flecken
Soest
The old town centre of Soest in the Sauerland region is captivating with its greenery - not only because of the many meadows and fields, but also because of the green sandstone. The most famous green building is the Gothic Wiesenkirche church. Next to it are pretty half-timbered houses and romantic alleyways where beer gardens, cafés and pubs invite you to linger. A visit to the Wilhelm Morgner Museum, which is dedicated to the Soest expressionist, is also recommended. The popular Soest pub festival takes place in March and the Soest All Saints' Fair, Europe's largest old town fair, is held in November.
www.soest.de
Bad Münstereifel
In the medieval Eifel village, the River Erft meanders past half-timbered houses and a restored town wall. Because of its resemblance to the small Bavarian town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, the Kneipp spa town of Bad Münstereifel is also known as the "Rhenish Rothenburg".
Blankenheim
The historic castle town of Blankenheim is not only the source of the Ahr, the picturesque Eifel town is also the starting point for many beautiful hiking and cycling tours, for example on the Eifelsteig or Ahrradweg. High above the picturesque town centre towers the almost 900-year-old Grafenburg castle, which now houses a youth hostel - and offers a wonderful view over the town with its half-timbered buildings and old town gates.
Rheda-Wiedenbrück
Rheda-Wiedenbrück has retained its historic charm with its quaint restaurants and many restored little houses. We particularly recommend a trip to the moated castle of Rheda, where the princely Bentheim-Tecklenburg family resides, and whose park and castle meadows border the former Flora Westfalica garden showground.
www.rheda-wiedenbrueck.de
Bad Salzuflen
60,000 litres of brine trickle over the graduation towers in the heart of the town every day, providing a fresh sea breeze. As one of the most famous spas in Germany, Bad Salzuflen is located in the centre of the Teutoburg Forest Nature Park.
Bergneustadt
The Losemund fountain is located in the historic centre of Bergneustadt. It owes its name to two washerwomen who were said to have loose mouths. Their portraits adorn the fountain.
www.dasbergische/altstadt-bergneustadt.de
Krefeld-Linn
In the shadow of Linn Castle, visitors can experience rustic hospitality in the small alleyways of the historic town centre of Linn. Every year on Whitsun weekend, visitors can take a trip back to the Middle Ages at the Flachsmarkt, the largest crafts market in Germany.
www.krefeld.de
Hattingen
On the south bank of the Ruhr lies Hattingen with its lovingly restored old town centre. The oldest houses are located around St George's Church: the Wachzinshäuser and the "old town hall" built in 1576. If you want to admire Hattingen's industrial heritage as well as its half-timbered houses, you should take a trip to the LWL Industrial Museum Henrichshütte.
www.hattingen.de
Bedburg Alt-Kaster
Located between Aachen and Cologne, many visitors know Bedburg and its historic district of Alt-Kaster as the "castle town on the Erft". The annual St Nicholas market, for which the locals open their homes and yards to offer handmade goods, is a particularly contemplative event.
www.alt-kaster.jimdofree.com
Warburg
At the foot of the Eggegebirge Nature Park, surrounded by forests, lies the picturesque Hanseatic town of Warburg. From the old town centre, visitors can take a trip to the castle ruins on the nearby Desenberg.
www.warburg-touristik.de
Xanten
In ancient times, Xanten was one of the most important metropolises in the Germanic province of Rome. The LVR Roman Museum houses replicas of an amphitheatre and harbour temple, housing estates, thermal baths and city walls from Roman times. Away from the Roman walls, Xanten also offers an extremely interesting medieval old town with the famous St Viktor's Cathedral and many nice places to linger.
www.xanten.de
Monschau
Typical of Monschau, which lies in the rocky valley of the Rur in the Eifel, are the house-high beech hedges that the townspeople planted generations ago to protect their houses. After a tour of the town, you can take a hike through the secluded nature of the High Fens moorland area or enjoy culinary delights in the historic mustard mill.
Essen-Kettwig
The Essen suburb of Kettwig is located directly on the Ruhr. It is a popular destination for hikers and cyclists, especially in summer. The old town is ideal for taking a break with an ice cream surrounded by the romantic flair of the half-timbered houses. The Baldeneysee lake and the former family home of the Krupps, the Villa Hügel, are very close by.
www.rheinruhronline.de
Düsseldorf-Kaiserswerth
The picturesque centre of Kaiserswerth with its baroque houses from the 17th and 18th centuries is a popular excursion destination, even for Düsseldorfers. The ruins of Frederick Barbarossa's imperial palace are located directly on the Rhine. Here, cafés and beer gardens invite you to enjoy a drink.
www.duesseldorf-tourismus.de
Steinfurt-Burgsteinfurt
In addition to the historic town centre, Steinfurt is well worth a trip to the Bagno - one of the most beautiful green spaces in Münsterland. In the so-called pleasure garden, visitors can embark on a journey back to the 18th century - there are historical sites, regional building blocks, monuments and modern sculptures to discover, as well as a historical concert gallery with performances by world-class musicians. Nearby, magnificent monasteries have been transformed into wonderful places of contemplation and art, such as the DA Kunsthaus Kloster Gravenhorst in Hörstel and Kloster Bentlage in Rheine.
www.steinfurt-touristik.de
Telgte
Every year, around one hundred thousand pilgrims visit the 1,200-year-old pilgrimage town on the River Ems. The medieval old town centre is home to traditional Westphalian restaurants and small specialist shops. The place of pilgrimage was immortalised in Günter Grass' story "The Meeting in Telgte". The picturesque town has long since expanded its Catholic heritage and is dedicated to all world religions in the RELíGIO Museum. The most famous exhibit is the "Smachtlappen", a hunger cloth dating back to 1623.
www.telgte.de
Warendorf
The town of horses is one of the most beautiful towns in Münsterland, with historic merchants' houses from different eras surrounding the market square and medieval streets and alleyways running through the town centre.
www.muensterland.com/warendorf-tourismus
Windeck
The district of Alt-Windeck with its many half-timbered houses has been honoured several times as the most beautiful village in the Rhein-Sieg district. Windeck is also surrounded by castles - the old castle ruins of Windeck gave the municipality its name and are also the town's landmark.
www.heimatmuseum-windeck.de
Solingen-Gräfrath
A trip to Gräfrath is like travelling back in time: the historic old town with its typical Bergisch black, white and green appearance features half-timbered houses, an idyllic market square and an imposing monastery church. Next to it is the German Blade Museum, which also tells the story of Solingen's world-famous cutlery.
www.die-bergischen-drei.de
Cycle to the half-timbered houses: on the Historic Town Centres cycle route , pretty town centres are strung together like pearls on a string around 390 kilometres long. If you want to see even more half-timbered houses, you can discover more town and village centres here: www.historische-ortskerne-nrw.de
Johannes Höhn Tourismus NRW e.V., Monschau Ortskern Johannes Höhn, Blankenheim Kirche St. Maria Himmelfahrt Asyraf Syamsul, Historischer Ortskern Essen-Kettwig Leo Thomas, Alter Flecken Freudenberg Kirche Leo Thomas Tourismus NRW e.V., Rheda-Wiedenbrück Innenhof Tourismus NRW e.V., Alt Kaster Aussenansicht Haus Johannes Höhn, Schieferhäuschen Feuer und Flammeweg Bergneustadt Tourismus NRW e.V., Stadt Xanten Vogelperspektive Dom
