Bad Iburg is a town with history. OK, that’s putting it mildly because just about every time you turn around you’re bumping into some half timbered old building.
That might be how the town’s most famous resident remembers it. Bad Iburg is the birthplace of Sophia Charlotte, the first queen of Prussia. You might not have heard about her, but you’re sure to have heard about her brother England’s King George I who became king in 1714.
Sophia Charlotte was born in Schloss Iburg, one of the most historical and important buildings in town. The castle complex was also Benedictine monastery and was once conquered by none other than Charlemagne.
If you could only see one thing in Bad Iburg, the castle should be it.
Its Rittersaal, or Knights’ Hall, is a work of art onto itself. And the Bennoturm is now a testament to medieval architecture. I’m sure the many who used to be imprisoned here centuries ago would wholeheartedly disagree.
Other historical sites throughout town include the Schlossmühle (castle mill) and Schlosskirche (castle church), St. Jakobus der Ältere Church, and St. Clemens Church.
Don’t miss a chance to see Burg Scheventorf, an old water castle built in 1552 on top of its 14th century predecessor. Too bad you only see the outside (it’s private property). Neither should you miss the Jagdschlösschen, a hunting lodge built in 1595 by some German prince looking for a country getaway.
More of Bad Iburg’s history is best learned at the Local History Museum.
And if you want a good place to check to see if your watch shows the right time, check out the Uhrenmuseum, or Clock Museum.
In addition to the many old buildings and castles around this town, you’ll find lots of little sculptures just about every time you turn around, too. Just not so much in the northern part of town, that’s the heavily forested area of the Teutoburg Forest.
Make sure you’ve got a good pair of walking shoes when coming to this part of town. You might not be able to resist just walking on the many paths through the forest.
Remember to come back to the center of town for the annual Folk Festival and rush back over to Schloss Iburg for the Christmas Market.
Bad Iburg sounds like a mighty good time in Lower Saxony and I won’t tell if you’re pretending you’re royalty. ;-)
