In North Rhine-Westphalia, on the beautiful river Lippe, lies the large city of Hamm. The city offers its visitors an interesting mixture of Ruhr district charm and Münsterländer charm.
In 1226 Hamm was founded as a planned town and for a time it was also a Hanseatic town. With the construction of the railway connection between Berlin and the Ruhr area, Hamm developed into a railway junction and an industrial town. The number of inhabitants rose sharply.
During the Second World War, the city was badly damaged by attacks, after which housing for the population was quickly rebuilt.
From the 1970s onwards, the coal mines around the city were gradually closed and the population declined slightly. Today, Hamm is still an important justice centre for part of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Hamm sights

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.

Is there anything to do in Hamm? Are there destinations for families, young people and Hamm visitors - in short, are there leisure tips for Hamm? Oh yes, there are!

Somewhat off the beaten track, in an industrial area of Hamm, is a truly unusual structure that you would never have guessed was there, the Hindu Sri Kamadchi Ampal Temple.

If you would like to visit a museum in Hamm in North Rhine-Westphalia, the Gustav Lübcke Museum is the place to go. The museum of cultural history is located near the main train station and shows, in addition to its permanent exhibition, always changing temporary exhibitions.
Travel information for Hamm
Arrival
By plane
Dortmund International Airport is about 30 kilometres from the city. From there you can reach the city easily by train.
Other airports are 70 kilometres away (Münster/Osnabrück and Paderborn) and 90 kilometres away (Düsseldorf).
The town itself has a sports airport with a flying school and helipad.
By rail
Hamm main station is one of the central railway hubs in Germany. From here you can reach numerous major cities, such as Berlin, Hanover, Magdeburg, Cologne and Düsseldorf. ICE trains run long-distance and IC and EC trains offer local connections.
By car
Hamm is on the A1 motorway, which runs from Bremen to Cologne. The A2 from Hanover to Oberhausen also passes the city.
By boat
Hamm lies on the river Lippe and the Datteln-Hamm Canal. The city has the second largest inland port in North Rhine-Westphalia and can be reached by inland waterway vessels and also by pleasure boats.
By bike
Numerous cycle routes run around the city, such as: RÖMERROUTE, Landesgartenschau-Route, WerseRadWeg and the Route of Industrial Culture.
On the way in …
By public transport
There are 50 bus routes in and around the city, serving over 500 stops.
By car
A parking guidance system takes visitors to the city centre and indicates available parking spaces. There are 13 pay-and-display car parks in the city centre and on the outskirts. Parking is free for the first half hour.
Are the inhabitants of Hamm called Hammer or Hammenser?
Some talk about Hammenser, others about Hammers.
The official website of the city of Hamm and the local media talk about Hammers.
The people who have lived in the city for many generations and who belong to a certain coined stratum of the population call themselves Hammenser. The ordinary citizen, employee or even worker has always called himself a hammer.