Tourist Attractions in Detmold
The old residence and garrison town of Detmold was part of the former principality of Lippe-Detmold and lies in the valley of the Werra on the northern slopes of the Teutoburg Forest. The picturesque old town still has many preserved 16th and 17th century half-timbered houses.
Externsteine
12km/7.5mi south of Detmold (2km/1.25mi west of Horn-Bad Meinberg) are the Externsteine, a group of fissured sandstone rocks, the highest rising to 37.5 m/123ft, originally a pagan shrine and later a Christian place of pilgrimage (monumental stone carving of the Descent from the Cross, c. 1120).
Westphalian Open-Air Museum
On the Königsberg in Detmold is the Westphalian Open-Air Museum, covering an area of 80 hectares/200 acres, with 90 buildings brought here from different parts of Westphalia (demonstrations of old craft techniques; special exhibitions).
Westfälisches Open-Air Museum
Neustadt
D-32756 Detmold
Germany
Neustadt
D-32756 Detmold
Germany
Hours
April 1 to October 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 |
| Close | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 |
Guides
Guided tour available as optional extra.
Bird Park
In the Heiligenkirchen district, 4km/2.5mi south of Detmold, is a bird park with 320 different species of birds.
Hours
March 15 to November 1
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 |
| Close | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 |
Eagle Observatory
In the Berlebeck district, 5km/3mi south of Detmold, can be found the Adlerwarte, with 80 birds of prey from all over the world.
Hours
February 16 to November 15
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 9:30 | 9:30 | 9:30 | 9:30 | 9:30 | 9:30 | 9:30 |
| Close | 17:30 | 17:30 | 17:30 | 17:30 | 17:30 | 17:30 | 17:30 |
November 16 to February 15
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 |
| Close | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 |
Hermann Memorial
8km/5mi southwest of Detmold on the Grotenburg (386m/1,266ft)), rises the Hermannsdenkmal (by Ernst von Bandel, 1838-75), a huge monument commemorating the battle in the Teutoburg Forest in 9 A.D. in which the Cheruscan chieftain Hermann (Arminius) inflicted a crushing defeat on the Roman army. The total height of the monument, including the base, is 53m/174ft.
Hours
March 1 to October 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 | 9:00 |
| Close | 18:30 | 18:30 | 18:30 | 18:30 | 18:30 | 18:30 | 18:30 |
November 1 to February 28
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 9:30 | 9:30 | 9:30 | 9:30 | 9:30 | 9:30 | 9:30 |
| Close | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 |
New Palace
On the south side of Detmold, in the beautiful Allee, is the Neues Palais (1708-17), now occupied by the North-West German Academy of Music. Behind the palace is the beautiful Palaisgarten.
Palace
To the north of the Markt in Detmold is the Hofgarten (entrance in Lange Strasse), with the Schloss, a palace in Weser Renaissance style (by Jörg Unkair and Cord Tönnis, 1548-57) with four wings laid out round a central courtyard, incorporating an older tower of 1470. It contains valuable collections of tapestries and porcelain.
Hours
April 1 to October 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
November 1 to March 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 |
Provincial Museum
To the northwest of the Hofgarten in Detmold, on the Ameide, is the Landesmuseum (natural history, ethnography, local material).
Hours
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 |
| Close | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 |
Always closed on:
New Year's Day (January 1)
May Day / Labor Day (May 1)
New Year's Eve (December 31)
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24)
May Day / Labor Day (May 1)
New Year's Eve (December 31)
Christmas - Christian (December 25)
Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24)
Attractions in Other Popular Destinations
