The best cycling routes around Axelsee

Gier ferry 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

There's a ferry across the Weser in Herstelle. The ferry runs from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and is operated by a very friendly ferryman.

The "Flotte Weser" offers the unique opportunity to travel along various sections of the Weser River between Bad Karlshafen (Hesse) and Bremen. Four ships are available for an unforgettable excursion through the enchanting Weser Uplands: Höxter, Karlshafen, Hameln, and Holzminden.

100 m above sea level, approximately 1,000 inhabitants; 6 km from the town center. A former shipping village rich in tradition on the Weser River, its founding dates back to Charlemagne, who spent his winter quarters in Herstelle in 797/798. Annette von Droste-Hülshoff and the Brothers Grimm were also popular guests here. Source: https://www.beverungen.de/de/tourismus-freizeit/entdecken-erleben/herstelle

This landscape-defining castle complex lies high above the Weser River in the Herstelle district on historic ground. As early as 797, it was used as a winter camp by Charlemagne during the Saxon Wars, destroyed and rebuilt several times, and took on its present form almost 200 years ago. After several years of renovation and restoration, this historic site is returning to its historical roots and, since 2017, has housed the "Academy for Art, Culture & Health," the Burg Herstelle Art & Culture Association, and, as an outpost of the Beverungen Registry Office, you can even exchange romantic vows here. Source: https://www.kulturland.org/Lieblingsplaetze/Burgen-Schloesser-Adelssitze/Burg-Herstelle-1/

The village first appears at the end of the 8th century under the name Heristal, presumably named by Charlemagne, who set up his military camp here in 797/798 during the Saxon War. The Karlstein, located just a few meters from Herstelle Castle, is believed to commemorate Charlemagne's stay, but it still poses many mysteries today. The castle, which is the landmark of Herstelle, was first mentioned in local history in 1292. The current castle building was built between 1826 and 1832 as a manor house, where later well-known personalities such as Annette von Droste-Hülshoff, whose 200th birthday was celebrated in 1997, and the Brothers Grimm often enjoyed staying. After World War II, the castle was used as a recreational facility by its various owners until 1983. A planned conversion into a hotel could not be realized, and thus the castle's future remains uncertain. Not far from the castle is the Benedictine Abbey of the Holy Cross, acquired in 1899 by Benedictine nuns from Luxembourg who had to leave their home monastery in Trier. The nuns living here live according to the principle of "ora et labora" and are also active in the artistic and literary fields. The nuns secure their livelihood through the sale of handicrafts and books in a book and art shop attached to the monastery. Income from the monastery garden also helps the nuns finance their living expenses. In the center of Herstelle is the Catholic Church of St. Bartholomew, built in 1711. Particularly noteworthy are the colorful stained glass windows in the six windows of the nave, which include a depiction of Charlemagne. Source: https://www.herstelle.de/unser-dorf/

The Brothers Grimm often visited the castle. The castle is an official partner of the "German Fairy Tale Route."

A stone tablet on the north wall of the church, depicting a lion and a Latin inscription, provides information about the founding year of the church, which was Protestant from the beginning: 1569. Until then, the inhabitants of the Guelph border town of Lauenförde, "Löwenfurt," had gone across the Weser to Beverungen in the Bishopric of Paderborn for services. After the Reformation, initially introduced on both sides, people there reverted to Roman Catholicism, and thus the small Protestant church was built here under Blessed Rabotto de Wrede. A gravestone depicts him as a kneeling knight beneath the cross. In 1664, the church was extended by 28 feet to the east, and at the same time, Blessed Dietrich Spiegel von Peckelsheim created a family burial plot beneath the chancel. The Spiegel gravestones on the inner south wall come from this crypt, which is now inaccessible. With the construction of the church tower on the west side in 1783, the church attained its present size.