Discover Hörstmar: Landwehr Trail and half-timbered architecture

There are several ways to plan a trip to Hörstmar: the Landwehr Trail runs through the town. The Ziegenstein farmstead is home to a half-timbered house built in 1762 and restored with great attention to detail; the farmstead also offers food and drink featuring products from the region and its own garden. Other attractions include a private automobile museum and a chapel used for services on Sundays and church holidays. When looking for accommodation, you can first consider whether hiking, architectural history, the farmstead’s offerings, church services or automobiles are important to your trip.

Hiking the Landwehr Trail

The 36-kilometre Landwehr Trail runs around Lemgo and passes through Hörstmar. It is important to keep the scale in mind when planning: 36 kilometres is the length of the entire trail, not just the section through Hörstmar. In the town, the route crosses the B 66, passes the wastewater treatment plant and continues to Herforder Straße. These points help you follow the route through Hörstmar, while the total length puts the hike in its broader context.

If hiking is your main focus, you can think of Hörstmar as part of this longer route. The trail offers its own way of discovering the town: its described course connects the circular route around Lemgo with specific landmarks in Hörstmar. This is a different way of experiencing the town from a stay focused primarily on architecture, church services or the farmstead’s food and drink.

Half-timbered architecture and regional produce at the Ziegenstein farmstead

A cycling tour also takes you to the Ziegenstein farmstead in Hörstmar: the “Cycling Experience Lemgo–Detmold” tour lists it as a rest stop. The farmstead is located on the Limme stream. Its half-timbered house dates from 1762 and was restored with great attention to detail. The construction date and restoration give the building a specific historical context, drawing attention both to when it was built and to the care taken in preserving it.

The farmstead offers food and drink featuring products from the region and its own garden. This brings two different themes to the fore: the history of the half-timbered house and an offering that includes both regional and farm-grown produce. Together with its role as a rest stop on the cycling tour, this gives the farmstead its own appeal alongside hiking the Landwehr Trail.

Chapel and automobile museum

Hörstmar is also home to a private automobile museum. This extends the range of themes beyond hiking and half-timbered architecture. The chapel is used for services on Sundays and church holidays; this regular schedule offers a different focus from excursions and architecture. When planning your stay, you can weigh these interests separately rather than assuming there is just one way to discover Hörstmar.

Lemgo: more culture and nature

Lemgo, the wider destination, offers its own urban, cultural and nature-related attractions. The ramparts run around the town centre and, as former town fortifications, form a green belt around the historic old town. The historic town hall, dating from the 14th century, stands in the market square and still serves its original municipal function. St. Nicolai stands directly behind the town hall, with its two distinctive towers; it is a landmark of Lemgo. St. Marien is a medieval church in the centre, on Stiftstraße.

The Witch Mayor’s House is home to the Lemgo Municipal Museum. The Frenkel House Memorial presents a small permanent exhibition on the history of the Jewish Frenkel family in their former home and business premises. The two sites offer different ways to explore the town’s history: through the municipal museum and through the story of a particular Jewish family.

Lemgo also offers a range of ways to enjoy nature and stay active. The floodplain park on the Bega, in the south of the town, stretches from Langenbrücker Tor to Regenstorplatz. It offers opportunities to enjoy nature and play for children; there is also a parkour and bouldering facility at Erlentreff. The municipal forest covers an operational area of around 1,200 hectares and can be explored on foot, by jogging or by bicycle. The floodplain park and municipal forest offer different ways to enjoy Lemgo’s green spaces.

Kläschen is celebrated regularly in Lemgo around St Nicholas Day. From Thursday through to the Sunday when shops open, fairground rides and numerous stalls in the town centre and on Kastanienwall offer opportunities to stroll, eat, drink and celebrate. The festival dates back to the Nikolaimarkt, considered the town’s oldest fair and closely connected with the construction of St. Nicolai. Lemgo’s range of attractions therefore includes a recurring festival as well as town history and green spaces.

This overview can help you decide what to focus on when searching for a place to stay.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Leopoldshöhe, Lemgo, Oerlinghausen, Schieder-Schwalenberg, Blomberg, Augustdorf, Horn-Bad Meinberg, Barntrup.

Return to the overview of the wider destination: Lippe.