Hanseat­ic Trail

Pan­or­amic views, salt wa­ter springs and Marta Her­ford: the Hanseat­ic Trail in the Teuto­burg Forest of­fers hik­ing with plenty of nature, re­lax­a­tion and cul­tur­al high­lights.

The Hansaweg (Hanseatic Trail) in the Teutoburg Forest is so called because it connects the former Hanseatic towns of Herford and Hameln. Other towns on the 72-kilometre route include Bad Salzuflen, Lemgo and Extertal.

In existence as early as 1930, this trail, that is awarded the “Qualitätsweg Wanderbares Deutschland” seal of quality, begins at Herford railway station and then heads along the River Werre. In Herford, which saw the founding of the oldest Saxon convent in 789 and where Widukind defied Emperor Charlemagne, Gothic architecture now stands alongside one of the most innovative museum buildings in the world: the Frank Gehry-designed Museum Marta Herford.

The route runs past the Bad Salzuflen spa gardens (offering seaside-like air and waters thanks to its healing salt water springs) and then to the scenic high-altitude trail offering a constant supply of new panoramas. Lemgo’s old town is definitely worth a visit. The old Hanseatic town of Lemgo impresses visitors with striking architecture. Its Renaissance flair and idyllic surroundings make Lemgo a popular tourist destination. Highlights include the marketplace and town hall, the hand-carved Junkerhaus, the Hexenbürgermeisterhaus and the Weser Renaissance Museum.

Dörentrupp boasts the highest point of the trail with the 395-metre high Steinberg. One special feature of this “village of animals” is the endangered old domestic animal breeds that are still kept at some farms. If conditions are good, visitors can enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view of the region. Culture lovers should also take a quick detour to Burg Sternberg. A further highlight awaits hikers above Bösingfeld. The Hanseatic Trail continues its varied path towards the Weser, passing through both open land and wooded areas. It comes to an end at the Klütturm tower after more than 70 kilometres of fantastic hiking.