The old Hanseatic town of Attendorn lies near the Biggesee in the southern Sauerland, between the Rothaargebirge and the Ebbegebirge. The town was devastated by fire on six occasions during the 18th century; as a result, most of its historic buildings date from after 1783.
The Biggesee, southwest of Attendorn, is a lake formed in 1964 by the construction of a 640 m/700yd long dam on the river Bigge. The lake, which is spanned by two bi-level bridges for road and rail traffic, and the neighboring Listersee are now a popular recreation area (boat services).
Burg Schnellenberg, above Attendorn, is a large 17th C. castle which is now a hotel. It has a Renaissance chapel and the Castle Museum (open only in summer).
Address: Burg Schnellenberg, D-57439 Attendorn, Germany
Hours:
Always closed on: Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Facilities: On-site accomodations, Restaurant or food service
The Old Town Hall (14th C.) in Attendorn now houses the District Museum (geology, prehistory, history of the town, hunting collection, collection of tin figures).
Elspe, 20km/12.5mi northeast of Attendorn, is famed for the Karl May Festival (named after the popular 19th C. author of adventure stories), which is held annually in June and July and has an open-air theater.
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