Before "Restoration"!

The area reaching from the cemetery in Werries on the south bank and Oberwerries castle on the north bank to Haarener Weg, the road connecting Lippestrasse to the federal B 61 highway, had been the most beautiful part of the river Lippe in Hamm, even though it had been unknown to most of the people there. At least the most beautiful part for walking, cycling, and fishing.

Other areas on the river banks offering scenic views are private property - no trespassing. Others are ugly and dull - a bore to the eye.
Specifically there, where the river had been robbed of its meandering through the adjacent meadows, downgraded from a river to a canal in the early years of the 20th century, namely between Fährstrasse in the eastern part of the town and the bridge in Herringen, upstream near RWE's Gersteinwerk power plant in the west.

The area concerned, the so-called Haaren Lippeaue, had been an extraordinarily beautiful site all the time before what is called restoration now. That's the reason why Hamm's Municipal Parks and Gardens Department created a wonderful walkway along the south bank of the river Lippe offering its beauty to pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.
This walkway was removed by the County Environmental Agency. There is a recently created remote walkway running far off the river; on the river banks numerous trees and shrubs fell victim to saws and axes in the course of restoration works in progress.

Look for yourself!

Take a close look at the river and its banks before restoration got underway!
Start viewing the pictures by clicking on the thumbnails below!