Tough women and mighty men, ancient treasuries and young masters: Herford offers you lots of things worth to experience at every turn. More than 1200 years of history have left visible traces in our city, setting a modern course at the same time. Where in 789 the oldest Saxon convent for the upper nobility was founded and Wittekind affronted Karl, the Franks' emperor, today you will find Gothic sacral architecture beside a modern museum building. Historical buildings such as the Frühherrenhaus, the Münsterkirche (old cathedral) or the Kurienhaus (curia houses) are impressing witnesses of the past's power and glory.  

Next door MARTa Herford - Museum for Contemporary Art and Design - standing for courage, the will to change and cosmopolitanism of the modern age. With MARTa Herford star architect Frank Gehry (Guggenheim Museum Bilbao) once again created a visionary building without a right angle. Jan Hoet, MARTa's Curator and one of today's most important exhibition creators, knows how to revive MARTa Herford always anew by means of spectacular expositions.

Like in the past Herford is still cordially receiving its guests: In the past it used to be a place to rest for the pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostella, today it is a modern destination for people loving art and seeking recovery. At this point, we would like to emphasise that not only those more than 65.000 Herford citizens love and appreciate their city, guests from all parts of the world feel comfortable with us.

Commerce and trade - that is the tradition prevailing in the ancient Hanseatic City of Herford. At that time, flax and linen formed the basis of economic wealth. Still today, textiles play an important role, such as famous labels like Bugatti and Brax, being produced in Westphalia's Hanseatic city. Thanks to the furniture industry, machine construction and plastics industry, economics have become manifold. Famous manufacturers such as Humana, Sulo, Poggenpohl and many medium-sized companies - partially being secret market leaders in their segments - contribute to the successful economic situation in Herford