Townapedia
Werl Innenstadt FFSN-233
Werl Innenstadt FFSN-233 · Michael Kramer, CC BY-SA 3.0
Werl, Forum der Völker, Missionsmuseum
Werl, Forum der Völker, Missionsmuseum · Malchen53, CC BY-SA 3.0
Werl Basilika Westportal IMGP7135
Werl Basilika Westportal IMGP7135 · Smial, CC BY-SA 2.0 de
Mariä Heimsuchung (Werl) Ansicht vom Vorplatz aus.
Mariä Heimsuchung (Werl) Ansicht vom Vorplatz aus. · Malchen53, CC BY-SA 3.0
Werl, die Walburgisstraße
Werl, die Walburgisstraße · Dguendel, CC BY 4.0
Werl, die Salzstraße
Werl, die Salzstraße · Dguendel, CC BY 4.0

Werl, Germany

Werl is a town of 32,149 people in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

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Population32,149 GeoNames
Elevation90 m 295 ft
Time zoneEurope/Berlin
Land area76.3 km² 421 people per km²
Nearest airportDortmund Airport (DTM) 21 km
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Why visit Werl

Townapedia lists 71 museums and landmarks, 40 parks and trails, 87 places to eat, 11 places to stay and 9 attractions in and around town.

Highlights include Hofladen Wilhelm Bieling, hofladen landverliebt, Haus Borg and Haus Rykenberg.

About Werl

Werl (German pronunciation: [vɛʁl] ; Westphalian: Wiärl) is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia and belongs to the Soest district in the Arnsberg administrative district. Werl is one of the largest and most important pilgrimage sites in Germany.

From the Wikipedia article Werl (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Photos of Werl

Things to do9

Hofladen Wilhelm Bieling

Farm and orchard · 7.1 km

16 Kühlstraße, Unna

Mo-Fr 09:30-12:00,15:00-18:00; Sa 08:00-12:00

Open in Google Maps · +49 2308 780

hofladen landverliebt

Farm and orchard · 6.6 km

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Obsthof Korn

Farm and orchard · 7.3 km

Open in Google Maps · +49 2384 3826

Scheer und mehr

Farm and orchard · 3.9 km

1 Am Jüdischen Friedhof, Werl

We-Su 10:00-17:00; Mo-Tu off

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Oevel's Milchtankstelle

Farm and orchard · 6.6 km

Milchtankstelle und Automat für Grillfleisch usw.

66 Lindweg, Soest

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Verkaufsstelle Kartoffeln

Farm and orchard · 6.7 km

24/7

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Gut Kump

Farm and orchard · 6.3 km

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Hofladen Hellmich

Farm and orchard · 7.2 km

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Kartoffeln Haus Borg

Farm and orchard · 2.8 km

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Museums and landmarks71

Haus Borg

Monument and historic site · 3.8 km

1 Haus Borg, Werl

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Haus Rykenberg

Museum

1 Am Rykenberg, Werl

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Franziskanerkloster Werl

Monument and historic site · Roman Catholic

17 Klosterstraße, Werl

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Schlossruine Werl

Monument and historic site · 0.6 km

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Haus Echthausen

Monument and historic site · 6.6 km

87 Ruhrstraße, Wickede (Ruhr)

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Museum Forum der Völker

Museum

15 Melsterstraße, Werl

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Rittergut Schafhausen

Monument and historic site · 6.2 km

28 Schafhauser Weg, Wickede (Ruhr)

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1125 Jahre Hemmerde

Monument and historic site · 7.1 km

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Gnadenbild Werl

Monument and historic site

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Walentowski Galerien

Museum · 1.3 km

8 Unionstraße, Werl

Mo-Fr 09:30-18:00; Sa 10:00-14:00

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Grabmal Familie Regenbogen

Monument and historic site · 4.8 km

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59 more on the map.

Parks, trails and playgrounds40

Bremer Bachaue

Hiking and trails · 6.3 km

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Mühlenbach-Siepenbach

Hiking and trails · 4.1 km

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Hachenbruch

Hiking and trails · 6.9 km

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Horster Mühle

Hiking and trails · 7.4 km

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Klostergarten

Park · Catholic

"nach Absprache"

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Laubwald bei Haus Westrich

Hiking and trails · 3.5 km

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Oberer Bewerbach

Hiking and trails · 6.4 km

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Rehwiese

Hiking and trails · 7.1 km

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Salzbach

Hiking and trails · 3.9 km

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Seseke

Hiking and trails · 7.0 km

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Unterer Bewerbach

Hiking and trails · 7.2 km

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28 more on the map.

