I was looking at some pictures of Schieder-Schwalenberg’s Town Hall from a century ago; and you know what? It looks exactly the same today. And that’s a good thing.
I think it’s pretty nifty that this town that’s been around since the Stone Age likes continuity (some archaeological finds are now in a museum in Detmold that’s about 20km away).
Good for them! I hope it’s around for another 100 years, so that long after I’m gone there will be another writer sitting at some new-fangled machine of their time talking about the same building and looking at the same pictures. ;-)
Oh, there I go again getting all romantic. Ugh!
One thing I can’t get romantic about in Schieder-Schwalenberg is the humidity. Yes, that’s right — it can get pretty humid here, mostly because it rains a lot. You’ll be outta luck to hope for a good hair day.
Grab a baseball cap or a scrunchie (the ladies know what they are) and get to sightseeing.
Like any good German town Schieder-Schwalenberg has a castle. Burg Schwalenberg was built in the 1230’s; and now almost 800 years later it’s a hotel & restaurant.
Actually, Schieder-Schwalenberg has another castle. Schloss Wöbbel was built in 1584 and owned by the same family for almost 400 years. It did have to be rebuilt (now a Baroque beauty) after it was totally destroyed during the Thirty Years’ War.
Now I know the castles could be considered old; but the Herlingsburg is downright ancient, literally. It’s a pre-Roman Iron Age settlement (200-50 B.C.) that sat high on a hilltop. During the Middle Ages (around the 8th century) it was used again — but today all there is are trenches and ramparts left of the old fort.
The countryside is so pretty it’s no wonder why there was a thriving artist’s colony here. While the “colony” might be gone, Schieder-Schwalenberg still celebrates the artist with lots of exhibitions and art events.
While castles, art, and ancient history are nice, there’s still outdoorsy stuff to do. Speaking of a lake for swimming, canoeing, and sailing.
Then, of course, there are the annual events that take place in town. During the summer many cultural activities take place at the lake, so there’s more than just swimming.
Every other year (even years, I should say) in August there’s a huge International Folklore Festival. What is it about Schieder-Schwalenberg that inspires the creative?
Hmm, I guess I’m not the only one to get all romantic over Schieder-Schwalenberg. Maybe a hundred years from now, someone else will be too… ;-)
