Discover Finnentrop: Hiking and Culture

Finnentrop is accessible by car and train. The destination combines an extensive network of hiking trails with historic buildings and traces of railway history. When planning your trip, you can first decide whether longer hikes, scenic landscapes, cycling or architectural history will be the focus of your stay. If you are travelling by train, check the timetables separately.

Hiking in Finnentrop: Trails and Stages

Finnentrop has more than 300 kilometres of signposted hiking trails through hills and valleys. Named routes include the Finnentrop Circular Trail, which is approximately 90 kilometres long. The Sauerland Höhenflug covers 23 varied kilometres through Finnentrop. These figures provide an indication of the different trail distances; they do not refer to a single combined route.

The Sauerland Höhenflug offers elevated viewpoints and close-up nature experiences. If you would rather not plan a longer hike in one go, you can walk sections of the Finnentrop Circular Trail and the Sauerland Höhenflug. Both trails can also be combined with SGV long-distance hiking trails to create custom loops. This gives you the option of walking individual stages or planning a broader route.

A GPX download for GPS-enabled mobile devices is available for the Finnentrop Circular Trail. If you plan to use this for navigation, check before your trip that the download is available. When planning a route that combines several trails, it is also a good idea to check how the individual sections connect in advance, as routes can change.

Manor Houses, Farmhouses and Churches

Regional farmhouses with decorative gables dating from the 18th and 19th centuries can be found in several districts of Finnentrop. The destination’s manor houses and castles also tell the story of different periods of construction. Schloss Ahausen is a rural manor house from the 17th or 18th century, built on the foundations of a moated castle dating from the 14th century. Haus Bamenohl evolved from a moated castle into a Baroque manor house; its tower was added in 1870. Schloss Lenhausen was built as a moated castle in the 14th century and expanded into a castle in the 17th century.

The churches add another perspective on the region’s architectural history. St Mary’s Assumption Church in Schönholthausen is an 18th-century hall church with a Romanesque west tower and rich Baroque furnishings. St Anthony the Hermit Church in Heggen was built in 1900; a Romanesque chapel survives in its front section. The old railway bridge in Lenhausen reveals another historic building phase: it was built between 1859 and 1861 and is listed as a local attraction.

Cycling Route and Railway Heritage

Just outside Lenhausen, there is an access point to the SauerlandRadring on a former railway line. The cycling route forms an approximately 83-kilometre loop through the Fretter valley. Preserved signals, buffer stops, railway carriages and a restored steam locomotive along the SauerlandRadring are reminders of the area’s railway history. Some of these objects may have been moved or altered.

The Finnentrop bat tunnel is also affected by the seasons: in summer it offers a special visitor experience, while in winter it serves as a refuge for bats. Check seasonal access and closure times before your visit. This way, you can take this distinctive feature into account when planning without assuming that winter is a suitable time to visit.

Plan a Stay That Suits You

The trail distances and themes offer different starting points for planning your trip: you can combine Finnentrop with a hike along selected sections, consider cycling the route through the Fretter valley, or explore its architectural history through manor houses, churches and the railway bridge. When looking for a hotel in Finnentrop, it helps to decide on your priorities first.

Discover more destinations: Deutmecke, Fretter, Attendorn, Olpe, Kirchhundem, Lennestadt, Wenden, Drolshagen.

Back to the main travel overview: Olpe.