Erwitte between brine, history and nature

Get to know Erwitte through a variety of destinations: brine water and graduation towers in Bad Westernkotten, trails through the countryside and a guided tour of the old town. You can then decide whether relaxation in the water, outdoor activities or local history should be the focus of your plans.

Brine, graduation towers and herbs in the spa gardens

The Hellweg brine baths in Bad Westernkotten are open year-round and offer more than 1,300 m² of space for swimming and relaxing in invigorating brine water. The water temperature is 32 to 34 °C; the brine concentration is between 3 and 4 percent and is based on the original natural brine of Bad Westernkotten. If you are planning your visit around details about specific facilities, check them again beforehand.

The graduation towers also tell the story of the town. Both were added to the City of Erwitte’s monument register effective 18 December 1984. They are considered cultural-historical or technical monuments and are among the largest technical monuments of their kind in North Rhine-Westphalia. Graduation Tower I in the Bad Westernkotten spa gardens is now the longest spa-park graduation tower in the state.

A large, walk-through herb spiral is located next to Graduation Tower II in the spa gardens. Its six themed sections range from salt-tolerant coastal plants and mints to native wild herbs and classic culinary herbs, as well as perennials that can be used as wild vegetables and Mediterranean aromatic herbs. This places technical monuments alongside a thematically arranged collection of plants within the spa gardens.

Trails and countryside around Bad Westernkotten

Three Nordic walking routes of varying difficulty start in the spa gardens. Circular hiking trails also lead from Bad Westernkotten to the Pöppelsche Valley. The Pöppelschetal nature reserve stretches along the western edge of Eikeloh, a district of Erwitte. The Pöppelsche local recreation area is used by local residents as well as visitors from well beyond Erwitte’s city limits.

Two trails offer clearly different distances to help you choose a route. The “Salzspuren” (“Salt Trails”) walk in Bad Westernkotten is about 2.2 km long. The approximately 6 km “Muckenbruch-Marsch” runs through the spa gardens, along Forellenweg and over the bridge at the Gieseler stream to the Muckenbruch nature and peat-extraction area. The return route passes through the town centre and along the spa promenade to the fountain in front of the Hellweg brine baths.

Old town, castle and summer swimming

The Erwitte 1973 e. V. local history association offers guided tours of Erwitte’s old town by prior arrangement. If you are planning a tour, arrange a time with the association in advance; this appointment is part of the offer.

Erwitte Castle was first mentioned in a document in 1273. Today, it offers event rooms for private celebrations such as weddings, birthdays and anniversaries, as well as business occasions, including business dinners, Christmas parties and receptions. Room availability depends on bookings. The castle is therefore relevant when planning a celebration or business occasion, not just as a historical landmark.

For a summer day of swimming, Schlossbad Erwitte offers a large lawn with mature trees, a shaded area, a 50-metre pool and a children’s pool. As it operates seasonally and facility details may change, check the latest seasonal and offering information before planning a specific visit.

Discover more destinations: Bad Westernkotten, Anröchte, Werl, Warstein, Bad Sassendorf, Geseke, Möhnesee, Vellinghausen.

For the overarching travel overview: Soest.