Hagen: Four Rivers and Three Castles

The city of four rivers, Hagen, has been known since the beginning of the XIII century. At various times it was part of the County of Mark, Margraviate of Brandenburg, the Prussian Province of Westphalia and received a city status only in the XVIII century. It became a really big and successful city even later, connected with the development of coal mining and steel production in this region. You can also get an idea of what else the locals used to do in the Hagen Open-Air Museum, located in the outskirts of the city, which is also called a Museum for Craft and Technics (LWL-Freilichtmuseum Hagen, Landesmuseum für Handwerk und Technik). It will interest both adults and children, primarily because of its workshops, through which you can get an idea about the work of a blacksmith, baker, and a brewer. You can also taste typical Westphalian dishes and desserts on the museum territory. For example, goose with red cabbage, beans with bacon and fried potatoes are served here and red fruit jelly with vanilla sauce is served for dessert.

And, of course, in Hagen restaurants it is easy to find dishes traditional for these parts. The region’s specialty –the Westphalian ham (Westfälischer Schinken) is in great demand. The meat is salted and dried with the bone and is then cold-smoked. Experts believe that the bones give the meat a special flavor and the taste also depends on the kind of acorns the pigs eat. The rye bread (Pumpernickel) and beef stew (Pfefferpotthast) are also popular in the region. 

Hagen’s historic center is not rich in ancient architecture, but three castles with different survival rate are in the city and nearby: they are the Hohensyburg Ruin  (Schloss Hohensyburg), Werdringen Castle (Wasserschloss Werdringen), which became a museum with archaeological and geological finds, and Hohenlimburg Castle (Schloss Hohenlimburg), where you can see how the owners lived a few centuries ago. 

Hagen has a special place in the educational system of the country: it has the only distance teaching University in Germany. Hagen is the hometown of abstract painter Emil Schumacher and singer Nena. And it is the venue of the Celtic Music Festival (Keltic Festival Hagen), which usually takes place in late May. Hagen does not claim the title of a tourist Mecca. Nevertheless, there are several castles, and open-air museum there and the opportunity to enjoy unity with nature makes it very attractive. It can be an excellent option for a one-day visit from the nearby Dortmund.