Hidden Treasures of NRW: Detmold (1/2)
Yesterday was surreal. The rain Gods were busy elsewhere and Paderborn woke up to a sunny day with clear skies. Thankfully, this was exactly what my weather app had predicted and I had big plans for the day!
While searching for my next destination, I stumbled upon Detmold. My colleagues said I wouldn’t regret spending a day there and I’ll soon come back for more. Detmold (about 35 kms North-East of Paderborn) is easily accessible by train so I decided on a day trip! The train journey is about 40 minutes long and provides a beautiful view of the Beke valley near Altenbeken. This short journey was the best start my day could have possibly asked for, and slowly my day got even better! I don’t think just one blog post is enough to describe the beauty and charm of Detmold, so brace yourselves for a couple of posts on Detmold.
View from the train
The center of the town is extremely elegant and has multiple tourist attractions. The special flair of the old town is made up of the numerous small shops and street cafes, where you can relax wonderfully. The Landestheater is the largest of the four NRW theaters and often hosts operas, musicals and stage plays. The theater enthusiast Prince Leopold II had it erected in 1825. In 1914, it was rebuilt after being destroyed in a fire. Like all German theatres, it had to close during World War II and it was occupied by the British from 1945 to 1952.
The Landestheater, Detmold
The Princely Residence Palace with its palace park forms the center of the historic old town. In 1550, Detmold became the permanent residence of Count Simon III of Lippe. At the end of the World War I in 1918, all princely states in Germany were abolished but Detmold Castle remains in the hands of the Princes of Lippe. Today, Stephan, Prince of Lippe is the owner of Detmold Castle and lives there with his family.
Left to Right: Town center (Altstadt) and Princely Residence Palace Castle
On way to other tourist attractions, I noticed this charming little canal in the middle of the Neustadt (new town). It was a Saturday and there was a popular outdoor market around this canal. The clean and picturesque canal certainly gave me Amsterdam vibes. After some googling, I found out that this was Friedrichstaler Canal, which is an artificial waterway almost 2 kms long that was built in the 1700s. There was almost no mention of this place on the internet and thus it wasn’t a part of my initial plan. But when have our plans ever worked, eh? So after soaking in the triumph of having found a charming little place so unexpectedly, I went on with my day.
My next stop was Hermannsdenkmal (German for “Hermann’s Monument”), which is one of the most popular tourist attractions near Paderborn. It stands on the densely forested Grotenburg, a hill in the Teutoburg Forest range. It was constructed between 1838 and 1875 to commemorate Arminius (in German, Hermann) and his victory over Rome at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 AD. When the statue was built, its location was believed to be near the original battle site.
Adolf Hitler visited the monument in 1926 and after 1930 the Nazi Party used the location for a number of assemblies. In 1933, the Detmold government tried to have it declared the official pilgrimage site of the German nation but was turned down by the Nazi government in Berlin. The Nazi leadership preferred to organise events at other locations with better transport facilities. The monument featured as a symbol in Nazi propaganda material and hosted events that focused on glorifying Hitler and glamorizing him as the successor of Arminius. After the war ended, attempts were made to de-politicise the monument by promoting it as a tourist destination.
The view from Hermannsdenkmal was beautiful and the whole town of Detmold was clearly visible. The beautifully maintained park at the back of the monument added to the charm. Hermannsdenkmal was full of curious tourists and some artists trying to sketch the monument.
View from Hermannsdenkmal (notice the shadow of the monument in the photo on the right)
I was pretty overwhelmed by this time: everything (including the weather) had worked in my favour. Little did I know that the best of Detmold was yet to come! Please stay tuned for the second post, where I talk about the place that made me fall in love with Detmold, like never before.