The Nikolaikirche on Klosterstraße is the oldest surviving structure in Lippstadt. Its Romanesque bell tower dates to the 12th century, predating the town's official founding in 1185, and is the most direct architectural link to the earliest settlement on the Lippe. The rest of the building was rebuilt and altered over subsequent centuries, but the tower remains from the original structure.
The church is Catholic, in contrast to the predominantly Protestant Große Marienkirche a few streets away. It stands in a quieter quarter of the old town and is often overlooked by visitors moving between the market square and the Grüner Winkel — which makes it all the more satisfying to seek out.