Kalletal and its sixteen neighborhoods in the Teutoburg Forest / Eggegebirge Nature Park is truly remarkable. It’s a great place to spend more than just a day or two. This way you’ll really get a chance to see and experience all that the town has to offer, like the many half timbered buildings, the castle, and many outdoor activities hidden within the forest.
With so many neighborhoods it’s best to take each one on its own merit. If you’re looking for historic half timbered houses, Brosen is the place to be. Interestingly enough, Brosen’s been inhabited since the 6th century A.D.
Varenholz also has plenty of half timbered old buildings, and boasts a castle as well. Schloss Varenholz was originally built in 1188, but it was renovated into a Renaissance style a few hundred years later. It’s now a private boarding school for high schoolers, but its castle gardens are open to the public if you want to go looking around (highly recommended!).
For some old churches, you need to see Hohenhausen’s Romanesque church built around the year 1100. And in Lüdenhausen, there’s a wonderful military church, built in 1200 out of wood. It has an impressive stone tower where villagers through the centuries took refuge in times of war.
Bavenhausen seems to be one of the oldest of Kalletal’s charming neighborhoods, as archaeologists have found Stone Age grave hills here.
Hiedelbeck is another district whose history also goes back a long way. Its Renaissance castle dates to 1596 and even older is the castle’s mill and Möllenbeck Monastery.
Heidelbeck is the place where you’ll find the fascinating Forest Museum. Come to the museum here.
You’ll find that the Teutoburg Forest has many great cycling and hiking trails that just go on through the countryside. You’ll be surprised by all the brooks and ponds you’ll find along the way, which can be great for fishing. The Forest’s Nature Park has some 400 km of walking paths with over fifty kinds of flowers, even those hard to grow orchids.
For some other great outdoor activities, the Weser Leisure Center is a popular place with campers and cyclists and has a fun miniature golf course that the entire family can enjoy.
