North Rhine-Westphalia has the Westphalian Mill Route with wonderful old historic windmills for visitors to find. Well, if you choose not to follow this historic route, you might find yourself in Welver instead. You most assuredly won’t be disappointed; in fact you’ll love it.
Like most small towns within Germany the days of the Middle Ages greatly shaped what you see today. Even though people have lived here since as far back as the Stone Age, they left very little (if anything at all) that we can see today.
Medieval castles were the ultimate of monuments of their day and you’ll find two here; both quite different. Castle Vellinghausen is an old gray stone structure with a half-timbered building attachment.
But, Schloss Nehlen really steals the limelight and makes Vellinghausen look like an ordinary manor house. To say this 13th century massive structure is impressive is more than an understatement. Schloss Nehlen is the towering castle of our imaginations come to life.
Another piece of medieval culture is the monastery. Welver did have one for almost 600 years, until it closed in the early 19th century when residents built a lovely Baroque Church instead. But, you can visit the old baking and brewing (beer) house at the former monastery. There are also plenty of romantic looking half-timbered buildings along the way, only adding to its charm.
Welver also has one of the largest Local History Museum’s in the region with thousands of objects from the centuries of Westphalian history.
Even the town’s festivals are larger than life. The annual carnival is one of the largest in all of Westphalia and its Sattel-Fest or Saddle Celebration (2nd to last weekend in July) usually has 50,000 revelers from all over partying, eating, and drinking in the city streets.
If you want peace and quiet you’ll find it out in the Beech Forest. It’s where you’ll find so many well-marked trails that lead off in all directions through dense forest. Before you go-make sure you get a map at the Rathaus, located at Marktplatz 4.
If walking isn’t your forte, then play a game of tennis or swim in the town’s local pool to mingle with the locals.
After seeing what’s here you won’t wonder what makes Welver, well, wondrous.