Soest Attractions: The Perfect Tour of the Old Town

Fancy a little walking tour of Soest? You can experience and discover so much in the city in just one day!

1. The City Model (at Vellinghausen Square / Town Hall)

The tour begins here. The bronze tactile model offers a perfect overview of the medieval city layout. I find it’s an ideal way to get your bearings.

A close-up, low-angle shot of a bronze tactile city model in Soest, Germany, highlighting the twin spires of the historic St. Patrokli Cathedral surrounded by a dense cluster of small, textured buildings.

2. St. Patrokli Cathedral

Right next door stands the city’s landmark. St. Patrokli Cathedral is a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture. The church was founded back in 954 by the Archbishop of Cologne.

Good to know: Even though everyone in Soest naturally speaks of the “Dom” (cathedral), it is actually a so-called collegiate church. The citizens simply gave it this proud name themselves.

A view down a narrow street in Soest, Germany, leading toward the towering Romanesque spire of the St. Patrokli Dom cathedral, illuminated by the warm light of a setting sun.

The exterior facade consists of the typical Soest green sandstone. Depending on the light and moisture, the stones actually shimmer slightly green. The tower is almost 80 meters high. It is often called the “Tower of Westphalia” and is the symbol of Soest. In the Middle Ages, the city’s armory with thousands of weapons and crossbow bolts was located at the very top of the tower.

A visit to the St. Patrokli Cathedral is free of charge. The Patroclus Shrine is located in the high choir under the large, red altar cross and contains the bones of Saint Patroclus (the patron saint of the city). They were brought from Troyes in France to Westphalian Soest to lend great significance to the newly founded church.

A view of a traditional white half-timbered house in Soest, Germany, with the tall, pointed spire of the Soest Dom rising into the clear sky behind it. A lush green hedge borders the foreground, while other historic buildings and a street lamp are visible to the right.

Particularly beautiful is the apse painting in the Marienchor (St. Mary’s Choir). The colorful ceiling and wall paintings date back to around 1200!

3. St. Petri Church – The Venerable “Alde Kerke”

Just a stone’s throw from the cathedral stands the Petri Church. This extremely close proximity of two such large, magnificent churches is truly extraordinary, which is why the people of Soest affectionately call them their “church siblings”.

Good to know: The Petri Church is traditionally called “Alde Kerke” (Old Church) by the locals. It is considered the oldest church foundation in all of Westphalia! The first predecessor building stood here as early as around the year 800, during the time of Charlemagne.

The tower of St. Petri bears an elegant, so-called “welsche” baroque dome. It was placed on top in 1709 after the old Gothic spire had previously burned down completely due to a lightning strike.

A view framed by half-timbered houses shows the ornate, multi-tiered lead-covered spire and clock tower of the St. Petri Kirche in Soest, Germany, against a clear blue sky.

Over the centuries, St. Petri was converted from a Romanesque basilica to a Gothic hall church and expanded upwards, making it appear much lighter and airier. Admission is free!

A highlight in the church is the Antwerp carved altar (Klepping Altar). It stands in the choir area of the church. In 1525, it was made in a master workshop in Antwerp and donated by the wealthy Soest merchant Andreas Klepping. The countless, tiny wood carvings in the middle of the altar are incredibly detailed.

An exciting detail for attentive observers! The magnificent baroque wooden pulpit (from 1693) shows, among other things, the figure of its namesake, the Apostle Peter. But unlike usual, he does not hold a key to heaven in his hand here, but is shown with a crowing rooster. This is a reminder of the biblical story in which Peter denied Jesus three times.

4. The Romanesque House – A Stone Witness to the Middle Ages

We continue a short distance south into the idyllic Burghofstraße. Here stands an absolute architectural rarity: the Romanesque House.

A low-angle shot of the Romanische Haus in Soest, Germany, featuring its historic green sandstone facade, stepped gable, and narrow arched windows set against a clear sky and lush green trees.

Good to know: While large churches or castles from the Middle Ages have often been preserved, normal residential houses were usually built of wood and clay and fell victim to fires or the ravages of time. This house here, however, dates from around 1180! It is considered one of the oldest surviving bourgeois residential houses between the Rhine and the Weser.

The interior of the Romanesque house in Soest features a rustic room with stone walls, wide wooden floorboards, a heavy wooden door, and a large stone fireplace adorned with coats of arms.

The house is built entirely from the typical Soest green sandstone. Building a private stone house in the 12th century was incredibly expensive. The builder must have been an extremely rich and influential Soest resident.

Historically, the Romanesque House belongs to the complex of the neighboring Burghof. The buildings are connected to each other. When the museum is open, there is also the opportunity to visit the Romanesque House.

5. Burghof Museum with Historical Hall

The main building of the museum is a former patrician house from the Renaissance period (built around 1559). Whoever lived here at that time belonged to the absolute upper class of the old Hanseatic city.

Good to know: The local history museum of Soest displays everything from Stone Age archaeological finds to the city’s history of the 19th century.

The Rittersaal (Knights' Hall) at the Burghofmuseum in Soest features a large, ornate fireplace decorated with coats of arms and a white plaster relief above it, set within a room with a dark wood table and pink chairs.

I visited the magnificent Knights’ Hall. This room is the heart of the manor house built in 1559. Here, the noble or mercantile upper class of the city used to receive their guests, celebrate festivals, and demonstrate their wealth. The generous dimensions of the room were an absolute luxury and a pure status symbol for the 16th century. A large hall needed a massive fireplace so as not to cool down completely in winter. The huge fireplace is made of the typical Soest green sandstone.

A detailed white plaster relief at the Burghofmuseum in Soest depicts a medieval siege, featuring a figure leaning out from a castle wall to moon the advancing army below.

