Discover Olpe from two distinct perspectives: At the historic market square, you can encounter traces of the town’s history, while Lake Bigge is just a few steps away. There is also art at the Old Lyceum, paths by the water and local memorial sites. This lets you focus your stay on culture, landscape or both.
Lake Bigge and paths by the water
Lake Bigge is just a few steps from Olpe’s market square. Visitors can explore the reservoir independently in electric boats and pedal boats. If you prefer walking along the shore, the Olpe circular route around the upper lake offers an accessible waterside walking path. These options offer different ways to enjoy the area: exploring the lake by boat or spending time on a lakeside path.
Valentin’s Chapel is also within walking distance: The route there leads from the leisure pool along the path by the water. Path conditions can vary, so take this into account when planning. The chapel and the circular route provide two distinct points of interest for a stay connected with the water, without having to combine them into a single route.
City history in buildings and memorial sites
The 14th-century Witch Tower is Olpe’s oldest surviving secular building. At Kurkölner Platz, the History Fountain illustrates the town’s history with bronze plaques depicting important events and local figures. The two sites offer different perspectives: The tower represents surviving historic architecture, while the fountain focuses on events and people.
Other monuments recall ways of life and work from the past. The Washerwomen’s Memorial on Bleichewiese commemorates the former use of the grounds for bleaching laundry on the meadow. The Pannenklöpper monument symbolises the former importance of blacksmithing in the region. The surviving ruins of the southwest tower of St Martinus are regarded as a peace memorial. Together, these sites offer different historical perspectives: architecture, civic life, work and a contemporary interpretation of peace.
Art, places to eat and accommodation
The Old Lyceum hosts art exhibitions featuring works by local artists. The exhibition programme may change, so it is worth checking the latest information before visiting. The art adds another perspective to the historical themes: rather than buildings and monuments, the focus here is on works from the local art scene.
There are cafés, beer gardens and terraces around the historic market square and the upper lake. Local options also include restaurants serving traditional Sauerland cuisine. As individual businesses and opening hours may change, it is advisable to check current opening times when making specific plans to eat out. This lets you combine a visit to cultural sites with a break or a meal without having to follow a fixed itinerary.
Beyond the town: the wider Olpe destination
For a broader view beyond the town, the wider Olpe destination provides a regional context. The entire Olpe district lies within the Sauerland-Rothaargebirge Nature Park, Germany’s second-largest nature park. The district also has a well-signposted network of hiking trails, ranging from easy walks to challenging hikes. This information refers to the district and does not describe additional paths within the town.
Cultural attractions across the wider destination also offer different highlights. In Attendorn, the Guildhall, housed in a listed building dating from the late 19th century, displays items from Attendorn’s guilds and craft guilds that are still in use, as well as replicas of historical exhibits. A guided tour of the Atta Cave takes about 40 minutes; visitors enter the cave through an 80-metre-long tunnel. Exhibitions at Galileo Park rotate across four pyramids. These examples give an impression of how Olpe’s town history differs from other cultural and visitor attractions in the district.
Discover more destinations: Oberveischede, Sondern, Drolshagen, Wenden, Finnentrop, Lennestadt, Kirchhundem, Attendorn.
Go to the main travel overview: Olpe.
