Bad Oeynhausen combines a park that remains central to the city with a second park along the River Werre and a varied cultural program. The spa park was laid out by Peter J. Lenné; in Sielpark, the Werre flows through the entire park. Museums, the Wandelhalle and the Kaiserpalais complement the landscape themes. When planning your visit, you can decide whether to focus on park history and paths, rural cultural history, or performances.
Parks, the Werre and a named route
The spa park was laid out in 1853 by Peter J. Lenné and remains at the heart of the city. This combines a historical date with a location that is still central. Sielpark offers a different spatial connection: it links the northern and southern parts of the city, lies on the banks of the Werre and is considered Bad Oeynhausen’s city park. The Werre flows through the entire Sielpark. So, the focus at the spa park is on history and location, while at Sielpark it is on the connection between the city districts and the course of the river.
If you would rather follow a named route, the 3.67 km “Vielfalt” hiking trail runs through the spa park and Oeynhausener Schweiz. The latter is a landscape park with a fallow deer enclosure, an orchard meadow and mouflons. The route thus connects two park names, while their respective features differ: the spa park is at the heart of the city, whereas the landscape park features an enclosure, an orchard meadow and mouflons. The Jordan is also part of local tradition: it was once the king of the springs and a landmark of the city.
Fairy tales, rural life and architectural history
The German Fairy Tale and Weser Legends Museum features a permanent cultural history exhibition about fairy tales and legends. Using well-known examples, it explains who collected or wrote the stories and what they are about. The stories themselves, as well as their collectors and authors, are at the heart of the exhibition.
At the Museumshof Bad Oeynhausen, the furnishings of the houses show life and work in the countryside in the 19th century. The typical farmstead of the Minden region comprises a main house, a Heuerling house, a barn, a storehouse, a bakehouse and a watermill. The buildings come from surrounding towns; most date from the late 18th century. Together, the individual buildings give an impression of how a farmstead was laid out and the different functions it served.
The Trink- und Wandelhalle adds an architectural accent: built in 1926, it takes the form of a Greek temple with Ionic columns and Doric halls. Regular spa concerts by the orchestra are held in the Wandelhalle, free of charge for residents and visitors. If you would like to plan around a concert, it is worth checking the current program. The Kurhaus also has a cultural use: the building, constructed in 1908, is now called the Kaiserpalais and serves as the setting for shows by the GOP Varieté-Theater.
More topics in the Minden-LĂĽbbecke destination
The wider destination of Minden-Lübbecke offers its own regional themes. The LandArt Route connects more than 80 art and cultural stops along five sections. The Great Peat Bog in Hille and Lübbecke is one of the district’s natural sites; guided hikes with trained nature and landscape guides are offered there.
The LWL Industrial Museum GlashĂĽtte Gernheim presents another form of regional culture: at the glass tower built in 1826, visitors can watch glassmakers every day use a blowpipe, a wooden mould and shears to make vessels from glowing molten glass. The range of topics in Minden-LĂĽbbecke thus spans art stops and guided walks through the bog to glassmaking.
Discover more destinations: Bergkirchen, HĂĽllhorst, Stemwede, Porta Westfalica, Minden, Preussisch Oldendorf, Espelkamp, LĂĽbbecke
Go to the main travel overview: Minden-LĂĽbbecke.
