Kindelsberg Trail
A circuit offering exceptional views and historical insights
The Kindelsbergpfad (Kindelsberg Trail) in Siegerland-Wittgenstein combines idyllic nature with information on the region’s mining history.
The Kindelsbergpfad (Kindelsberg Trail) in Sauerland combines idyllic nature with information on the region’s mining history. The trail, which covers just under 15 kilometres and is one of the highlights on either side of the Rothaarsteig trail, leads along rustic forest tracks through nature reserves and numerous vestiges of mining history. It offers many spectacular views over northern Siegerland along the way. After walking a total of 6.2 kilometres, hikers reach the summit cross on the Martinshardt (616 m), which rewards visitors with its fantastic views and invites them to make an entry in the summit book for their efforts.
A view that stretches to the Siebengebirge
The next highlight follows 1.8 kilometres along, on the Kindelsberg, which offers hikers a great resting point with a restaurant, seating areas, a playground and a tower. In good weather and with binoculars, visitors to the Kindelsberg tower’s 20-metre-high viewing platform can also see the Siebengebirge near Bonn around 60 kilometres away. Incidentally, the tower itself is situated in an historic setting: it was once the location of a “refuge fort” which offered the people of the surrounding countryside protection from invaders.
Insights into the history of mining
24 panels along the Kindelsberg Trail provide information on distinctive features in the region, particularly its numerous mining pits. They are vestiges of the region’s centuries-long mining tradition. One example is located on the eastern slope of the Martinshardt in the Wilder Mann mining district. The last layer was mined in 1911, after which Wilder Mann was closed. Here, the circuit splits into two different routes for a short distance: hikers can choose to either continue along a wide forest path or take a narrow rocky path. Those who are sure on their feet can try out the rocky version. Along the mine road, it heads past heaps, relics of the mining industry and the former steelworks coal mine.
