You will find the busy town of Salzkotten between the flat landscape of the Münsterland in the north and the dry rocky mountains and forests in the south. Many rivers and streams pass through here on their way to the Rhine in the west — and as its name suggests it was built up around its salt production industry.
The local salty springs here were being developed as early as the 12th century by the population and it was big business for them. Even today they still hold their Sälzerfest (salt producing festival) to celebrate the towns past and its rich history.
Salzkotten has a rich history and its not too difficult to find traces of its past. Remains of the great city walls are easily located, and others are found in the center of town.
The Fountain House is one of the important locations as this is the source of the springs that fed their industry and the linked 2.5km Salt Trail is a must. It leads you through town, helping to reinforce the importance of the springs here, helping you discover the benefits of the minerals to human health as well as to local flora and fauna.
However, the Witches Tower has a different past!
The town is also a very musical one, and the local people are proud of their talents. There are around 22 musical clubs in this small settlement, ranging from full orchestras to brass bands and even some drum corps. As a result, there will almost always be an opportunity for you to enjoy a local performance of some kind! Its not all about music though — they have their annual Schützenfest and fair as well as their local Hederauenfest.
The whole region has some great scenery if you get out of the town center. The Sültsoid to the south-east of Salzkotten is an impressive nature reserve worth a visit.
Due to the geology of the region, there are many springs and spas around here besides their own. Nearby Paderborn is undoubtedly the largest with about 200 springs shooting an estimated 5000 liters per second from the ground!
