Getting Your Bearings
Paderborn sits in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia, at the source of the river Pader, roughly 30 km east of Lippstadt and about 50 km south of Bielefeld. The city is the capital of the Paderborn district, and its compact centre — rebuilt after the Second World War and still anchored by the cathedral where St. Liborius is buried — is the natural base for a visit. The practical upshot for a traveller is simple: the centre is small enough to cover on foot, and everything beyond it is reachable by bus or train.
Walking
Foot, bus or bicycle is the short answer to how you get around Paderborn. The city centre is compact and pedestrian-friendly, with shops, cafés and restaurants all within walking distance of one another, and riverside paths along the Pader make for pleasant strolling. The Pader itself rises from more than 200 springs near the cathedral, so the water is never far from the middle of town.
The catch is that areas outside the city centre are less accessible on foot. If your hotel or your plans sit in one of the outer Stadtteile, plan on using public transport or a bicycle rather than assuming you can walk everywhere.
Rail
Paderborn is fully integrated into the German rail system, and its main station, Paderborn Hauptbahnhof, is the hub for longer journeys. The station is served by high-speed, intercity and EuroCity services, with IC/ICE routes running between Düsseldorf, Hamm, Kassel, Erfurt and Dresden, and between Cologne and Munich. Intercity trains between Düsseldorf and Weimar also call at Paderborn several times a day.
For regional travel, there are connections to the IC/ICE stations at Bielefeld, Dortmund, Hamm, Kassel and Hannover — useful if you need to change onto a different long-distance line. Note that Paderborn has no metro or tram network; rail here means mainline trains, and the city's local transport is handled by buses.
Buses and Local Public Transport
Local public transport in Paderborn is a city-wide bus network. Tickets are sold at vending machines and on board all PaderSprinter buses, so you can buy your fare as you board if you haven't picked one up in advance.
For route maps and bus information, head to the "Mobithek Paderborn" at Bahnhofstraße 27, conveniently close to the main station. Timetable and fare enquiries can also be made by phone on +49 (0)5251 2930400 or by email at kontakt@fahr-mit.de.
Long-distance coaches provide additional regional and international travel options if you're arriving from or heading further afield.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
The available source material does not describe taxi ranks, taxi apps or ride-hailing services in Paderborn, so it's best to treat these as a fallback rather than a plan. For anything time-sensitive, the bus network and the main station are the reliable options.
Cycling
Cycling is a genuine way to get around here, not just a leisure activity. Paderborn has a maintained network of cycle paths and signed bike tours, including the Paderborner Land Route. ADFC-certified "Bett & Bike" hotels cater specifically to cycling tourists, so you can combine your accommodation with your bike hire. Be aware that some cycling routes involve traffic on less scenic roads, so it's worth checking the route before you set out.
Arriving by Air
Paderborn/Lippstadt Airport lies about 15 km south-west of the city (the city's own tourism pages put it at around 20 km). It has regular connections with Munich and Antalya, plus seasonal and charter flights to Mediterranean holiday destinations and the Canary Islands.
To reach the city from the airport, take the express bus, which runs every hour between the airport and the Paderborn bus terminal. Bus lines S60 and S61 also serve the airport from Paderborn.
Other airports in the wider region are considerably further away: Münster/Osnabrück Airport, Dortmund Airport and Hannover Airport are all options, but each involves a longer onward journey by rail or road.
Arriving by Car or Coach
By road, Paderborn is on the A33 autobahn (Osnabrück–Bad Wünnenberg, via Paderborn), and the A44 (Dortmund–Kassel) passes via Büren/Paderborn. Several federal roads also converge on the city: the B64 (from Höxter/Bad Driburg and from Münster/Rheda-Wiedenbrück), the B68 (from Warburg/Kassel), the B1 (from Hameln/Detmold and from Soest/Geseke) and the B480 (from Brilon).
Practical Information
Tourist Information Paderborn is at Königsplatz 10, 33098 Paderborn, tel. +49 (0)5251 88-12980, email tourist-info@paderborn.de. In summer (1 April–31 October) it opens Monday to Friday 10:00–18:00 and Saturday 10:00–14:00; in winter (1 November–31 March) Monday to Friday 10:00–17:00 and Saturday 10:00–14:00. They also offer leaflets by mail if you're preparing your trip in advance.
- On foot: best for the compact centre and the riverside paths along the Pader.
- Bus: the city-wide network for everything outside the centre; buy tickets at vending machines or on board PaderSprinter buses.
- Train: Paderborn Hauptbahnhof for IC/ICE and regional connections to Düsseldorf, Cologne, Hamm, Kassel, Dresden, Munich, Bielefeld, Dortmund and Hannover.
- Bicycle: maintained cycle paths and signed tours, with Bett & Bike hotels for cycling visitors.
- From the airport: hourly express bus to the Paderborn bus terminal, plus bus lines S60 and S61.
- Maps and advice: Mobithek Paderborn, Bahnhofstraße 27, near the main station.