Sights in Bielefeld

Nobody knows exactly when it was built. The Bielefeld Sparrenburg – or Sparrenberg Castle to be precise – was first mentioned in a document in 1256.

An excursion to the Sparrenburg in Bielefeld pays off at any time of the year, because the mighty fortress offers the visitor a wonderful panoramic view of the university town at the Teutoburg Forest. The extensive castle grounds are located on one of the most beautiful hiking trails in Germany and are accessible all year round. From April to October there are 2 guided tours available. You can explore the undercroft or climb up the tower.

In the heart of Bielefeld’s old town is the Old Market with impressive historical facades and magnificent gables.

The old patrician houses are worth seeing, especially the Crüwell House with its late Gothic stepped gable (1530). There are 7000 Delft tiles from the 16th to 18th centuries in the stairwell. The Old Market is the meeting point for numerous Bielefeld event highlights.

Erected between 1855 and 1857 as a mighty structure in the style of a factory palace, the Ravensberger spinning mill was one of the largest flax spinning mills in Europe in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Today the entire area around the Ravensberger spinning mill – the Ravensberger Park – is a popular culture and event center with two museums, a cinema, adult education center and gastronomic offers in the Alte Hechelei building.

The Leineweber monument from 1909 is located next to the church in the Old Town Church Park. The bronze figure, created by the sculptor Hans Perathoner, reminds of the economic importance of the linen industry for the development of the city.

The model was the former linen weaver Heinrich Heienbrok from Jöllenbeck. With a pipe, knot stick and holster, the linen weaver is the symbol of Ravensberg industrial diligence and next to the Sparrenburg another landmark of Bielefeld. Its 100th anniversary was celebrated in mid-July 2009.

Discover the whole world of pudding. As a visitor to the Dr. Oetker Welt in Bielefeld, you will experience the brand’s fascination with all your senses and take a look behind the scenes. Register early enough for one of the popular guided tours and look forward to a taste or two. In the shop at the end of the tour you can stock up on your favorite products for the evening at the Hotel Bielefelder Hof or at home.

Right next to the city theater is the old town hall, also inaugurated in 1904. Gothic and Renaissance elements are mixed with other historical architectural styles. The Bielefeld city coat of arms can be seen in the gable. A vivid model of the city from around 1650 is on the ground floor.

The representative administrative seat of the city of Bielefeld was expanded in the eighties with the construction of the modern New Town Hall.

The Hermann Monument is one of the most famous monuments in Germany and Europe – and one of the most popular sights in the area of Bielefeld. The plan to erect a memorial to the Cheruscan prince that can be seen from afar goes back to Ernst von Bandel, born on May 17, 1800. Bandel, who worked as a sculptor and architect in Hanover and Berlin for many years, sacrificed his entire Private wealth adhered to his life goal, the erection of the Armin monument. He has steadfastly overcome the multiple resistances that repeatedly opposed his work.

Bandel had started construction on the mountain he had chosen in 1838, but it wasn’t until 37 years later, in the summer of 1875, that he completed his monument.

The Externsteine ​​are a striking sandstone rock formation in the Teutoburg Forest and as such an outstanding natural attraction in Germany that is under natural and cultural heritage protection. The rocks are surrounded by the Wiembecketeich and a park-like area.

The Externsteine ​​are located in the area of ​​the town of Horn-Bad Meinberg in the Lippe district in North Rhine-Westphalia. They are assigned special cultural-historical meanings.