The Glass Elephant in Maximilianpark is the world’s largest building shaped like an animal. From the Glass Elephant, you can look out from a height of 35 metres over the park, the city of Hamm and the surrounding area. The park was created in 1984 on the site of the former Maximilian mine, for North Rhine-Westphalia’s first State Garden Show. Here, the history of the former mining site meets a landmark visible from far and wide.
Cultural venues with a history of their own
The Sri Kamadchi Ampal Temple has been in Hamm since 1989 and has been located in Hamm-Uentrop since 1997. It is considered the largest purpose-built Tamil temple in Europe. Schloss Oberwerries manor house tells a different story of construction: it was built between 1685 and 1692. Schloss Oberwerries is a place to visit on the Lippe, surrounded by a protected landscape. The different dates give each of these places its own historical significance.
The Gustav-Lübcke Museum now displays objects that have been collected since 1886. Its exhibition space covers more than 4,000 square metres, and its temporary exhibitions attract visitors from across the region. As the exhibition programme changes, it is worth checking the current dates before planning a museum visit. The h4 cultural festival is another recurring event in the city calendar: it takes place every year on the first weekend in September and turns Hamm’s city centre into a large creative stage. The programme varies, so check the dates and offerings if you would like to plan your trip around it.
Parks and the Lippeaue
Lippepark covers an area of 42 hectares at the former Franz mine shaft. It has been developed into an accessible urban park with special attractions. Its different sections are connected by bridges over the Lippe and the Datteln-Hamm Canal. The Erlebensraum Lippeaue offers a different perspective on the landscape: it covers about 195 hectares and includes a roughly five-kilometre stretch of river that has been restored to a natural state, with wet meadows, riparian woodland and small bodies of water.
Two cycle routes also offer different experiences of Hamm. The 32-kilometre PANORAMA ROUTE starts at the cycle station at Hamm railway station and leads to Maximilianpark and the Glass Elephant. Its distinctive sign is a white binoculars logo on a blue background. The main route of the Römer-Lippe Route passes through Hamm and leads to the renaturalised Lippeaue. If you want to make Maximilianpark and the Glass Elephant your destination when cycling, take the PANORAMA ROUTE; the Römer-Lippe Route, by contrast, leads to the Lippeaue.
More experiences in Hamm
At Hamm Zoo, the fantasy-animal adventure world gives children the chance to engage in role-play suited to their age. It features play activities and lovingly designed areas. The water sports facility at Haarener See has a sandy beach, a spacious shallow-water area and two beach volleyball courts. Each place offers something different: from play and role-play to water and beach views, as well as culture, parkland and cycle routes. You can choose which ones shape your visit according to your interests.
Discover more destinations: Hamm, Rhynern, Gütersloh, Rhein-Kreis Neuss, Cologne, Lippe, Warendorf, Steinfurt.
Return to the regional travel overview: North Rhine-Westphalia.
