What do the seven districts of the town of Adelebsen have in common? No, I’m not playing trivia or the “Crazy German” version of Jeopardy this time — in case you’re wondering. ;-)
I’ll tell you the answer: they’re dominated by the 13th century Burg Adelebsen. What’s even better is if you’re here between April and September you can get yourself a guided tour of the castle that’s part medieval, part Renaissance, and part Baroque architecture.
You can’t miss it, BTW, it’s got this 9-story donjon (that’s the tower standing 40 meters high) with walls 4 meters thick. Uh, you ain’t digging your way of that, my friends.
All that stonework makes me think of Adelebsen’s Steinarbeitermuseum, or Stone Workers Museum. Funny enough, it isn’t housed in a stone building, but a half-timbered one.
Another framework beauty is the 15th century Paper Mill. While it isn’t used for that purpose anymore, it’s still a wonderful stop — and gives the town a medieval feel.
For a festive feel, enjoy one of Adelebsen’s many cultural events. There’s the Frühlingsmarkt in early May, the Summer Festival in July, a Dorffest (Village Festival) in May, an Adventsmarkt in December, and all sorts of Advent and Christmas concerts.
Because those last ones are religious events, it makes me think of the Kapellenruine Reynhardeshagen (that’s hard to say in one mouthful). This too, like the castle, was built in the 13th century — but hasn’t held up so well.
Too bad, it was once a pilgrimage church. And if you keep walking you’ll find the ruins of a medieval watchtower nearby.
Does Adelebsen have any other spectacular churches? Sure it does, the St. Nicholas Church (in Eberhausen) is a half-timbered one with a stone tower, and Erbsen has the mid-15th century St. Vitus Church.
Wibbecke has a chapel that was built in 1150. It looks more like a stately manor than a chapel, but it’s still pretty nonetheless.
The last religious site is the Jewish Cemetery — then you’re free to do all the hiking and biking trails in the village of Lödingsen all you want. Or, learn all about the flora and fauna in the Sollingvorland in the village of Güntersen.
I guess I should have said that Adelebsen’s seven districts are dominated by its castle and its countryside. Good thing we weren’t playing Jeopardy — I’d have gotten the question wrong; but I sure was right about coming to Adelebsen. ;-)
