Borken (Hesse) is one of those towns where everywhere you turn there’s some type of contradiction. This is in no way a bad thing, it just gives the town pure character.
For example, if you’re looking towards Borken’s historic town center you’ll find modern automobiles parked right next a myriad of timber framed buildings.
Mining was a huge boon to the local economy, but no longer. Now, what was once its cash cow has become one of its largest tourist attractions.
Borken lays claim to a huge outdoor Brown Coal Mining Museum, a great chance to teach the kids a science lesson on energy. There have also been some prehistoric archaeological finds in some of the old mine shafts, many of prehistoric turtles that have been given a specific species name after the town.
The Borkener See (Borken Lake) is a wonderful blend of science and nature. At Borken Lake the entire family can have an awesome time, enjoying the Nature Park, swimming, hiking, volleyball, windsurfing, and Aqua Golf.
For the uninitiated, aqua golf is where you hit balls into the water; quite the opposite when golfers are trying to keep their balls out of the drink. Again, just another one of those Borken contradictions.
Leaving science and nature aside, you can have a good old history lesson, too. Within the neighborhood of Nassenerfurth there’s a grand church and Wasserschloss (water castle), both were built in the 15th century.
A most fascinating fact of Borken’s history comes from nothing short of homicide as Duke Frederich of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel was murdered here in the year 1400. A memorial stone cross stands for the unfortunate Duke in the neighborhood of Kleinenglis bearing an inscription that has yet to be deciphered to this very day.
Whether you choose to spend your time trying to deciphering Ferdinand’s cross or enjoying everything else in the Hessian town of Borken; you most certainly can’t go wrong.
