Hagen Tourist Attractions

In Friedrich-Ebert-Platz in Hagen stands the Town Hall (Rathaus), which has on its tower a gilded sphere of special steel representing the sun, set up here in 1965. It has a diameter of 1.39m (just over 4.5ft) - a billionth part of the sun's diameter - and the whole of the solar system is distributed about the town on the same scale, with bronze plates on the pavements marking the orbits of the planets.

To the south of the Town Hall in Hagen, at Hochstrasse 73, is the Karl Ernst Osthaus Museum (20th C. art), in a monumental Art Nouveau building designed by Henry van de Velde. There are a number of other Art Nouveau houses elsewhere in the town.

Adjoining the Osthaus Museum in Hagen is the Municipal Museum, with exhibits on the development of the town and domestic interiors.

In Hagen's southern district of Selbecke can be found the interesting Westphalian Open-Air Museum, covering an area of 34 hectares/85 acres in the Mäckingerbach valley, with numerous industrial installations (including mills, smithies and a variety of workshops) from different parts of Westphalia.

The villa development of Hohenhagen in Hagen's Eppenhausen district reflects the town-planning ideas of the Werkbund (founded in 1907 to promote good industrial design). Its central feature is the Hohenhof, a house built by van de Velde for Karl Ernst Osthaus in 1906-08.

In Hagen's southeastern district of Hohenlimburg stands Schloss Hohenlimburg (13th-14th C., with later alterations), now housing a museum (folk art and traditions, domestic interiors, history of region, prehistory and early historical period). The Schlossfestspiele (Festival) is held in the courtyard in summer (drama, ballet, concerts).