Discover Hagen: Rivers, Museums and Castles
Accommodation in Hagen
Hagen brings together riverside scenery and a wide range of cultural attractions: Lake Hengstey lies to the north, while museums, castles and historic sites offer different ways to explore the city. Those who enjoy spending time outdoors will also find plenty to do, from circular hiking trails and cycling to activities on the water. When planning your trip, it helps to first consider which of these sides of Hagen interests you most.
Lake Hengstey, rivers and outdoor activities
At Lake Hengstey in the north of Hagen, the Lenne and Volme flow into the Ruhr. SeeBad Hengstey is right on the Ruhr Valley Cycle Route. As well as swimming in summer, it is a year-round destination for walkers, cyclists, water sports enthusiasts and other visitors. The lake brings together different ways to spend time outdoors, from a stroll to a bike ride.
The Ruhr, Volme, Lenne and Ennepe rivers also invite visitors to Hagen and the surrounding area to go fishing, pedal boating and canoeing. The Lenne Whitewater Park hosts international competitions and is suitable for both recreational paddlers and elite athletes.
If you prefer exploring on foot, you can take the almost twelve-kilometre-long 3 TĂĽrme Weg. This circular hiking trail passes the Bismarck Tower, Kaiser Friedrich Tower and Eugen Richter Tower. Its approximate length and circular route give you a practical guide for planning your day, without reducing the trail to a single landmark.
Museums and historic sites
Together with the Osthaus Museum Hagen and Emil Schumacher Museum Hagen, the Hagen City Museum forms the museum quarter. The city museum offers guided tours, workshops and activity days for visitors of all ages. It is family-friendly and provides families with a museum backpack for independent exploration. This also lets you combine your museum visit with a self-guided tour.
Werdringen Moated Castle was first mentioned in the 13th century and is now used as a museum and event venue. The Hagen Archaeological Museum – Werdringen Moated Castle is a geological and archaeological museum. At the moated castle, the castle café serves coffee, cake and waffles, as well as vegetarian and vegan dishes.
At Hohenlimburg Castle, you can visit the “Black Hand” exhibition. The grounds also include the castle courtyard with an accessible dungeon, the outer bailey with saluting cannons, the castle garden and the battlements.
The Hagen bunker has a faithfully reconstructed basement. There, visitors can experience what life was like during the bombing raids of the Second World War. The Volkshochschule Hagen, together with the city archive and city museum, offers regular guided tours of the bunker and other surviving air-raid shelters from the Second World War and the Cold War era.
City landmarks, music and hands-on activities
Hagen is home to the world’s first walk-through model of the solar system. Large bronze plaques run through the city at several locations. Since 1999, Villa Hohenhof has been an anchor point on the Route of Industrial Heritage.
Music is also part of Hagen’s cultural offering. The Hagen Orchestra presents symphony concerts, chamber concerts, family and crawling concerts, as well as special concerts. If you would like to include a concert in your trip, you can choose from these different formats and check the programme for your visit.
The LWL Open-Air Museum Hagen offers a group activity: at the indigo dye works and the neighbouring dye garden, groups can print historic patterns onto a piece of fabric measuring about 100 Ă— 120 cm.
Choose accommodation based on your plans
When looking for accommodation in Hagen, you can first decide what you want to focus on during your trip: the lake and rivers, a hike, museums and castles, or a concert. Families can include the family-friendly city museum and its museum backpack in their plans, while groups can enjoy a hands-on activity at the open-air museum.
Discover more destinations
Discover more destinations: Hagen, Leverkusen, Lippe, Soest, Cologne, Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis, Herford, Ruhr area.
Back to the main travel overview: North Rhine-Westphalia.
