Embark on a modern adventure in these very "Teutonic" hills reaching almost 470 metres above sea level. A densely wooded ridge wreathed in cultural and mythical associations traverses the idyllic countryside. The Hermannshöhen premium-grade walking trails cross the untouched scenery of the Teutoburg Forest and the Egge Hills with their fascinating history and culture. The ridge, which is the watershed between southern Lower Saxony and Westphalia, is often less than a kilometre wide. As you walk the lush track with its wealth of panoramic viewpoints you feel as if you're on top of the world, away from it all in peaceful, unspoilt hill country. But you are never more than 5km away from a hamlet, a village or a town on either side of the ridge.
The two well-trodden Hermannshöhen ridge trails are more than 100 years old. The Hermannsweg trail is considered one of the most beautiful ridge walks in Germany and is among the country's top ten trails. It starts in Rheine in the Münsterland parkland region and finishes at the Velmerstot crags where there are magnificent views of the surrounding Lippe region. Ancient towns, the monument to Hermann the Cheruscan, palaces and abbeys bear testimony to the historical events that took place here. The Eggeweg, a premium walking trail, was the first footpath in Germany to be awarded the "Wanderbares Deutschland" seal of approval by the German Ramblers' Association. This walk along the forested ridge starts near the Externsteine natural monument and takes walkers past the 468 metre high Velmerstot crags in Prussia, the highest point in the Hermannshöhen region, before continuing south to Marsberg.
