Extertal: Hiking Trails, Castle and Views

Extertal combines hiking country with regional culture. If you like to plan your stay around trails, views and historic sites, the municipality offers a variety of things to explore, from marked hiking trails and a rail-bike route to Sternberg Castle.

Hiking on themed trails and longer routes

Extertal has around 250 kilometres of marked hiking trails. Marketing Extertal e.V., together with local village communities and heritage associations, has established twelve themed trails. The Hansaweg (X9) is another option: a 74-kilometre historic trade route certified as a quality hiking trail. It passes through the North Lippe municipality of Extertal and continues through Ostwestfalen-Lippe into the Weser Uplands. The distances refer to different things: the municipal trail network and a particular route. Check conditions on individual trails locally.

The Schnattergang, also known as the “Wundersame Wesen Weg” (Magical Creatures Trail), is five kilometres long. Colourful, artistically designed and clearly marked signposts indicate its route. This makes it easy to distinguish in length from the 74-kilometre Hansaweg. The Wilddiebsroute in Extertal-Silixen tells a different trail story: it follows in the footsteps of the Silixen poachers and wood thieves and is certified as a “Quality Trail”.

The “Über Berg und Tal durchs Extertal” (Over Hill and Dale through Extertal) experience trail connects numerous villages in Extertal. It starts and ends in Extertal-Bösingfeld and offers views across the municipality and the Weser Uplands. The Draisinenspaß route, on the other hand, focuses on a different way of getting around: it starts in Rinteln/Süd and runs through Extertal to Alverdissen, a district of Barntrup. The route passes through gently rolling countryside with meadows and small villages. Operating arrangements depend on the season or timetable; check the dates before planning your visit.

Sternberg Castle and the Sounding Museum

Sternberg Castle is a hilltop castle in the municipality of Extertal, at an elevation of 315 metres. Today it is used for a range of cultural events, with a focus on music, seminars, workshops and private celebrations. Individual events may vary; if you are visiting for a particular event, check the programme in advance.

The Sounding Museum at Sternberg Castle displays instruments from the Peter Harlan collection. Together with the hilltop castle itself, the museum adds a musical and cultural-historical dimension to the themes of hiking and landscape.

Hohe Asch: Views across several landscapes

Hiking in Extertal brings together lush nature and the cultural landscape of Lippe. The observation tower on 371-metre-high Hohe Asch offers wide-ranging views. Its viewing platform is twelve metres high; on a clear day, you can see as far as Porta Westfalica with the Kaiser Wilhelm Monument, the ridge of the Teutoburg Forest with the Hermann Monument, Köterberg, and the North Lippe Uplands and Weser Uplands. These destinations make the view a highlight in its own right, alongside the trails through the municipality.

Extertal within the wider destination of Lippe

The wider destination of Lippe has around 2,000 kilometres of hiking trails. These include part of European long-distance path E1 and the award-winning “Hermannshöhen” and “Hansaweg” hiking trails. This regional context extends beyond Extertal; the network and trail distances mentioned here refer to Lippe.

Cultural history is also part of the wider picture: Lippe has seven historic town centres characterised by Renaissance buildings. The Externsteine are a cultural and natural monument in the heart of Lippe. In Extertal itself, Sternberg Castle and the Sounding Museum offer a distinct, tangible cultural highlight alongside hiking.

Discover more destinations: Laßbruch, Dörentrup, Augustdorf, Bad Salzuflen, Schieder-Schwalenberg, Rott, Oerlinghausen, Horn-Bad Meinberg.

Go to the main travel overview: Lippe.