Our city tours at a glance
- Altena city experience
- Brandy, beer & bowling alley
- Strong women in Altena
- Curiosities from ancient times
- Jewish life in Altena
- The Lenne
- The Friedrich Wilhelm Society
- The night watchmen of Altena
- The old settlement center of the Nette (Nette tour part 1 )
- Industrial history of the Nette (Nette tour part 2 )
- From castle to castle
- Children's journey through time
Altena city experience
An insight into more than 650 years of city history
The city tour takes you through Lennestraße and Kirchstraße in the heart of the city. You will discover the Köster-Emden House with its carillon, Holtzbrinck Castle and the town library in its historic home. During the walk, you will learn interesting stories about Altena's churches, the post office and traffic in times gone by and how important water power was for Altena. The town guides will also tell you about the construction of the castle elevator to get you in the mood for your subsequent visit to the castle and the wire museum.
Spirits, beer & bowling alley
Have you heard that there used to be a whole series of breweries in Altena? The history of these breweries and the mysterious ingredients they mixed into their beer to make it tasty and long-lasting are fascinating. But on this guided tour of Altena, you will not only learn exciting details from the world of brewing, but also stories about bowling alleys, official regulations, town lighting, police hours and even the need to take a test. Did you know that guests in taverns were not given anything for free and that journeymen's hostels played an important role?
And, of course, a visit to traditional Altena inns, where you can immerse yourself in the past over a beer or a schnapps in a cozy atmosphere, is a must on such a tour. All kinds of anecdotes and tales from times gone by are told there.
Strong women in Altena
Immerse yourself in the forgotten stories and impressive lives of women who have significantly shaped life in Altena over the centuries. These women did far more than just fulfill their domestic duties - they actively participated in shaping the town and society, from political activists to craftswomen and businesswomen - the list of important women in Altena is long and yet often little known.
Find out more about personalities such as Käthe Santz, Margarethe Köster-Emden and Herta Trappe, but also about the many nameless women who made an indispensable contribution to life in Altena as entrepreneurs, craftswomen and workers.
This captivating city tour offers you the opportunity to look at the history of Altena from a new perspective and appreciate the often overlooked contributions and achievements of the town's women. Be prepared to be impressed by their courage, determination and influence - because their stories deserve to be told.
Curiosities from the old days
Discover the rich history of the town of Altena on a fascinating journey from the Markaner to the Stapel-Center. Along the way, you will encounter a multitude of originals and anecdotes and stumble across house and field names that seem strange at first glance. Many of these stories have been lost over time, but the clever town guides have unearthed some of them and bring them back to light on their guided tours. Even die-hard Altena residents will be surprised at the hidden secrets their town holds.
Jewish life in Altena
Would you like to find out more about Jewish life in Altena? Then we recommend this special city tour to special places and witnesses of history. Because Tallenbrink, synagogues and the Jewish cemetery are traces of Jewish life in Altena.
Find out how people of the Jewish and Christian faiths once lived together in Altena. With exciting stories, we bring past times back to life on this tour.
The Lenne
This new city tour focuses on the Lenne, which flows through Altena. You will get to know the course of the river and learn how it has experienced both sad and happy stories over the course of time. In the past, the Lenne was unfortunately misused as a waste disposal company, but since the construction of the Lenneterrassen and Lennepromenade along the Lenneuferstrasse in 1976, it has regained its popularity. Our city tour will also deal with the topic of flooding and shed light on the development of the city along the banks of the Lenne over the centuries. The people who have worked here also play an important role.
This new city tour revolves around the Lenne, which flows through Altena. You will get to know its course and discover the many stories it has experienced over the course of time - both sad and happy. Unfortunately, the Lenne was once misused as a landfill site, but since the construction of the Lenne Terraces and the Lenne Promenade along the Lenneuferstrasse in 1976, it has become increasingly popular again. During our tour, we will also look at the topic of flooding and the development of the town along the banks of the Lenne over the centuries. We also take a look at the people who have lived and worked here and played a decisive role in its history.
The Friedrich Wilhelm Society
The topics of this new tour are the history of the Schützen, the reconstruction after the Second World War, personalities of the society, buildings and places in the town relevant to the society, the clubhouses, the Schützenordnung, the Schützenfest and the Eagle Shoot.
The old settlement center of the Nette
Nice tour part 1
Who knows where the Mohrenkuhle, the Pfaffenmütze and the Totengräber are? What can be found behind the fence or in Winkelgasse? Where the Nette town hall was and where the first teacher of the Nette, a war veteran of Frederick II, used to beat up the children? Few people know about the Mölkepad and the plague cemetery, not to mention heaven and hell, which were located on the slopes of the Nette. But there will also be talk of wire-pulling, trade and traffic and the associated problems.
Industrial history of the Nette
Nice tour part 2
Discover the Nette in a whole new way with our guided tour, on which city guide Gerd Klimpel takes you through history. Immerse yourself in the past as he tells you about the old wire coils along the Nette. Learn exciting details about modern industry and be reminded of long-forgotten restaurants and stores. He will tell you about the old wire coils along the Nette and give you exciting insights into modern industry. Let's bring back memories of long-forgotten restaurants and stores together.
From castle to castle
Embark on a tour of the town, which takes you along one of the footpaths from Altena Castle on the Wulfsegge into the valley. Along the way, you will learn interesting facts about the town, its history and its striking buildings. Visit the old baroque town church (Lutherkirche) and be impressed by its beauty. Your walk ends at Holtzbrinck Castle.
The route can also be walked in reverse, ending at Altena Castle.
Children's time travel
Our city tour, specially designed for children aged 8 to 12, offers an exciting adventure full of thrilling stories and interesting facts.
Whether for school classes in grades 3 to 6, children's birthday parties or groups from clubs - our tour is perfect for enriching children's holiday activities, children's excursions or family celebrations with lots of children. Immerse yourself in the past and learn more about fascinating topics such as "What was it actually like with the wire?", "Altena residents defend themselves", "Changes 100 years ago", "Floods" and "The first youth hostel". Our child-friendly city tours last around 1.5 hours and guarantee lots of interesting facts for young explorers.