Bergneustadt Old Town

This church was built in 1698, and its pointed double onion dome is the town's landmark. The second point of interest is the castle fountain, located at the other end of the church square in the southeast, and was probably built in the 14th century. Passing the old town church, we now come to our third point, the rectory. After the second town fire of 1942, the building was rebuilt and still serves as the rectory today. Remnants of the former town wall can be found in the building's cellar. From the rectory, we proceed to point 4, the Krawinkel House. The Krawinkel House is one of the oldest houses in Bergneustadt's old town. It is the ancestral home of the Krawinkel family of manufacturers, who opened the largest knitwear factory in Bergneustadt in the 19th century. Point 5 is the historic half-timbered Jägerhof inn, a real eye-catcher and a place to stop for refreshments. Returning along the main street, we come to the Clarenbach House. At the beginning of the 19th century, the building served as the mayor's office and the first post office in Neustadt. The typical Bergisches Land colors of black (beams, slate), white (window frames, plastered areas in the timber framing), and green (shutters, gutters, downpipes, front door) are clearly visible on this house. Point 7 of the tour is the Losemund Fountain, erected in 1950 by the local history society and presented to the town for its 650th anniversary. For centuries, the town fountain had stood on this spot, where the residents of Bergneustadt washed all sorts of "dirty laundry." The houses in the old town are our point 8 of the sights. The house at Hauptstraße 22 stands out from the other houses due to its Art Nouveau elements in the facade. The partially slate-clad timber-framed houses on Wallstraße also make for a beautiful scene (also for photography enthusiasts). Point 10 is the noteworthy local history museum on Wallstraße. Since 1984, the museum has been housed in a two-story, partially slate-clad timber-framed building. Its kitchen with a chimney, a parlor, an old schoolroom, a complete bedroom, a pharmacy, an office, a shoemaker's workshop, and many other interesting objects transport visitors back to bygone eras. In the museum's courtyard are a complete forge and a bakehouse. The commemorative stone marking the town's 600th anniversary in 1901 is our 11th point. From the memorial stone, we continue to the Krawinkel Villa, point 12, built around 1880, which has acquired its present appearance through several renovations and extensions. Point 13, and thus the last point of the tour, is the old forge. This is a narrow, utilitarian building; the former associated shop stands directly opposite. Today, the old forge is part of the local history museum.