This industrial town in North Rhine-Westphalia sits among the Rothaargebirge foothills. Its textile factories, old town center, and museums reflect a rich manufacturing past.
Lüdenscheid, a city in Germany's Sauerland region, illuminates its streets with LED art installations and hosts the Light Art Festival every two years. You can explore the 11th-century Church of the Redeemer, conduct experiments at the Phänomenta science museum, or learn about local manufacturing at the Button Museum. The city's location in the Sauerland hills makes it a starting point for hiking and cycling routes.
Light Art and Night Tours
Lüdenscheid earned its nickname "Stadt des Lichts" (Town of Lights) through its permanent LED installations and biennial Light Art Festival. During the festival, artists create temporary light sculptures and video projections on building facades throughout the city center. Join a 90-minute guided light tour on the first Thursday of each month from October to March, starting at the Rathausplatz at 7:30 pm.
Interactive Museums
At the Phänomenta science museum, you can try more than 100 hands-on experiments with sound, light, and mechanics. The City Museum on Graf-Engelbert-Platz includes the Button Museum, which displays manufacturing equipment and button collections from the 1800s. Visit the Bremecker Hammer Smithy Museum during the Smithy Days (last weekends of June and August) to watch blacksmiths work with traditional iron forging techniques.
Churches and Architecture
The Church of the Redeemer's tower dates to the 11th century, while its main nave was rebuilt in 1819 with classical elements like symmetrical windows and clean stone lines. The baroque Neuenhof water castle from 1692 sits in the Elspe valley, recognizable by its steep slate roofs and decorated window frames. You can walk through its gardens from April to October.
Shopping and Dining
Walk the 1-kilometer pedestrian zone along Wilhelmstraße to find German retail chains and independent shops selling local products. The Schillerbad Brewery, in a converted 1930s swimming pool on Freiherr-vom-Stein-Straße, brews its own beer and serves it in an outdoor beer garden.
Nature and Sports
Follow the marked trail around the Versetalsperre reservoir for an 8-kilometer walk through beech and oak forests. The Homert observation tower rises 40 meters high at 539 meters above sea level, with viewing platforms facing all directions. The municipal sports center on Wehberger Straße includes six tennis courts, a 25-meter indoor pool with saunas, and facilities for horse riding lessons.
