Detmold offers a clear choice between architectural history, crafts and a specific hiking route. The Princely Residence Palace lies in the heart of the city; the Hermannsdenkmal stands on the Grotenburg in the Hiddesen district, and the Hangstein Trail is about 6.5 kilometres long. You can therefore plan your trip around culture, the open-air museum or time outdoors.

The palace, monument and castle ruins

Detmold’s Princely Residence Palace is a Weser Renaissance palace in the heart of the city. The Hermannsdenkmal stands on the 386-metre-high Grotenburg in the southwestern district of Hiddesen. Detmold therefore offers both a central example of Weser Renaissance architecture and a monument at a named elevated location.

Falkenburg near Detmold-Berlebeck was built in 1194 or 1195 by Bernhard II of Lippe and his son Hermann II. As a ruin, it gives an impression of a medieval hilltop castle; its features include a curtain wall, keep, palas, outer bailey and zwinger. The association Die Falkenburg e.V. offers guided tours of the castle and invites visitors on a journey back to the Middle Ages. Check before your visit whether a tour is available.

Museum and crafts

The LWL Museum Hellerlecht covers more than 90 hectares and includes around 120 historic buildings representing 500 years of everyday Westphalian culture. Its extensive grounds clearly set it apart from a single palace or castle ruin: the focus is on the many historic buildings and the everyday culture they showcase.

At the LWL Open-Air Museum Detmold, a blacksmith, baker, weaver, miller and potter demonstrate traditional techniques in historic workshops. The demonstration programme may change; check before your visit which techniques will be shown. The workshops make crafts a tangible theme for a visit, while the palace and Falkenburg highlight different types of architecture.

Getting here and exploring outdoors

The Lippisches Landesmuseum is a ten-minute walk from Detmold station. Bus routes 701, 704, 708, 782 and 790 run from the station to the Landesmuseum stop; the journey takes about four minutes. Check the timetable before travelling, as public transport connections may change.

The Hangstein Trail is about 6.5 kilometres long and starts in Berlebeck, a district of Detmold, at the Hangstein hiking car park, below the striking Hohe Warte nature reserve. The route offers a specific hiking option with a named starting point and an approximate length. Check trail conditions before setting out.

Lippe as a regional setting

The wider Lippe destination has a network of hiking trails extending for around 2,000 kilometres. It includes part of the European long-distance path E1; the award-winning Hermannshöhen and Hansaweg trails are also part of the network. For planning purposes, there are two scales to consider: a specific trail in Berlebeck and a regional network with several named routes.

Lippischer Pickert is also part of the region’s food culture: this typical potato speciality is served in inns, farm cafés and restaurants. Individual menus may vary.

More destinations

Discover more destinations: Hiddesen, Extertal, Bad Salzuflen, Rott, Horn-Bad Meinberg, Schieder-Schwalenberg, Dörentrup, Schlangen.

Back to the overview of the wider destination: Lippe.