More than 200 Pader springs rise in the city centre of Paderborn. The Pader itself also rises in Paderborn and is considered Germany’s shortest river. The Pader spring area below the cathedral and Abdinghof is protected as a historic garden. These springs give the city a clear landscape focus; cathedral history, medieval buildings and information technology provide further themes to consider when planning your trip. You can tailor your visit to Paderborn depending on whether you want to explore the spring landscape, history or museums above all.
Springs, the cathedral and early city history
Pope Leo III and Frankish king Charlemagne met at the springs of the Pader, on the site of today’s cathedral. A large church dedicated to Christ as Salvator Mundi already stood there. It was destroyed in a city fire shortly afterwards and rebuilt. The relics of Saint Liborius, patron saint of the archdiocese and the city, are kept in the crypt of Paderborn Cathedral. This historic site thus brings together both the tradition surrounding the meeting and the religious significance of Liborius.
The Bartholomew Chapel is a distinctive architectural highlight: it is considered the oldest known hall church on German soil and is renowned for its exceptional acoustics. The Paderborn City Museum tells the story of the city, from its earliest prehistoric and early historic settlements to topics concerning urban life today and in the future. Its features include the cloister and garden of Abdinghof Monastery, founded by Bishop Meinwerk in 1015/16.
The imperial palace and traces of the Middle Ages
The museum in the imperial palace explores the history of Paderborn and Westphalia from the 6th to the 12th century. One of its main themes is Charlemagne’s palace: in 777, Charlemagne had it built above the Pader springs as the first and only palace he established in Saxony. Paderborn also has a reconstructed Ottonian-Salian palace with chapels and a unique spring cellar. These different historical periods are a reminder not to reduce the city’s history to a single era.
Information technology to see and try out
The Heinz Nixdorf MuseumsForum in Paderborn is described as the world’s largest computer museum and has 6,000 square metres of exhibition space. Its permanent exhibition covers 5,000 years of the past, present and future of information technology: topics range from cuneiform writing and historic calculating and typewriting machines to the internet and robotics. Visitors can also use telephones from earlier times, try out old and new computer games, and talk to Max, a virtual being. This makes the museum’s subject matter clearly distinct from the stops focused on the city’s history and architecture.
Schloss Neuhaus and different walking tours
Schloss Neuhaus is located in the Paderborn district of the same name. The former prince-bishop’s residence is one of Westphalia’s most significant Renaissance moated castles. The Baroque garden was recreated in 1994 for the State Garden Show, based on an original plan from the 18th century. A combined cycling and city tour offered by the City of Paderborn begins with a walk through the historic city centre, then continues by bicycle along the Pader through green meadows and floodplains to the castle and its Baroque garden. It thus combines a city walk with a subsequent cycling route.
For a self-guided city walk, a classic route description and a city-centre map with the route marked are available. In addition, the Paderborn Tourist Information Office offers public tours entitled “Residence of the Prince-Bishops” at Schloss Neuhaus several times a year; a tour can also be booked for a date of your choice. If you plan to join one of these tours, check the dates in advance. This lets you choose between exploring the city centre on your own, a combined walking and cycling tour, and a themed tour at Schloss Neuhaus.
Discover more destinations: Nesthausen, Borchen, Barkhausen, Bad Lippspringe, Büren, Hövelhof, Lichtenau, Delbrück
Return to the main travel guide: Paderborn.
