Bredelar combines monastery history and mining with trails through forests and countryside. When planning your visit, you can choose from different highlights: the late Baroque monastery complex and its industrial history, the circular trail exploring mining traces, or walking and cycling routes. Depending on your interests, the focus can be on architectural history, mining or the landscape.
Monastery and Local History
The permanent exhibition at the local history museum presents the history of the former Bredelar Cistercian monastery and the Theodorshütte ironworks. After secularisation, the ironworks was housed in the monastery; the exhibition also covers its use up to the present day. Bredelar Monastery is a late Baroque, three-wing complex dating from 1787 to 1800, built over older remains. The Protestant Christ Church was built on a hill in 1901.
Mining Traces and Walking Trails
The Bredelar Mining Traces circular trail is about 12 km long, open year-round and can be explored independently. It passes through the Charlottenzug and Reinhard mining fields, as well as several geological outcrops and sites of cultural and historical interest. Along the way, it offers views of the Hoppecke and Diemel valleys. Those interested in mining history, geology and landscapes will find all these themes represented along the route.
Well-marked walking trails around Bredelar lead through deciduous and mixed forests, as well as along field paths and paved roads. The routes therefore pass through a variety of surroundings; when planning, you can also take the mentioned road sections into account. Bredelar also has access points to the Sauerland Forest Route.
Landscape and Cycling
The Diemelsee Nature Park begins in Bredelar. The Diemel Cycle Route also passes through the village and is easily accessible from there. This offers different options for planning your trip: signposted walking trails, access points to the Sauerland Forest Route and a connection to the Diemel Cycle Route. The walking trails showcase the landscape through deciduous and mixed forests, as well as along field paths and paved roads.
Monastery Café and Guided Tours
The monastery café regularly welcomes visitors on the first Sunday of each month, alongside the scheduled monastery tours. Check the current date in advance, as schedules may change.
More Highlights in the Wider Destination of Marsberg
In the wider destination of Marsberg, visitors can see remnants of the old town wall in Obermarsberg, including the water tower and Buttenturm tower. The bird care centre in Marsberg-Essentho has been operating for over 40 years; visits and guided tours are possible only by prior arrangement. Check in advance whether a visit can be arranged.
At the Grube Reinhard recreational area (charcoal kiln site) on the Diemel near Giershagen, an open-sided, covered multi-purpose pavilion houses an information centre dedicated to bionics, regional mining and geology in the Marsberg destination. Check the operating arrangements before visiting. The Marsberg archery course is located on the site of a former copper mine and covers 5.9 hectares.
Discover more destinations: Obermarsberg, Beringhausen, Padberg, Leitmar, Helminghausen
Go to the wider travel overview: Marsberg.
