Hidden Treasures of NRW: Paderborn (2/2)
Paderborn is a beautiful town which gets even more charming as the river Pader flows away from it and merges with a larger river, Lippe. Today I talk about three places in Paderborn that are very close to my heart. Casual walks at these places introduced me to a new side of myself, something not many big cities have been able to do!
In the initial days when I lived close to my office, I spent many Sunday evenings at a small lake called Padersee (“see” means “lake” in German). Padersee has a wonderful cafe and a nice park which makes it a perfect place for a family picnic. A walk at Padersee gives me immense happiness, because it takes me to a world where weekends are spent with your family and a picnic basket1. Some of the best memories I have here include sitting on the lawn reading a book watching families biking together or babies and puppies playing with each other. Germans treasure their weekends and I am slowly starting to see why :)
Padersee
A short bus ride from Padersee takes us to the former prince-bishop’s residence, Schloß Neuhaus (pronounced as “Schloss” Neuhaus). It is a Weser Renaissance style castle which now accommodates a local school and organizes many cultural events. It is accompanied by an impeccable garden and a recreation area formed by the Alme, Lippe and Pader rivers (this is also where Pader flows into Lippe). The first time I visited Schloß Neuhaus, I was stunned! This was the dollhouse I had so fondly decorated with my twin sister twenty years ago! I remember giggling like a toddler who thinks she is a Disney princess (umm maybe Elsa, not Cinderella!).
Schloß Neuhaus
I have very fond memories of visiting this castle: of eating ice cream on a hot summer day and drinking hot mulled wine on a frozen December night. What always impresses me is the perfection with which the garden is maintained! Since the past one year I have realised how much Germans love cleaning (probably even more than my mother loves cleaning) and it totally pays off! It is an absolute joy to visit these gardens during any season. Because the castle is straight out of a dream, it is a popular venue for a wedding or a wedding photoshoot! Can I let you in on a little secret? Sometimes when I go to this castle I hope that there’s a wedding going on! It warms my heart to see gorgeously dressed couples celebrating their love, and perhaps somewhere deep in my heart I dream of having such an intimate happy wedding for myself in the future (well, that escalated quickly :P)!
Schloß Neuhaus
Schloß Neuhaus during Christmas
Moving on, in the next ten minutes the same bus from Schloß Neuhaus takes us to another little paradise, Lippesee! It is a beautiful lake with a weir that really makes it stand apart from other lakes. It also has an artificial beach, which is the closest thing we have to a beach. Unfortunately the beach has been closed ever since I came and I can’t wait to try it out once it opens. My friend and I visited Lippesee on a sunny winter day and I was excited to click good photos. I did a decent job but my friend, Sriteja had both a better camera and excellent photography skills. Thanks Sriteja for letting me borrow the amazing photos you clicked :)
Lippesee
We met up at Lippesee on a Friday evening to catch up. And just as we were ranting about the war, the pandemic and the work week that didn’t go our way, Lippesee reminded us why we are still blessed. It stealthily painted a gorgeous sunset for us, for when mankind gives you a hundred reasons to grieve, nature gives you thousands to smile! And that’s something I love the most about Paderborn2: the nature around it. It is a peaceful town wanting no attention, and I might not have even heard about it had I not moved here for my PhD. Since the past one year, I have seen Paderborn change from a shy town to a town that talks through silence. When most people (including me) are navigating their way through their twenties, they need an assurance that they can be ordinary and still make a difference in the world. I am truly grateful to Paderborn for showing me everyday how extraordinary it is to be ordinary!