Schalksmühle walks

The A10 ‘Kleine Runde mit Volmeblick’ is a regional walking trail that winds its way through the characteristic landscape of the Märkischer Kreis. This path offers walkers unique perspectives on the Volme Valley and its natural surroundings in Schalksmühle. The carefully designed route allows walkers to immerse themselves in the local flora and fauna, whilst experiencing a harmonious interplay of woodland sections and open vantage points. The route is designed to reflect the region’s topographical features whilst offering both relaxation and an experience of nature. The views of the Volme, nestled amongst the rolling hills, are a defining feature of this tour and invite you to explore the scenic diversity of this area. The route is characterised by its manageable nature, which encourages a deep appreciation of the surroundings and provides a comprehensive insight into the region’s distinctive features.

The circular walking route around Ennepetal-Voerde begins and ends at the fairground. The route leads through Lindenstraße, along Friemannweg and via Vilvoorder Straße into the rural surroundings featuring fields, hills, farmsteads and wooded hillsides. Further stops include Störringen, Gut Braband and the Ferdinand Bilstein site. The circular route then leads back to the starting point.

The regional walking route “Left and Right of the Heilenbecke” is a circular walk from Uhlenbart via Rüggeberg, the Heilenbecke Dam, Ravenschlag and Wittenstein back to the starting point. Dense forests, meadows, quiet woodland paths and views of the Bergisch landscape characterise the route. The historic village of Wittenstein adds a touch of regional history to the scenic impressions.

The partly redesigned circular walk offers views of the Heilenbecke valley and two of its tributaries. At the start, the walk follows the Heilenbecker-Hangweg with virtually no incline. Other stops along the route include the village of Wittenstein with its old half-timbered houses, the Grimmelsberg and the Königsfeld spa clinic.

This walk starts in Remscheid-Lüttringhausen, near the A1 motorway, crosses the Herbringhausen Dam, follows the Herbringhausen Stream to the River Wupper and back, circles round Herbringhausen, then follows a figure-of-eight route back up to the dam and returns to the starting point. Parts of the route follow the Röntgenweg and the Wuppertal Circular Walk.

The route takes you through Muttental and Bommerholz, partly along the so-called Mining Trail, which offers small, museum-like insights into mining, down to the Hardenstein ruins on the River Ruhr and back to the starting point.

The historic Muttental Mining Circular Walk passes not only the Hardenstein Castle ruins on the banks of the Ruhr but also the Nachtigall Colliery. Here you’ll find a museum with an interesting exhibition.

From Biesfeld around the Wiesenberg, via Hommerich to Oberheiligenhoven at the LVR Lindlar Open-Air Museum.

This tour takes you around the Dhünn Dam, Germany’s second-largest drinking-water reservoir, in the Bergisches Land.The Bergisches Land does not take its name from its landscape, as one might suppose, but from its former rulers, the Dukes of Berg.

We hike along beautiful paths over the Lüderich, which has an eventful mining history, pass the winding tower of the Franziska shaft and skirt Hoffnungsthal. Later, we pass a grain distillery in Hofferhof, hike through the valley of the Kupfersiefer Bach and reach a viewpoint behind Oberschönrath with a view of the Cologne Bay and the Siebengebirge mountains. Via the Gammersbacher Mühle mill and the picturesque half-timbered village of Muchensiefen, we reach Kreuznaaf on the Naafbach stream.

On this walk, you’ll experience the traces of mining at the Hoppenbruch and Hoheward spoil heaps, as well as on the site of the former Ewald colliery, first-hand.

This route first takes us into the dreamy Naafbach Valley. On ascending paths, we cross Deesem, enter a large forest area, hike to the Wahnbach and reach Neunkirchen. There, the Church of St. Margareta is worth a visit. Via Ingersau, we reach the Bröltal valley. Behind Winterscheiderbröl, we tackle another strenuous climb before arriving at St. Servatius Church in Winterscheid.

The long-distance hiking trail opens up the Königsforst, the southern Bergisches Land, leads through the Westerwald to the monasteries of Marienthal and Marienstatt and into the Kroppacher Schweiz, one of the most charming areas of the Westerwald. We hike through Hachenburg and the Hoher Westerwald and reach the highest point of the Cologne Trail at 567 metres on the Marienberger Höhe. An impressive basalt park near Bad Marienberg and the Stöffel Tertiary Industry Adventure Park near Stockum-Püschen explain the importance of basalt mining. We will be transported to the unique cultural landscape of the Westerwald Lake District near Dreifelden and pass through Metteshahner Schweiz to Neustadt (Wied). On the last section, we will hike to the Drachenfels and Königswinter.

Königsforst is the name of the stop where tram line 9 ends in Cologne-Rath-Heumar, and this is where the Cologne Trail begins. The markings for the Cologne Trail, a white K on a black mirror, which we see for the first time at this point, will guide us safely through the southern Bergisches Land and the Westerwald for 253 kilometres to Königswinter. We first stroll through a park-like landscape, then through unspoilt forest. On wide, gently ascending paths, we pass a water treading pool, the Kaisereiche oak tree and cross the former Bensberg-Rösrath railway line, hiking through the quiet Wahlbach valley until we reach Lehmbach and Sülze via the Tütberg.