Discover Elkeringhausen: Hiking Trails and Summer Festival

Elkeringhausen offers two clear focal points for planning a trip: hiking trails of varying lengths and characteristics, and the annual Summer Festival by the lake. If you are looking for a hotel in Elkeringhausen, you can decide what kind of place it is based on whether a hike, a viewpoint or an event date is set to shape your stay. The trails differ in length and character; the Markental Circular Trail follows the Orke, while a detour to Alte Grimme opens up views over Elkeringhausen as far as Winterberg.

Hiking: Routes, Scenery and Views

The “Historic Hiking Trail” is an approximately 8-kilometre circular route in Winterberg-Elkeringhausen. The “Grimmerundweg (E4)” is about 7 kilometres long, challenging, and starts at the signpost tree in the centre of Elkeringhausen. The approximately 5-kilometre “Markental Circular Trail” is also a circular route and is fairly flat. By comparison, the Markental Circular Trail is the shortest of the three routes and the Historic Hiking Trail the longest; the Grimmerundweg stands out for its challenging character. This lets you weigh up the trails by length, circular-route format and trail character.

The “Markental Circular Trail” follows the Orke along its entire route. Its first section passes through the open, expansive Orke Valley and by orchards, a footbath and a marsh-plant area. If you are choosing based on scenery rather than just route length, this section offers specific points of interest. The Orke running alongside the whole route and the landscape features mentioned here provide different reference points for choosing a route.

A detour to the summit cross (750 metres above sea level) on “Alte Grimme” offers views over Elkeringhausen as far as Winterberg and across the high ridges of the Hochheide. This offers a different focus from the Markental Circular Trail: there, the route description centres on the course of the Orke and the scenery along the first section; here, it is the view from the summit cross. The choice therefore centres on either a circular route described as following the Orke or a detour offering views.

The Elkeringhausen Hiking Portal is a starting point for hiking in the “Hiking Germany” quality region. It offers another reference point if hiking is a priority when choosing your destination, and complements the differences in circular-route format, route length and trail character.

Summer Festival and Culture

The Summer Festival by the lake takes place every year in the spa gardens by the lake in Elkeringhausen and features atmospheric live music. If the festival is an important reason for your trip, check the specific event date before booking. This will help you fit the Summer Festival into your travel plans.

The Elend Mine also has information boards. This offers another local cultural point of interest alongside the recurring festival.

Winterberg as the Wider Destination

In the wider destination of Winterberg, the “Family First” loop in Winterberg Trail Park offers a separate opportunity for a first experience on trails. It is suitable for trail beginners and families. This focus differs from the hiking trails described in Elkeringhausen: the loop is about getting started with trail riding, while in Elkeringhausen, route length, circular-route format, trail character and scenery help guide your choice.

Discover more destinations: Siedlinghausen, Neuastenberg, Altastenberg, Langewiese, Grönebach, Mollseifen, Züschen, Hoheleye.

Back to the wider travel overview: Winterberg.