Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [532]
Other recommended eateries:
Edoki Sushi Bar ( 873 073; An der Alten Synagoge 1; maki €4-7, nigiri €1.40-3.20, bento boxes €13-20; lunch & dinner Tue-Sun) The best place in town for sushi. Order à la carte or one of the bento boxes.
Kampus Cafe ( 892 9797; Kamp 12; 9am-1am) Friendly, all-purpose cafe no matter where the hands are on the clock.
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Getting There & Away
Air Berlin offers direct flights between London-Stansted to Paderborn/Lippstadt Airport (Flughafen Paderborn/Lippstadt; 02955-770; www.airport-paderborn.com; Flughafenstrasse 33), which is connected to the Hauptbahnhof by bus 400 and 460.
Paderborn has direct IC every two hours to Kassel-Wilhelmshöhe (€24, 1¼ hours) and regional connections to Dortmund (€20.10, 1¼ hours) and other Ruhrgebiet cities. Trains to Soest (€10.10, 40 minutes) leave several times hourly.
Paderborn is on the A33, which connects with the A2 in the north and the A44 in the south. The B1, B64 and B68 also go through Paderborn.
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Getting Around
Bus rides cost €1.25 for short trips, €2 for longer ones and €5.20 for a day pass. Radstation ( 870 740; Bahnhofstrasse 29; 5.30am-10.30pm) at the Hauptbahnhof rents bicycles for €9 per 24 hours.
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SAUERLAND
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Even if you’ve never heard of the Sauerland we bet you’re familiar with its most famous product: beer. The best-known brew is Warsteiner Pils, made by Germany’s largest brewery in the town of Warstein. Otherwise, this forested upland region southeast of Dortmund serves primarily as an easy getaway for nature-craving Ruhrgebiet residents and hill-craving Dutch tourists. There are a few museums and castles, but the Sauerland’s primary appeal lies in the outdoors. Some 20,000km of marked hiking trails, mostly through beech and fir forest, spread across five nature parks. Cyclists and mountain bikers can pick their favourites from dozens of routes. Reservoirs and lakes are popular with swimmers, windsurfers and boaters, and in winter the higher elevations allow for decent downhill and Nordic skiing. The area is also rich in caves filled with ethereal formations.
The Sauerland is best explored under your own steam, although even the smallest towns are served by buses or trains. Almost every village has its own tourist office, but for pre-trip planning and room reservations go to www.sauerland.com or call the hotline at 01802-403 040.
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ALTENA
02352 / pop 19,500
In a steep, narrow valley carved by the Lenne River, Altena has built its fortune on producing industrial wire since making mail-shirts for medieval knights. Still, despite its scenic setting, it would hardly be worth a stop were it not for the majestic Burg Altena. This fairy-tale medieval castle started out as the home of the local counts, then served military purposes under the Prussians before becoming, in 1912, the birthplace of the youth hostel movement. The world’s first hostel, with dark dorms sporting wooden triple bunks, can be seen on a tour of the castle museum ( 966 7033; Fritz-Thomee-Strasse 80; adult/concession/family €5/2.50/10; 9.30am-5pm Tue-Fri, 11am-6pm Sat & Sun). There is a series of 31 themed rooms, each zeroing in on a different aspect of regional history, often in a visually pleasing and engaging fashion. You’ll see some fancy historic weapons and armour, but also an exhibit on the Sauerland under the Nazis. Plan on spending at least 90 minutes to see it all.
Admission is also good at the Deutsches Drahtmuseum, about 300m downhill. It has hands-on displays on the many facets of wire, from its manufacture to its use in industry, communications and art.
Altena