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Old town

The old town of Hattingen - a historic place to discover to linger

Hattingen – THE old town of the Ruhr area

Hattingen is more than 600 years old. In 1396 a fortification agreement was concluded - this sealed the founding of the city of Hattingen. The mayor and council were allowed to pass laws, and membership in the Hanseatic League of Commerce brought the city its first economic prosperity.

The old town of Hattingen, with its 150 half-timbered houses and small winding streets, is still a jewel worth seeing today. The closed church square development is unique in Westphalia. Over thirty individual signs invite you to take a tour of the past. A real gem is the Old Town Hall – formerly a market hall, administrative headquarters, prison and cultural venue. Today, during Advent, it is the “home” of Mrs. Holle and her fairytale Advent calendar. Every day she opens a different window, tells stories and lets snow and gold coins fall. On the church square, visitors encounter the leaning tower of St. George's Church. Its inclination has something to do with fire protection, so that it doesn't fall onto the valuable nave in the event of a fire. Inside the church, which is also a popular wedding location, you will discover a wonderful starry sky and the Roetzel organ. Numerous concerts invite visitors to contemplative moments. When strolling through the church square you will discover the old Latin school and the marble statue “Hattingia”.

It's worth taking a look at Kirchstrasse. It used to be called Kuhgasse and the cattle gave the alley its name because the animals were driven through this very alley. By the way, you can also discover the mouth of a cesspool. The only surviving agricultural town house stands at Steinhagen. It was also once a coppersmith, bakery, leather wholesaler and is now an inn with a hotel - where the Hattingen night watchman also likes to take his guests to the night watchman's feast after the tour. The Bruchtor tower on the city wall is the best-preserved part of Hattingen's city fortifications. The embrasures were accessible through a floor hatch and a ladder. As part of the urban redevelopment from 1967 onwards, the tower, which had long been hidden by a residential building, became visible again and was renovated. Hattingen's most famous house, the “Iron House”, was renovated already at an early stage. Cloth weaving, a butcher's shop, expropriated property from Jewish hands - the house has an eventful history and is fascinating with its interesting shape. The smallest half-timbered house in the city is the customs house. It stands on the remains of a former defensive tower. By the way, customs were never charged here - it was a blacksmith's workshop. Visitors from all over the world immerse themselves in the fascinating history of Hattingen's old town, experience quaintly decorated shop windows, and walk along paths that have also been the setting for films and books.

Nestled in the shadow of St. George's Church, on Krämersdorf under the Johannisturm or on the city wall on Steinhagen, you will find numerous small, often owner-managed shops and boutiques. They invite you to browse and discover. The shopping experience is complemented by a culinary offering from all over the world - often combined with stylish outdoor dining. On special occasions – spring, autumn and Christmas markets or after-work markets – cooking also takes place outseid. The visitor is immersed in a very special atmosphere.

Hattingen Marketing offers exciting city and night watchman tours. If you prefer to explore on your own, you can pick up free city maps here on the homepage or in the city's charming tourist information office at Haldenplatz 3 in the centre of the historic old town. On the back of the maps there is some information on places of interest. By the way: these maps are also available in English, French, Dutch and Italian. There is also a map of the historic city centre for people with reduced mobility

And if you still haven't had enough of the old stories, you can read the old town tour as a brochure. For a nominal fee of one euro, there are many old photos and maps and fascinating paths in the old town on sixty pages.

Hattingen – THE old town of the Ruhr area. Always worth a visit!

Altstadt von Hattingen. Mitten im Ruhrgebiet.
Altstadt von Hattingen. Historische Stadtmauer.
historical city wall
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