Wildewiese: Ski Area, Hiking Trails and Schomberg Tower

Wildewiese can be explored through a variety of activities: in winter, skiing and tobogganing take centre stage, alongside circular and long-distance hiking trails and viewpoints on Schomberg. When planning your trip, it is worth distinguishing between the respective trail lengths and conditions—for example, natural snow for skiing and the marked distances of the hiking trails.

Skiing in a Natural Snow Area

The Wildewiese ski area is located at an altitude of 540 to 645 metres. It has five lifts, several downhill runs ranging from 100 to 1,200 metres in length, and several groomed cross-country ski trails. The downhill runs range from 100 to 1,200 metres, covering a wide range of lengths.

Wildewiese is an all-natural snow area. Snowmaking equipment cannot be operated there because of the water supply, so lift operations depend on snow. The area also includes a floodlit piste just under six kilometres long for night skiing. Check the latest snow and operating information before your visit, especially if you are planning to use the floodlit piste.

Night skiing in Wildewiese also has a history: in the 1970s and 1980s, there was a floodlit slope there that was illuminated twice a week, allowing people to ski after dark.

The toboggan run is directly to the left of the road at the entrance to the village. It can be reached directly from the car parks via public paths. This can help you find your way to the slope once you are there.

Circular Routes and Longer Hikes

For hikers, the Sauerland-Höhenflug offers an approximately 19-kilometre stage from Altenaffeln via the mining village of Hagen to Wildewiese. The local hiking tradition also includes the “Hagener Weg,” which leads from the church in Hagen through the mountains to Wildewiese. Both descriptions provide guidance for longer routes, but differ in their specific names and starting points.

A shorter loop is “Around Schomberg in Wildewiese”: the circular trail is 2.7 kilometres long, marked W2, and passes Schomberg Tower. The Sauerland-Höhenflug winter hike from Wildewiese to Faulebutter is also listed as an 8.5-kilometre circular route. The 2.7-kilometre W2 loop is considerably shorter than the 8.5-kilometre winter hike.

The rest area at Schlubberbruch lies along the winter hike from the hilltop village of Wildewiese to Faulebutter. Charcoal burners’ families lived there until the end of the 19th century. Numerous circular kiln sites in the forests bear witness to the area’s former charcoal burning and give the hike a historical connection.

Scenery and Views from Schomberg

Wildewiese is located at the source of the Sorpe. The “Wildewiese” landscape conservation area covers 60.9 hectares. Its designation protects the remaining open spaces around Wildewiese that are used as grassland.

The 65-metre-high Vodafone microwave relay tower, also known as Schomberg Tower, stands in the ski area. Its viewing platform is 30 metres above the ground. On a clear day, the view extends beyond the northern Ruhr region and the Lippeland to Münster, 85 kilometres away, the Teutoburg Forest, and the microwave tower near Bielefeld, 90 kilometres away. The W2 circular trail passes the tower; the long-distance views described are visible on clear days.

In the broader destination of Sundern (Sauerland)

Lake Sorpe lies in Sundern, between the districts of Langscheid and Amecke, in the Sauerland landscape. In Amecke, on the edge of the Sauerland reservoir, the 3.4-kilometre AiRlebnisweg trail runs along the shore. Its 20 interactive stations explore the themes of air, breathing and water. The trail is lit throughout, open year-round and fully accessible. These destinations add a different theme to the broader destination of Sundern (Sauerland) than skiing and hiking in Wildewiese.

Discover more destinations: Langscheid

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