Hamm is an industrial city and that shows when you go exploring in and around the city. But there are also other places that show Hamm from a completely different side. Some interesting and beautiful sights I present here.
Radbod colliery
Today, the three distinctive winding towers of the former Radbod colliery are located in an industrial park.
At the beginning of the 20th century the colliery in Bockum-Hövel was founded and in 1906 the mining of hard coal began. In 1907 more than 600 men worked in the colliery and produced more than 49,000 tons of coal. For many years, it helped shape life in the immediate region.
In 1989, the mine produced over 1,300,000 tons of hard coal. On January 31, 1990, coal production at Radbod colliery came to an end and one year later the colliery was closed for good.
After the site had been secured by mining and the contaminated sites had been removed, it was possible to start using the site in other ways. In the meantime, most of the shafts have been backfilled. The winding frames and the winding machine halls of shafts I and II are now listed as industrial monuments. Guided tours of the site are offered.
I was very impressed by these huge winding towers. The steel frames are unique and I could have stood almost at every corner for hours to take pictures.
The heap signs
In and around Hamm, five spiral-shaped orange towers made of steel stand on a small hill. Those who don’t know may mistake these towers for lookout towers and wonder why these spirals stand in actually quite unspectacular places.
These “towers” are heap signs, the somewhat newer sights in and around Hamm.
Each of the five towers, each about 10 meters high, stands on a former slag heap: Radbod, Franz shaft, Kissinger Höhe, Humbert and Sundern, making them visible in the landscape today. In good weather, you can see as far as the neighboring slag heap signs, and thus get an idea of the former mining area.
Maximilian Park
The Maximilian Park recreational area was created on the site of the disused Maximilian Colliery in 1984 for the State Garden Show. Today the area is one of the most varied leisure tips for Hamm.
More information about the visit to Maximilian Park and the unique glass elephant can be found in the article “Leisure tip for Hamm”.
Oberwerries Castle – Hamm Sights
The Oberwerries moated castle is located in the Lippe meadows. In addition to the two-winged manor house, there are other buildings, such as the stables, the gatehouse and a small baroque garden.
Around 1284, a castle stood on the same site, which had been built to secure the borders of the Münsterland region. In 1667, a new construction of the castle complex was begun. The completion of the building ensemble took place around 1692 under Baroness Ida von Beverförde-Werries, née von Plettenberg.
After the death of the last member of the von Beverförders family, the von Elverfeldt family inherited the castle. They did not use the property and so it stood around uninhabited for almost 160 years. In 1942, the family sold the moated castle to the Sachsen colliery in Heessen, which subsequently sold it to the city of Hamm.
From 1952, the building was secured and gradually renovated/restored. The manor house became a vocational school and the Marstall the home for the Westphalian Gymnastics Association, which still uses the building today.
There is a hotel business in the gatehouse and group accommodations in the main house.
We took a look around the manor house. Here, in addition to the rooms of the group accommodation, there are some larger rooms for events and a converted party cellar. The city of Hamm likes to use the moated castle Oberwerries for representative receptions.
The moated castle can be visited only from the outside.
Lippe floodplain and Lippe ferry Lupia
Directly behind the Oberwerries moated castle, you can go for a walk in the nature reserve in the floodplain of the Lippe or ride your bike on well-developed cycle paths. The Lippe floodplain experience area is aimed at people in the region and is intended to enhance the inner-city area. On information boards along a 3.5-kilometer route, visitors can gain insights into the flora and fauna of the floodplain.
Past grazing cattle, a well-signposted hiking trail leads to the Lippe ferry Lupia.
The ferry across the Lippe River is operated by hand. First you pull the ferry to the shore with the help of the chains. After boarding and closing the gates, the crossing can begin.
To do this, you have to pull strongly on a chain on the ferry and thus transport the small boat over the water. A maximum of 8 people are allowed to use the ferry, which also fits bicycles.
The ferry Lupia is available from April to October daily from 7 am to dusk.
Hamm train station
The reception building of Hammer station is already impressive. The building was opened in 1920 and has been a listed building since 1990.
The representative building was severely damaged during the Second World War, but it was possible to reconstruct the building in a way that is appropriate for a monument. I particularly like the clock above the entrance to the building. Two workers are standing here, indicating which main activities were once carried out here.
Gustav-Lübke-Museum
The Gustav-Lübke-Museum in Hamm is located very close to the train station. Just have a look at our article about the museum: “Gustav-Lübcke-Museum”.
Hamm Sights: St. Paul’s church and animal fountain
In the center of the city, on the market square, stands St. Paul’s Church. With its almost 80-meter-high tower, it is one of the landmarks visible far into the city and is the oldest monumental building in the city.
Its exact age is not known, but it has survived numerous fires and has undergone structural changes over time. For example, the hall church was given a baroque dome after the town fire of 1741. This is no longer preserved today, as the church was severely damaged during the Second World War. The restoration after the war gave the church its present appearance.
The weekly market is held regularly in front of the church. A stroll through the market with the purchase of regional products is worthwhile.
The fountain in front of the church is an eye-catcher. The animal fountain from 1990 was erected by the Sparkasse Hamm for its 150th anniversary. Around the fountain, on the octagonal edge stand various animals, all of which have movable elements. For example, you can move the legs of the pig.
Hindu Sri Kamadchi Ampal Temple
A sight that should not be missed in Hamm is the Hindi temple. I have already written about this impressive building in a separate post: “Hindu Sri Kamadchi Ampal Temple in Hamm”.
Traffic light man
When walking through the city, when crossing at the pedestrian lights, you should pay attention not only to the traffic. There is a traffic light with very special traffic light men. In keeping with the city, mining traffic light men regulate the traffic here.
Street art at its best
In Hamm-Mitte, in the area around Nassauerstraße, there are some of the most beautiful street art pictures I have seen so far. Various artists have been commissioned by an association to transform house walls, walls and fences into true works of art. An open-air gallery that you should visit at your leisure.
Elephants
Hamm is elephant-like…. In Hamm there is not only a glass elephant in Maximilianpark, no everywhere in the city you can find the most different elephants: Flower elephants, puzzle elephants, yellow elephants,….
It makes you wonder: Why are there elephants everywhere in Hamm?
On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Maximilian Park (where the big glass elephant is located), the city placed 35 elephants designed by different artists in the city. The elephant parade continued to grow over the years. Companies ordered their elephants and put them up for advertising purposes, and for the North Rhine-Westphalia Day in 2009, even more pachyderms moved into the city life. There are said to be just under 90 of the colorful animals in the city at the moment – so if you fancy an elephant-esque walk around town, you’re sure to find a beastly city route.
The visit to Hamm took place as part of a blogger trip organized by Tanja from the blog “Spaness”…. The article was written independently of the trip.
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