Visitors to Welver can combine marked hiking trails, cycling routes with different focuses, and the history of Kirchwelver as a former monastic village. Distances and destinations provide clear guidance when planning tours; a memorial stone in the municipality also marks the geographical center of Westphalia.

Hiking in Welver

Six circular hiking trails in Welver range from 2.5 to around 14 kilometers. A large information board at the parking lot in Kirchwelver shows the routes; the trails are marked on site. The range of distances makes it easy to distinguish a shorter loop from a considerably longer one. Before setting out, check the local notices for current trail conditions.

Cycling Routes with Different Focuses

For a shorter bike ride, there is a family-friendly route just under 10 kilometers long. It passes through the state forest, also known as Reiherwald, and continues to Haus Nehlen in Berwicke. Check local route conditions before setting off.

The 30-kilometer cycling route in northern Welver offers a longer option. Designated a cultural route, it passes historic cultural landmarks in the municipality. The Alleen cycle path between Unna and Welver ends just a few hundred meters from the geographical center of Westphalia. A memorial stone on the edge of Scheidingen village, in the direction of Illingen, marks this center and is located within the municipality of Welver. The cultural route and the Alleen cycle path therefore differ both in length and in their stated focus or destination.

Kirchwelver and Its History

Kirchwelver is a former monastic village. The Romanesque church was probably built in the 11th or 12th century. In 1240, Cistercian nuns enlarged it and built a tower; it subsequently served as a monastery church. For more than 100 years, the Reformed congregation and the Catholic convent shared the church. In 1700, the nuns consecrated a new Baroque monastery church. This sequence reveals several historical phases: the probably early Romanesque church was followed by its enlargement and shared use, before a new Baroque monastery church was consecrated.

Another testament to a planned but unfinished project is a nearly completed bridge between Beckumer Straße in Kirchwelver and Kettlerholz in Dorfwelver. Its location links two named places; the reported context is an unfinished road project.

Soest: Museums and City History

In the broader travel destination of Soest, the Osthofentor Museum focuses on the city’s history and topography. Information boards, large-format texts, photos, graphics and a model of the city provide an overview of more than 1,000 years of history and the city’s topographical development. The Wilhelm Morgner Museum with RAUM SCHROTH presents temporary exhibitions as well as a permanent exhibition dedicated to Soest Expressionist Wilhelm Morgner. The Burghof Museum focuses on the history of the city and the church; it also displays engravings by Heinrich Aldegrever (1502 to around 1555) and the exhibition “Everyday Life in the Middle Ages.”

Discover more destinations: Lippstadt, Bad Sassendorf, Warstein, Erwitte, Vellinghausen, Werl, Möhnesee, Soest.

Back to the main travel overview: Soest.