Monument to Kaiser Wilhelm I in Porta Westfalica

There is a small town in Germany with a non-German name Porta Westfalica. It is located in the North Rhine-Westphalia land. Those who went by any train from Hannover to West Germany or from West Germany to Hannover pass this town. The ICE and IC trains don't stop here, but regional trains do. The place is very beautiful and in any case you can see it from the window.

The town's name translates from Latin as "Gate to Westphalia". At this point the Weser river divides a mountain range into two parts, forming a real "gate" that is visible from far away. Here's an interesting old postcard depicting the place.

The main landmark is a huge monument to Kaiser Wilhelm I (Kaiser-Wilhelm-Denkmal) built between 1892 and 1896.. Actually it's the main attraction of this town.






There's a road up to the monument and many trails in the forest. In the forest you can find an enormous amount of small animals. If you stop and look closely, everything around will be moving. Especially a lot of mice. I have no idea why they chose this place.


Observation deck near the monument offers great views. There is a hiking trail that starts near the monument and goes to the top of the mountain range. Nice pics can also be made from the bridge over the Weser.


2023

From 2013 to 2018, there was a major reconstruction near the monument. A restaurant and a tourist centre were built under the monument, this is how they look like. Also car park was renovated and children's playground was built.

Getting there: You can get there easily by train from both the North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony lands. Since the town is on the border of the two lands, both regional tickets are valid.