Werl offers a variety of ways to spend your stay: its historic town centre, museums and churches, as well as a tree trail and cycling loops. Those who want to focus on urban history and art will find different points of interest than visitors looking to spend their time being active outdoors. The options also differ in format, ranging from walks through lanes and collections to four themed cycling loops between 17 and 22 kilometres long.
Old Town and Urban History
Werl’s officially recognised historic town centre is characterised by restored half-timbered buildings, Neoclassical façades, a castle ruin and numerous cobbled lanes. It is ideal for a walk through the old town. You can focus on the façades and the different architectural styles, or include the lanes and castle ruin in your walk. The historic buildings and streets offer a different way to discover Werl than a museum visit, where individual collections and exhibits take centre stage.
The Municipal Museum at Rykenberg, the Wendelin-Leidinger-Haus, is located in the heart of Werl’s old town, near the provost church. Its exhibits include a model showing Werl as it looked in the 17th century. Also on display is the impressive collection of paintings by artist Gaudenz von Rustige, who was born in Werl in 1810. The model provides a picture of the town’s former appearance, while the paintings focus on an artist born in Werl. Those interested in urban history and painting will find two different subjects under one museum name.
Museums Offering Different Perspectives
The Forum of the Peoples Museum houses more than 10,000 objects of non-European art and everyday culture. It is considered Westphalia’s largest ethnological museum. Its thematic focus differs markedly from the town model and Werl painting collection at the Municipal Museum at Rykenberg: here, the focus is on art and everyday culture from outside Europe. Werl’s museum exhibits thus range from depictions of the town’s own history to collections of non-European objects.
Churches and Sacred Art
The Provost Church of St. Walburga is a Gothic hall church dating from the 14th century, with furnishings of art-historical significance. These include the monumental Cross Altar, the Altarpiece of the Adoration of the Magi, the Erbsälzer and Rosary altars, and the richly decorated court bench of the ecclesiastical court. These named works give art lovers specific features to look out for among the church’s furnishings. Werl’s pilgrimage basilica is also home to the miraculous image “Comforter of the Afflicted.” Werl’s pilgrimage church of St. Mary’s Visitation was built between 1903/04 and 1906. Werl therefore brings together different aspects of ecclesiastical history and art: the furnishings of the provost church, a miraculous image and the construction period of the pilgrimage church.
Spa Park and Cycling Loops
Werl Spa Park dates back to the time when Werl was a saltwater spa; its origins reach back to the 19th century. The park has a tree trail where visitors can see native and non-native species. The focus here is on the trees, while the “Werl Cloverleaf” offers an option for a cycling tour.
The “Werl Cloverleaf” consists of four themed loops through the Werl municipal area. Each loop is 17 to 22 kilometres long, and the routes can be cycled individually or combined. The rides follow quiet farm and cycling paths through the countryside and offer views away from the main roads. When choosing a tour, you can take the length of each loop into account and decide whether to cycle one route on its own or combine several. As route conditions can change, it is best to check them before setting out.
Discover more destinations: Lippstadt, Geseke, Vellinghausen, Lippetal, Welver, Soest, Bad Sassendorf, Rüthen.
Go to the higher-level travel overview: Soest.
