Padberg: Valleys, village history and hiking trails

Explore Padberg through its village history and the landscape between the Diemel and Hoppecke rivers. A village walk and named sights sit alongside hiking and circular trails, the Diemel Cycle Route and guided tours. For planning your tour, the Bionics Trail’s time estimates are particularly helpful: they distinguish the walking time alone from a visit that includes the trail stations.

Landscape between the Diemel and Hoppecke rivers

Padberg is situated on a distinctive mountain spur bounded by the deeply incised, steep valley slopes of the Diemel and Hoppecke rivers. In places, the spur is only about 1.3 kilometres wide. At the southern foot of Padberg, between the Obermühle mill and the road bridge to Adorf, lies a gorge-like narrow valley. The landscape thus ranges from the distinctive ridge to the narrow stretch of valley at its southern foot. Northeast of the village, at Bellerstein, are the remains of a former large open-cast mine for red iron ore. The former mine adds the history of ore extraction to the landscape of river valleys and the spur.

Synagogue, churches and village history

Tourist attractions include a village walk and the village square, Pumpenstein, the New Church of St. Mary Magdalene, the Old Church of St. Peter and the former Padberg Synagogue. The synagogue is a simple half-timbered building with a pitched roof and, according to studies, was probably built around 1790. It served as a synagogue until 1931. After restoration work was completed, a memorial site for Jewish history in Padberg and the surrounding area was established there.

The Old Padberg Church of St. Peter stands on the steep slope of the Alten Hagen above the village. Inside the church are two tomb slabs of the old Padberg family of counts, dating from 1557 and 1585. The New Church of St. Mary Magdalene contains a high altar dating from 1670, a work by the Papen family of sculptors from Giershagen. The churches thus preserve distinct historical evidence: tomb slabs from the 16th century and an altarpiece from the 17th century.

Hiking trails and guided tours

Padberg lies in Diemelsee Nature Park and directly on the Diemel Cycle Route; there are also many hiking and circular trails. Guided day hikes are offered around the Ring Padberg. Groups can book customised hiking tours there. The Marsberg Bionics Trail runs through Diemelsee Nature Park along Padberg Hiking Trail 2. It is 4.8 kilometres long. Walking time alone is about 90 minutes; including visits to the stations, it takes about 2.5 hours. Another hiking option is the southern route of the Sauerland Forest Route, Stage 14, which runs from Giershagen via Padberg to Helminghausen.

More topics in the wider travel destination of Marsberg

In the wider travel destination of Marsberg, an information centre for bionics, the regional mining industry and geology is located in an open, covered multifunctional pavilion at the Grube Reinhard recreation area (charcoal-burning site) on the Diemel near Giershagen. Check the opening arrangements before visiting.

Discover more destinations: Bredelar, Leitmar, Obermarsberg, Beringhausen, Helminghausen.

Back to the wider travel overview: Marsberg.