Hochsauerland District: Forests, heathland and trails

At 841 metres, Kahler Asten is one of the highest elevations in North Rhine-Westphalia. It is located in Hochsauerland District. When choosing a place to stay at a hotel, it helps to consider whether you want to include hiking trails, protected landscapes or culture in your travel plans.

A natural landscape of forests, heathland and rock formations

Hochsauerland District is a member of Sauerland-Rothaargebirge Nature Park, which includes areas that were previously part of Homert and Rothaargebirge Nature Parks. It is one of the largest nature parks in Germany. In the northwest of the district lies the Moosfelde forest complex, with numerous oak and beech trees more than a hundred years old. Hikers can follow the valleys of the Große and Kleine Aupke rivers and spot kingfishers, grey wagtails and dippers.

Near Olsberg-Bruchhausen, the Bruchhauser Steine consist of four large porphyry rocks. They are designated as a nature reserve, an FFH area and a bird sanctuary. Niedersfelder Hochheide offers a different type of landscape: the Neuer Hagen nature reserve and FFH area near Niedersfeld lies at an elevation of more than 800 metres and covers around 57 hectares of mountain heathland. The Hunau–Langer Rücken–Heidberg nature reserve is home to the Nasse Wiese and Rauhes Bruch slope fens, which are more than 8,000 years old.

The Gelängebachtal and Gelängeberg protected areas southwest of Medebach are also part of the Medebach Bay bird sanctuary. Visitors can spot birds including great grey shrikes, red-backed shrikes, red kites and black storks. The Orke Valley offers another distinctive landscape: between Medelon and Elkeringhausen, a stream valley stretches for many kilometres with very little development. The Orke has been restored to a more natural state by removing weirs and creating meanders.

Trails through the landscape

In Siebenbuchen nature reserve, north of Meerhof, a district of Marsberg, a woodland discovery trail runs through the area. Interactive stations, bridges over wetlands and pools, and viewing platforms shape the route. In the Bergwiesen bei Altastenberg nature reserve, a mountain meadow trail provides information about the mountain meadow landscape. The area is about four kilometres west of Winterberg.

Sauerland-Rothaargebirge Nature Park offers opportunities for hiking and cycling, environmental education facilities and underground tours. For cyclists, the SauerlandRadring connects Finnentrop, Eslohe, Schmallenberg and Lennestadt over a total of 84 kilometres; most of the route follows former railway lines. The hiking trails pass through the Siebenbuchen and Bergwiesen bei Altastenberg protected areas, while the SauerlandRadring mostly follows former railway lines.

Culture and wildlife watching

The DampfLandLeute Museum Eslohe explores the history of ironworking in Sauerland and features an exhibition on local culture and social history. It also presents documented examples of power machinery and the mechanisation of agriculture. These themes connect everyday and working life with technological development, offering a cultural experience alongside nature and trails.

At the Bödefeld red deer enclosure, visitors can see red deer up close across an area of about ten hectares. The enclosure is right by the Hollenpfad trail and near the Walkenmühle nature playground; Bödefeld is a district of Schmallenberg. Those weighing up different priorities for their trip will find trails and protected landscapes, as well as museum exhibits and wildlife watching, in the district.

Getting there

The A 46 motorway crosses Hochsauerland District from west to east, connecting the region with the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan areas and the eastern German states. It is open along its full length between Neheim and Bestwig. You can use this regional road link as a guide when planning your journey; check current traffic conditions before setting off.

Discover more destinations: Winterberg, Meschede, Medebach, Eslohe, Brilon, Bestwig, Schmallenberg, Arnsberg, Hallenberg, Olsberg, Sundern, Marsberg, Nesselbach.

For the full travel overview: North Rhine-Westphalia.