Balve: Holiday apartments and holiday homes

Anyone wishing to rent a holiday apartment in Balve can then continue their accommodation search.

Culture

The Balver Höhle is Europe's largest open cultural cave. Its main chamber is almost 90 metres deep and can accommodate around 2,000 people for celebrations or concerts. Excavations uncovered the skeletons of native animals, including mammoths and cave bears, as well as around 40,000 artefacts. Today, the Balver Höhle is used for concerts and events held as part of Schützenfest celebrations.

Wocklum Castle preserves moats, a castle garden and the burial places of the castle owners. Original paintings from 1658 have been preserved on the walls and ceilings in the hallway. Wocklum Castle is also the venue for the Landpartie and the Longines Balve Optimum. Balve History Park combines Luisenhütte, MUBA, Balver Höhle and Wocklum Castle as an interconnected cultural heritage ensemble. The modernised MUBA provides step-free access to its exhibition. Another visitor attraction in Balve is the Museum of Prehistory and Early History.

Nature

The “Around Luisenhütte” route starts at the Luisenhütte car park in Balve-Wocklum. It offers panoramic views of the village of Mellen and is a nature-oriented, varied family route. Balve History Park offers two circular routes of 4 km and 10 km. The Sauerland Forest Route leads through Balve, crosses the Balve Forest and passes Luisenhütte; the Hönne Valley is known for its caves and striking rock formations.

Visiting

The car and coach visitor car park is located directly at Luisenhütte, just a few metres from the museum and the Hüttenschänke. Luisenhütte can be reached by train via Sanssouci and Balve on the Fröndenberg–Neuenrade route. The nearest bus stop is Helle. It is served from Monday to Friday by routes 132 and 137; the walk to the museum takes around 20 minutes.

The media guides at Luisenhütte provide texts about rooms, areas and objects in German, Dutch and English. The site also includes the “kleine Luise” technology playground, featuring a more than six-metre-high reconstruction of a blast furnace and a mud table. Guided city tours as well as nature-oriented and cultural discovery tours are available in Balve.

Geographical location

The Märkischer Kreis is associated with an equestrian facility and international equestrian tournaments.

Other destinations in the Märkischer Kreis: Iserlohn, Lüdenscheid, Nachrodt-Wiblingwerde, Meinerzhagen, Altena, Plettenberg, Herscheid, Schalksmühle

To the higher-level travel overview: Märkischer Kreis.