Bökerhof, Literary museum and castle in Brakel, Germany

Bökerhof is a castle featuring a mansion from the 18th century, located in Brakel in North Rhine-Westphalia. The property has a north-western arcade and is surrounded by a park that defines the entire grounds.

The von Haxthausen family, one of the four noble pillars of the Prince-Bishopric of Paderborn, was granted the estate at the start of the 14th century. Between 1768 and 1771, Baron Caspar Moritz von Haxthausen had the Hildesheim court architect Anton Went build the mansion on the ruins of a 15th-century moated castle. From 1810 to 1834 it was the centre of the Bökendorfer Romantikerkreis.

During the 19th century, writers and poets gathered here for literary meetings, including the Brothers Grimm and Annette von Droste-Hülshoff. These gatherings shaped the intellectual culture of the region and made it an important center for German Romantic literature.

The castle is today private property, so visitors can view the exterior and the accessible arcade around the palace park. The location sits in a scenic landscape with walking paths that leave directly from the grounds.

The property is not only a site of literary history but also a starting point for extended walks through the surrounding countryside. Its direct connection to hiking trails makes a visit to the castle a good beginning point for nature exploration.