A moated castle first mentioned in the 13th century is now used as a museum and event venue: Werdringen brings together history and new discoveries in Hagen. The city also has a museum quarter, a walk-through model of the solar system, rivers and hiking trails. Its attractions range from geology and archaeology to outdoor experiences.
Castles and Museums
Together, the Hagen City Museum, the Osthaus Museum Hagen and the Emil Schumacher Museum Hagen make up Hagen’s museum quarter. The City Museum offers guided tours, workshops and activity days for visitors of all ages. It is family-friendly, and families can use a museum backpack to explore independently.
The Hagen Archaeological Museum – Werdringen Moated Castle is a geological and archaeological museum. At the moated castle, the castle café serves coffee, cake and waffles, as well as vegetarian and vegan dishes. The site combines a museum and event venue with food and drink.
Hohenlimburg Castle also offers several different perspectives: visitors can see the “Black Hand” exhibition, the castle courtyard with its walk-in dungeon, the outer bailey with salute cannons, the castle garden and the battlements. These different areas take visitors from an exhibition and historic architecture to the outdoors.
History Brought to Life
At the Hagen Bunker, a faithfully reconstructed basement shows what life was like during the bombing raids of the Second World War. The Hagen Adult Education Centre, together with the City Archive and the City Museum, offers regular guided tours of the bunker and other surviving air-raid shelters from the Second World War and the Cold War.
The LWL Open-Air Museum Hagen offers a hands-on activity for groups: at the indigo dyeing workshop and the adjacent dye garden, they can print historic patterns onto a piece of fabric measuring approximately 100 × 120 centimetres. Visitors interested in traditional techniques will find a practical activity to try during their museum visit.
Hiking Trails and Water in Hagen
The 3 Türme Weg is a circular hiking trail just under twelve kilometres long. It passes the Bismarck Tower, the Kaiser Friedrich Tower and the Eugen Richter Tower. The three named towers provide clear landmarks along the route, and its approximate length helps you weigh this hike against other plans.
Lake Hengstey lies in the north of Hagen, where the Lenne and Volme rivers flow into the Ruhr. At SeeBad Hengstey, two different seasons come together: swimming is a summer activity, while the lakeside resort is a year-round destination for walkers, cyclists, water tourists and other visitors. It is right on the Ruhr Valley Cycle Route. Hagen’s rivers—the Ruhr, Volme, Lenne and Ennepe—invite visitors to fish, pedal boat and canoe.
For whitewater activities, Lenne Whitewater Park is another place to visit: it hosts international competitions and is suitable for both recreational paddlers and elite athletes. Hagen thus offers a range of water sports, alongside activities at the lake and on its rivers.
Discover the City and Its Culture
One unusual way to see Hagen is through a model of the solar system: the world’s first walk-through model stretches across several locations in the city, marked by large bronze plaques. Villa Hohenhof, meanwhile, has been an anchor point on the Route of Industrial Heritage since 1999. Each gives the city’s history a different setting, from a model in public spaces to industrial heritage.
Music is also part of Hagen’s cultural offering: the Hagen Philharmonic Orchestra presents symphony concerts, chamber concerts, family concerts, concerts for babies and toddlers, and special concerts. Together with the museums, historic sites and activities along the rivers, this provides a wide range of options for shaping your visit around your interests.
Discover more destinations: Hagen, Herford, Höxter, Borken, Soest, Bonn, Unna, Coesfeld
Return to the regional travel overview: North Rhine-Westphalia.