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Restaurants and cafes87

Im Winkel

Bar and pub

12 Marktstraße, Werl

17:00+; Mo off

Open in Google Maps · +4929228038791

Das Fischlokal

Restaurant · Fish, Seafood · 3.5 km

36 Westönner Bundesstraße, Werl

We-Sa 17:00-22:30; Su,PH 11:30-14:30,16:30-22:00

Open in Google Maps · +49 2922 8809182

Pizzeria - Altes Spritzenhaus

Restaurant · Pizza · 6.6 km

1 Zur Waterlappe, Ense

We-Su 17:00-22:00

Open in Google Maps · +49 2938 4731

Torino

Restaurant · Italian · 2.5 km

47 Büdericher Bundesstraße, Werl

Tu-Su 11:30-14:00, 17:30-22:00

Open in Google Maps · +49 2922 8034727

Die alte Kirche

Restaurant · Italian · 0.6 km

Mo, Tu off; We-Su 11:30-14:30, 17:00-22:00

Open in Google Maps · +49 2922 912 7777

Haus Gerbens

Restaurant · International · 5.8 km

Tu-Fr 12:00-14:00,18:00-22:00, Sa 18:00-22:00, Su 17:30-20:30

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Zur Post

Restaurant · Balkan · 7.1 km

76 Hemmerder Dorfstraße, Unna

Tu-Su 17:00-24:00; We-Su 11:30-14:30

Open in Google Maps · +49 2308 404

Bäckerei Stricker

Bakery · 7.1 km

14 Kühlstraße, Unna

Mo-Fr 07:30-12:30,14:30-18:30; Sa 06:30-13:00; Su 08:00-11:00

Open in Google Maps · +49 2308 850

Li

Restaurant · Chinese · 7.3 km

Mo-Sa 12:00-15:00,17:00-22:30; Tu off; Su 12:00-22:30

Open in Google Maps · +49 2384 912927

Niehaves

Bakery · 2.7 km

16 Kunibertstraße, Werl

Mo-Fr 06:00-17:30; Sa 06:00-13:00; Su 07:00-12:00

Open in Google Maps · +49 2922 9508085

Ristorante Pizzeria Rimini

Restaurant

9 Steinerstraße, Werl

Mo-Su 11:30-14:30,17:30-21:30

Open in Google Maps · +49 2922 1890

Sommer

Bakery · 6.4 km

15 Werler Straße, Ense

Mo-Fr 08:00-20:00; Sa 07:00-20:00

Open in Google Maps · +49 2938 3290

75 more on the map.

History

Werl was a member of the Hanseatic League in the Middle Ages and since 1661 has had a statue of the Virgin Mary, making it a place of pilgrimage. Today this relic is in the Wallfahrtsbasilika and is looked after by the Franciscan religious order. Werl Prison is the third largest in North Rhine-Westphalia, Werl Prison.

From 1953 to 1970, Werl was one of three garrison towns — alongside Soest and Hemer — used by the Canadian Army as part of Canada's NATO commitment under the British Army of the Rhine. Three purpose-built single-storey barracks were constructed on the edge of the town: Fort Victoria, Fort St Anne and Fort St Louis, accommodating an engineer regiment, a field ambulance and an infantry battalion of 4 Canadian Infantry Brigade Group (renamed 4 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group in May 1968).

Married soldiers and their families lived in a dedicated Canadian residential settlement inside Werl. The site also housed Radio Canadian Army Europe (CAE), the first Canadian military FM radio station on German soil, which broadcast from Fort Victoria until 18 October 1970.

When 4 CMBG relocated to CFB Lahr in 1970–71, the barracks were transferred to the British Army of the Rhine. Fort Victoria was renamed Vittoria Barracks, and Forts St Louis and Anne were combined as Albuhera Barracks.

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Successive British infantry battalions were stationed there: 2nd Queen's Regiment (1971–1975), 1st Queen's (1975–1980), 1st Black Watch (1980–1985), 1st Royal Scots (1985–1991), and 1st Devonshire and Dorset Regiment (August 1991 – June 1994). British forces vacated the site in June 1994, and the barracks have stood abandoned since.

A total of 474 Canadians — 124 post-war military personnel and 350 dependants — are buried in Werl Central Cemetery, the largest concentration of Canadian post-war graves in either Germany or France.

The 4th United States Army Field Artillery Detachment was stationed in Werl until 1992.

From the History section of Werl on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

More about Werl

Geography

Werl lies between the Sauerland, the Münsterland, Ruhr area and Hellweg in the fertile Börde landscape of the Werl-Unnaer Börde. At the end of 2018, Werl had 32,994 inhabitants on an area of 76.35 square kilometers; this corresponds to a population density of 432 people/km2. The highest point in the city is at 228.4 m above sea level. NN in the city forest to the south. The deepest point is 73.1 m above sea level. NN in the northern part of the city on the Flerke farm. The city of Werl lies on the southern edge of the Westphalian Bay. Therefore, the terrain profile in the urban area is predominantly flat. In the southern area the terrain rises sharply towards the Haarstrang. It separates the lowlands from the mountainous Sauerland. In the south, the Werl city forest stretches across the hair strand. This is the only area in the city that is densely covered with trees. The Werler part of the lowlands is, in terms of landscape and economy, more dominated by agriculture.

From the Wikipedia article Werl, under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Notable people from Werl

Born in Werl, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.

Where to stay11

Churches and places of worship36

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Shopping22

Gas and EV charging16

Schools, colleges and libraries23

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Healthcare8

Map of Werl

250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.

Getting there and nearby towns

Dortmund Airport (DTM) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 21 km away.

  • Wickede 7 km southwest, about 7 min by car
  • Welver 8 km northeast, about 8 min by car
  • Bönen 11 km northwest, about 11 min by car
  • Soest 13 km east, about 13 min by car
  • Fröndenberg 13 km southwest, about 13 min by car
  • Hamm 15 km northwest, about 15 min by car
  • Unna 16 km west, about 16 min by car
  • Möhnesee 16 km east, about 16 min by car
  • Kamen 18 km west, about 18 min by car
  • Bad Sassendorf 18 km east, about 18 min by car

Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.

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Page built November 9, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.