Enjoying the Teutoburg Forest, Germany
Half-timbered houses, winding roads and yellow rapeseed fields in a rolling hilly landscape: the Teutoburg Forest immediately gives you a foreign feeling. Camping in the land of the Pied Piper of Hamelin.
Rat plague in Hamelin
They were everywhere, ate everything and multiplied like… rats. We are in 1284 when the German town of Hamelin is plagued by rats and mice. Until a shabbily dressed gentleman reports to the town hall that he can rid the city of the rat plague once and for all. It makes the mayor laugh and in a playful mood he promises the rat catcher the enormous sum of one hundred golden ducats if he succeeds.
Happy end?
The story is well-known: with a song on his flute, the rat catcher lures all the vermin to the Weser, where they drown in the river. When the mayor refuses to pay, the rat catcher repeats the trick, but: with the children of Hamelin, nothing was ever heard of the 130 boys and girls again… No happy ending then, for the inhabitants – that only came much later. Because now the legend attracts tens of thousands of tourists to the city every year, where inscriptions in ancient half-timbered houses confirm the story of the Pied Piper saga. In the summer, the legend is re-enacted every Sunday on Hamelin's market square. And on Wednesdays there is a fun musical about it.
Beautiful in Teutoburg Forest: Externsteine
A must-see in the Teutoburg Forest: the Hermannsdenkmal, a kind of Statue of Liberty near Detmold, hidden in the greenery. The 53-meter-high statue is a tribute to commander Hermann, who lured and defeated advancing Romans at that spot. Nearby you can also marvel at a special natural phenomenon at Externsteine. This is a 120-million-year-old rock formation that was pushed up from the – otherwise flat – ground by shifting tectonic plates. It's almost Disney-like: a row of enormous obelisks rising from the grass. In primeval times, people even lived there, you have to see it to believe it.
Beautiful ancient surroundings
It has been the private property of the Von Klencke family for almost six hundred years: Schloss Hämelschenburg in Emmenthal, a stately castle on the site where a pilgrimage route once passed. The castle is open to the public, as is the surrounding park – with a grave pyramid –, the accompanying church, stables, barns and an old forge. And let's not forget: the Biergarten in the castle courtyard – here you really imagine yourself in the Middle Ages. And because the river Weser is not far away, you naturally tie the bicycles to the car. Because the cycle path along the river near Höxter is one of the most beautiful routes in the region.
Half-timbered houses and schnitzels
If you're looking for special half-timbered houses, you really must make a stop in the village of Schwalenberg, a kind of open-air museum where you can stroll through narrow cobblestone streets. The wooden frames of the half-timbered houses are richly decorated with paintings and inscriptions. No two half-timbered houses are alike, and they also seem to almost fall forward – this protected the facades from weather influences. Another lunch tip: Paradiesmühle in the village of Rischenau. In this converted mill, you can enjoy delicious food in the courtyard. With peacocks roaming freely in the Biergarten. Keep an eye on them, because they'll snatch something off your plate...
About the campsite
Ferienpark Teutoburgerwald is a beautiful, small campsite under Dutch management. There are about a hundred pitches under old oak trees and you can walk to the town of Barntrup in a few minutes. A giant walnut tree at the campsite provides buckets full of walnuts every year. Perfect sanitary facilities, Wi-Fi, and fully equipped glamping tents are available for rent. Dutch-speaking entertainment in high season. Tip: the giant schnitzels at restaurant Zum Raben in Barntrup, within walking distance of the campsite. As big as a Persian rug.
How to get there
From Utrecht via the A28, A1 and A30 towards Osnabrück. At exit 28 (Hiddenhausen) via the B239 towards Bad Salzuflen and Lemgo. Then follow the signs for Barntrup. In the town, follow the campsite signs. Campsite address: Badeanstaltsweg 4, D-32683 Barntrup.
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