In Hamm, industrial history, distinctive buildings and a variety of opportunities for culture, cycling and relaxation come together. When planning your trip, you can start by choosing a focus: a named cycling tour takes you to sights, while museums, temples, parks and the Maximare each offer their own themes. This lets you tailor your accommodation search to your interests during your stay, without having to turn the different options into a single route.
Explore Hamm by bike and train
The 32-kilometre PANORAMA ROUTE connects numerous sights and showcases different facets of the city. It starts at the cycle station at Hamm railway station and leads to Maximilianpark and the Glass Elephant. Look for the sign with a white binoculars logo on a blue background. This is separate from the larger network of around 170 kilometres of signposted cycling routes that run through Hamm and connect nature, culture and leisure attractions. The two figures answer different planning questions: the PANORAMA ROUTE is a specific tour, while the roughly 170 kilometres describe the cycling route network.
Rail services also connect Hamm with destinations in several directions. Long-distance services run from Hamm ICE station to destinations including Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt and Basel. Regional services include direct connections to MĂĽnster, Kassel, Cologne and DĂĽsseldorf; these are usually hourly during peak periods. Check the timetable for your travel date, especially if you have a specific connection in mind.
The Glass Elephant and the zoo
The Glass Elephant in Maximilianpark brings the site’s industrial past to life: this walk-through sculpture was created in 1984 from the coal-washing plant of the former Maximilian mine. A ride through its glass trunk takes you up to a height of 35 metres. From there, the panoramic view extends across the park, Hamm and the green Westphalian countryside. The Glass Elephant is considered the world’s largest building in the shape of an animal. The park’s origins are also part of the site’s history: Maximilianpark was created in 1984 on the former mining site for North Rhine-Westphalia’s first State Garden Show.
Hamm Zoo is home to around 400 animals from about 60 species. Seven enclosures are walk-through, including areas with Bennett’s wallabies, alpacas and budgerigars. The composition of the enclosures may change over time. This makes a visit to the zoo distinct from learning about the park’s history or enjoying the view from the Glass Elephant: here, the focus is on animal species and walk-through enclosures.
Museum, temple and local history
The Gustav Lübcke Museum presents around 13,000 years of art and cultural history across approximately 4,000 square metres. Its broad span of time gives a museum visit a different focus from the city’s specific buildings. In the centre of Hamm stands the Protestant Pauluskirche, a historic landmark. Its older section dates back more than 700 years.
Another distinctive building is the Sri Kamadchi Ampal Temple. Its 700-square-metre interior contains seven shrines, richly decorated with mythological figures and ornaments. The South Indian-style gopuram is 17 metres high; the temple measures 27 by 27 metres and is described as Europe’s largest purpose-built Tamil temple. Its history also reaches into the more recent past: the temple has been in Hamm since 1989 and has been located in Hamm-Uentrop since 1997. Hamm is therefore home to both historic architecture and a temple with its own distinctive architecture and history.
Water, saunas and relaxation
The Maximare brings together a range of aquatic facilities, including a covered 50-metre sports pool, an Aqua World with wave and adventure pools, the 100-metre RIOMare event slide, a 95-metre tyre slide, a toddler area, a hot-and-cold pool and a whirlpool. The Sauna Resort offers a different focus. It features seven types of sauna, indoors and outdoors, as well as a 3,500-square-metre sauna garden. If you are choosing between swimming and sauna facilities, you can consider the amenities in each area as different options for your stay.
The Lippe, landscapes and Oberwerries Castle
The landscape along the Lippe is also an important part of what Hamm has to offer. The Lippeaue nature experience area covers approximately 195 hectares and includes an approximately five-kilometre stretch of river that has been restored to a near-natural state, with wet meadows, floodplain forests and small bodies of water. Lippepark, meanwhile, is located at the former Franz mine shaft. Its 42-hectare site has been developed into an accessible urban park with special attractions. The different areas of Lippepark are connected by bridges over the Lippe and the Datteln-Hamm Canal.
Oberwerries Castle lies on the Lippe amid a landscape conservation area and is considered a popular excursion destination. The manor house was built between 1685 and 1692. The castle adds a specific historic building to the landscape, while the Lippeaue and Lippepark represent different forms of landscaped or near-naturally restored open space.
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