Wit­tgen­stein Slate Trail

Slate was ex­tens­ively mined in the Wit­tgen­stein re­gion for centu-ries. Hikers can get close to nature and dis­cov­er rem­nants of the past on the his­tor­ic slate trail.

Visitors hiking the Wittgensteiner Schieferpfad (Wittgenstein Slate Trail) in NRW will discover an abundance of natural and industrial heritage in the Wittgenstein mountain region. This 14-kilometre trail through Germany’s most densely wooded region brings together the three steepest mountainsides in Wittgenstein and leads hikers through floodplains, mountain meadows and forests with numerous traces of the slate mining industry. Much of the trail consists of small paths; many sections were created specifically to place the landscape perfectly in the spotlight.

The 20 points of interest along the Wittgenstein Slate Trail include a tourist mine, a former open-cast mining complex and an old slate quarry. This trail is suitable for walks with children, but visitors will need to be sure-footed in places.

The Wittgenstein Slate Trail is one of the 12 hiking highlights on both sides of the Rothaarsteig (Rothaar Trail) in the holiday region of Siegerland-Wittgenstein in North Rhine-Westphalia. These circular trails, which are between 10 and 20 kilometres in length, each have their own theme and can be comfortably completed within a day. All stretches offer viewpoints, hiking information and forest furniture.

The Wittgenstein Slate Trail has been certified as a premium trail by the Deutsche Wanderinstitut (German Institute of Hiking).