In Lüdenscheid, a variety of routes lead to nature and history: the Ochsentour trail runs through the Stilleking nature reserve, while city routes, museums and the RoadStory app offer other ways to explore the city’s history.

Hiking in the Stilleking Nature Reserve

Large pastures and heathland vegetation define the Stilleking nature reserve, which provides a refuge for many endangered animal and plant species. A herd of Heck cattle grazes there year-round. The animals are named after their breeders, the Heck brothers.

In good weather, several spots along the Ochsentour offer views across Stilleking and over Lüdenscheid. This gives the hiking trail a different focus from the city history attractions: here, the nature reserve, grazing landscape and views take centre stage.

City History on Foot and in Digital Form

Two city routes by Ge-Denk-Zellen e.V. explore Lüdenscheid’s history during the Nazi era. One route provides information about the activities of the Nazi Party and the state in Lüdenscheid. The other leads to places where Jewish people lived, worked and practised their faith. Texts, images and audio files are available at each stop.

The RoadStory app lets you explore central Lüdenscheid at your own pace. At various stops, short audio segments play automatically via GPS, covering topics such as the city’s history, well-known places and interesting background information. As availability and content may change, check that the app is currently available before setting out.

Museums and Art

The history museum explores the development of the city and region. One focus is the industrial history of the 19th and 20th centuries, including button manufacturing, metal and plastics processing, and the lighting industry. Here, the story of industrial development sits alongside the broader history of the city.

The Städtische Galerie Lüdenscheid presents changing exhibitions on the development of visual art in Germany after 1945. The glass connecting wing of the city’s museums also hosts regularly changing exhibitions, as well as events and social gatherings. Together, these venues offer different perspectives, from regional industrial history to the development of art after 1945.

PHÄNOMENTA and Planning Your Visit

At PHÄNOMENTA, you can explore the exhibition at your own pace and according to your interests; traditional guided tours are not offered. It is located at the starting point of the Drahthandelsweg from Lüdenscheid to Iserlohn. PHÄNOMENTA is about a five-minute walk from Lüdenscheid station.

PHÄNOMENTA has a café serving snacks, drinks, coffee specialities and homemade dishes. The offerings may change. If you would like to include a break in your visit, you can check the venue’s latest information in advance.

Architecture and Events

The Waldbühne in the city park once again serves as an open-air stage for a variety of events, including events hosted by the Kulturhaus. The programme and seasonal use may change, so check the dates in advance if you are planning your visit around an event.

The Kulturhaus was created as the city’s first public forum for theatre, concerts and events. As a public space, it was open to all cultural and social events in the city. Schloss Neuenhof is one of the few architecturally and historically significant landmarks in Lüdenscheid. It is privately owned and can only be viewed from the outside.

Discover more destinations: Meinerzhagen, Balve, Herscheid, Hemer, Werdohl, Neuenrade, Menden, Kierspe.

Go to the main travel overview: Märkischer Kreis.