Unna: Old Town, Light Art and Green Landscapes

Unna combines a medieval Old Town with a museum housed in a listed castle, international light art and natural areas such as the Bornekamptal valley. When planning your trip, you can choose between urban history and cultural attractions on the one hand, and experiences in nature on the other—or combine both.

Old Town history in the museum and throughout the city

Unna’s Old Town has retained its essential features and has a medieval character. Its layout, urban structure and buildings preserve historical information dating from the town’s development in the High Middle Ages through to the 20th century. Remains of the town wall, with some towers still intact, also convey a strong impression of the former town boundary and its defensive history.

The Hellweg Museum Unna is a museum of local and regional history run by the city. It is housed in a listed castle on the town wall. On display is the gold hoard discovered in the Old Town in 1952: it comprises at least 255 gold coins, 230 of which are exhibited. The museum also offers an introduction to Jewish cultural history through its exhibits. A walking tour of the city then leads to places in the town centre associated with Jewish life in Unna.

Today’s Protestant town church is also part of the cityscape. It is the successor to the original parish church dating from 1322 and the subsequent building phases. Regarded as the city’s most artistically significant building, it is also considered one of the finest medieval religious buildings in the Hellweg region. More than 300 Stolpersteine (stumbling stones) in Unna commemorate the victims of National Socialism.

Light art and guided visits

The Centre for International Light Art is located in the former Linden Brewery. Since 2001, light art has been presented underground across a total area of 2,600 square metres. In this form, the centre is considered the world’s first and only museum dedicated to presenting light art. Visits take place as part of guided tours. Workshops, symposia and exhibition-related programmes also explore the subject of light art; check the current programme for specific dates.

The Hellweg Museum also offers activities and workshops for school classes and individuals. Anyone wishing to explore local and regional history in greater depth can also contact the Unna City Archives, which responds to relevant enquiries and supports people with research. Archive tours can be arranged through the adult education centre’s programme or directly with the archive for groups.

The Bornekamptal valley and green urban spaces

The Bornekamptal valley stretches for about four kilometres from the southern edge of Unna to the open fields east of the Unna-Billmerich district. The Kortelbach stream runs through this natural area, which features woodland, hedgerows, meadows, field margins, avenues and riverside zones. Almost all of these landscape features are designated as protected landscape components in the Unna Landscape Plan. The valley is also a fresh-air corridor, a quiet zone and an important local recreation area for the people of Unna and beyond.

Some of the old European beech stands in the Bornekamptal valley contain a high proportion of deadwood. They are important feeding and breeding grounds for woodpeckers, bats and wood-decaying insects. Visitors, cyclists and horse riders should keep to the paved or signposted paths in the valley. This makes it possible to explore the landscape while staying on the designated routes.

The Südfriedhof (South Cemetery) is another green urban space. Covering more than 20 hectares, it has developed into a local recreation area with mature trees. In the older section, old beech, lime and maple trees line the paths. The Bornekamptal valley and the South Cemetery offer a different focus from the Old Town, museum and light art: here, the landscape, trees and peaceful surroundings take centre stage.

Choose the right focus for your trip

For cultural history, consider the Old Town, the Hellweg Museum, the town church and the archives; light art adds a distinctive museum with guided visits to this focus. Those who would rather spend time in green natural areas will find different inspiration in the Bornekamptal valley and at the South Cemetery. This contrast helps you tailor your trip to your own interests without trying to fit both urban and nature experiences into a single day’s itinerary.

Discover more destinations: Werne, Kamen, Lünen, Bönen, Holzwickede, Selm, Schwerte, Bergkamen.

Return to the main travel overview: Unna.