Kirchilpe: Hiking, a hilltop fort and a chapel

Kirchilpe brings hiking interests and local history together in a single travel plan. If you are looking for a hotel in Kirchilpe, you can decide whether to focus on a route or on historical sites. Two points of interest are the Sauerland Höhenflug trail and the medieval hilltop fort and chapel.

Hiking and getting your bearings

The Sauerland Höhenflug trail passes through Kirchilpe on the route from Bad Fredeburg to Reiste. A small rest area along the Höhenflug trail has a viewpoint overlooking the village of Kirchilpe to the south. The N19 circular trail is marked with the trail symbol N19.

For guests staying overnight in Kirchilpe, the hiking taxi picks them up locally as part of the Sauerland Höhenflug route. Check the timetable and booking details before making plans. This allows you to take the pickup service into account when planning a hike without assuming a particular timetable.

The “Badewannenweg” is a scenic path above Ferienhof Stratmann, with views across the Sauerland. It is a feature associated with the farm and differs in its classification from the described routes of the Sauerland Höhenflug and the N19 circular trail.

Hilltop fort and chapel

The hilltop fort stood south of the village of Kirchilpe in the Middle Ages. Its remains were uncovered during excavations in 2000. In the City of Schmallenberg’s list of monuments, Section B for archaeological monuments, the hilltop fort has an entry dated 24 October 1985.

The chapel in Kirchilpe also has an early historical connection: it was mentioned as early as around 1308 and is dedicated to Saint Cyriacus. The hilltop fort and chapel offer different perspectives on local history: one focuses on archaeological remains, the other on the chapel’s early mention and dedication.

More topics in the wider destination of Schmallenberg

The wider destination of Schmallenberg offers other distinct points of interest. Schmallenberg’s old town has a unified neoclassical architectural character and many restored half-timbered houses. The townscape thus offers an architectural highlight alongside the historical sites in Kirchilpe.

In Schmallenberg-Latrop, the Forestry Workers’ Museum displays historical tools, pictures of former forest and village life, historical forestry office files, and information on the development of the chainsaw. The Forestry Workers’ and Foresters’ Trail also starts in Schmallenberg-Latrop. It runs for 4.5 kilometres and has 17 stations covering topics such as forest ecology and timber use. The museum and themed trail have different focuses: historical objects and pictures on the one hand, and forest topics along a route on the other.

Schmallenberg also has a family adventure trail of around three kilometres, with 13 stations about forests, animals, wood and birds. Its topics can be compared with those of the Forestry Workers’ and Foresters’ Trail: the adventure trail also covers animals and birds, while the trail in Latrop focuses on forest ecology and timber use.

The historical town tour offers insights into Schmallenberg’s history and introduces local characters such as Floigenkasper and Breybalg. Check current dates and booking arrangements in advance.

The 84-kilometre SauerlandRadring cycling route is another topic in the wider destination of Schmallenberg. It connects Finnentrop, Eslohe, Schmallenberg and Lennestadt and follows former railway lines. Alongside hiking trails and local history, visitors can therefore choose from different interests such as cycling routes, town architecture and forest topics.

Discover more destinations: Winkhausen, Niederhenneborn, Werntrop, Schanze, Gellinghausen, Nordenau, Oberrarbach, Rehsiepen.

Go to the main travel overview: Schmallenberg.