You can drive from us a good quarter of an hour by car in a charming town with some historical sights: the 1000-year-old cathedral and the Old City Hall - but also a very lively city with nice shops and a considerable area for nightlife.
Prominent here is the Jazz Club Minden, where the cream of the international jazz scene give guest performances.
Also located in Minden is the famous Wasserstraßenkreuz, where the Mittelland channel is run in 13 m height across the Weser.
Very close is also the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Memorial with a magnificent view of the North German Plain, which you can open up from there as a hang glider.