I particularly liked the large relief that stretches across several walls of the hall. A battle painting unfolds on the large wall surface. You can see a fortified city with thick walls and battlements. This motif takes up the pride of the people of Soest in their own invincibility – very much an allusion to the famous Soest Feud. A tip from me: be sure to pay attention to the small details. On the right defense tower on the wall kneels a figure who is literally baring their bottom at the enemy troops!

Today, the Knights’ Hall is used as a wedding room and for municipal receptions.

6. City Gate (Osthofentor)

The next stop on the short city tour is the Osthofentor. It is the last preserved city gate. Today, it houses a small museum in which, among other things, tens of thousands of medieval crossbow bolts are exhibited.

A view of the historic Osthofentor city gate along the Soest Wall, where cyclists ride along a path past a large leafy tree and a stone fortification wall.

nyone who would like to learn more about the city fortifications should read the article “The Historical Ramparts of Soest: A Walk Through 800 Years of History“.

7. The Ramparts

From the Osthofentor, it is possible to continue exploring the ramparts. The medieval city boundary is largely preserved and is today a beautiful, tree-lined walking path. You can not only follow the well-developed paths in front of the ramparts, but also walk on the former city wall. It is best to follow the wall in an arc towards the north. This is not only historically exciting but also offers great views into the gardens of the old town.

A section of the historic Soest Wall (Stadtmauer) made of light-colored stone blocks stands behind a green lawn, with lush trees and a white house visible in the background.

8. Church of St. Maria zur Wiese (Wiesenkirche)

During our walk over the green ramparts, you could spot the striking twin towers of the Wiesenkirche (officially: St. Maria zur Wiese).

The first thing I notice is that one of the nearly 80-meter-high towers is covered in scaffolding. This is due to the typical Soest green sandstone. Although it looks beautiful, it crumbles easily, which is why a dedicated “cathedral workshop” is constantly restoring it here.

Admission is free, and it is well worth taking a look inside. The interior of the Wiesenkirche appears weightless, elegant, and is flooded with light. The walls here are not made of solid stone, but almost entirely of huge glass windows, some of which reach almost to the floor. Depending on the time of day and the sunlight, they cast a breathtaking, colorful play of light onto the bright stone floor.

A hand holds a laminated image of the "Westphalian Last Supper" (Westfälisches Abendmahl) stained-glass window from Soest, which depicts Jesus and his disciples dining on local specialties like ham, pumpernickel, and beer. The image is held over a dark wooden outdoor table at a restaurant, with a wicker basket and greenery visible to the right.

A highlight in the church is the window “Westphalian Last Supper”. It is located in the north portal and dates from around 1500. The window shows Jesus’ Last Supper with his disciples. However, the unknown artist unceremoniously relocated the scene to his homeland. Instead of bread and wine, there is half a pig’s head, hearty Westphalian ham, pumpernickel, and cool beer mugs on the table!

9. Half-Timbering

On the way from the Wiesenkirche towards the west (to the Großer Teich / Great Pond), the path leads through winding alleys. Here you can admire the typical Soest half-timbered houses. The combination of historic, crooked half-timbered houses and the green Soest sandstone, from which many bases and walls are built, makes up the special charm of the city.

A row of traditional white half-timbered houses, or Fachwerkhaeuser, in Soest features dark wood beams, red-tiled roofs, and climbing greenery with red roses.

10. The Pond Mill and the Water Wheel

The “Großer Teich” (Great Pond) is the next destination of the tour. The Great Pond is not a normal lake, but a huge spring basin. Water bubbles continuously out of the earth here from countless small springs. The water has a constant temperature of about 10 degrees Celsius all year round. Therefore, even in the iciest winters, the pond almost never freezes over!

A view of the historic Lohmühle in Soest, Germany, featuring a traditional half-timbered building with a large wooden waterwheel (muehlrad) visible behind a white gate.

On the side of the historic building at the pond, a large water wheel clatters leisurely. It is one of the most popular photo motifs in all of Soest. The water power of the tireless springs was used here to drive the heavy grinding mechanism of the mill. The building itself is one of the oldest mill sites in the city (documented as early as the 14th century).

Today, the building houses, among other things, the city’s tourist information.

11. The Seesaw – Medieval Gloating and Wet Feet

If you look around a little on the shore of the pond, you will discover a yellow wooden staircase at the edge. This used to be a seesaw and a notorious instrument of medieval justice!

The seesaw was a so-called shaming punishment. If, for example, a baker was caught cheating because he had baked bread rolls that were too small, used bad flour, or mixed sawdust into the dough – the city knew no mercy. The wrongdoer was arrested and put on the seesaw. Then, right before the eyes of the entire city population, who naturally gathered on the shore full of gloating, he was dunked into the 10-degree cold water of the pond using the seesaw.

A bright yellow wooden staircase, part of the Soest Foodtour wippe, is mounted to a stone canal wall and extends upward toward the balcony of a white building.

12. Church with a Leaning Tower (Alt St. Thomä)

From the pond, you can see the leaning tower of Alt St. Thomä to the south. Over the centuries, the top of the church tower has twisted and tilted significantly due to weathering and its wooden shingle construction. A true Soest original and a great photo motif!

A view through green leafy trees of the St. Patrokli Cathedral in Soest, featuring its famous crooked spire (schiefer Turm) rising above a red-tiled roof under a blue sky.

The visit to Soest took place as part of a blogger trip with Wirtschafts- und Tourismus GmbH Möhnesee, Tagungs- und Kongresszentrum Bad Sassendorf GmbH and Wirtschaft und Marketing Soest GmbH . Many thanks also to Tanja for her organization.

Published 19 August 2026