Lübbecke’s beer fountain has to be seen to be believed. For seven hours each year on August 29th there is an honest to goodness fountain of beer flowing in the middle of town. Over a hundred thousand people hit town on the 29th to see the unusual sight and drink the fountain dry!
That’s right — the beer fountain isn’t just a visual feast. It’s a massive giveaway. The Ernst-Ludwig Brauherr Barre set up the fountain day as an annual event in 1954, as a way to honor the memory of the brewery’s founder. They hire staff who dress in costume and stand by the fountain to pour and make sure everyone in Lübbecke gets at least one glass of beer.
If you miss the actual fountain day, you can still get Ernst-Ludwig Brauherr Barre at a local bar, or even tour the brewery itself. The Barre’s Brauwelt brewery museum and tour is one of the popular indoor attractions in town. Most of the other attractions capitalize on the natural beauty of the area.
Lübbecke sits in the middle of a large moor, and the peat bogs have well-marked hiking trails. It’s a different sort of landscape — some parts are squishy, other rock hard, with twisted trees and odd marsh grasses. Hiking the trails is really worth it because you really don’t see that kind of topography just anywhere. You can stop off at various small ponds or picnic out on the moor.
Back in town proper, you will also see the kinds of old cathedrals and towers that are getting rarer and rarer. Lübbecke was not much harmed by war over the years, so watch towers, homes and town buildings are the original pre-medieval construction.
It’s an authenticity you can really enjoy, especially if you are sitting back and enjoying it with a cup of the free beer! ;-)
