Places of power

Hiking and wading: a walk around the Bruchhauser Steine in Olsberg really gets your circulation going. On the one hand, the four gigantic volcanic rocks are simply awe-inspiring sights; on the other, they also represent real highlights of a hike. One of the four, the 45-metre-high Feldstein, forms the highest point of the Isenberg thanks to its summit location – and can be climbed via a stone staircase. 

There are wonderfully healthy ways to cool off just round the corner: along the roughly 40-kilometre-long Olsberg Kneipp hiking trail, you’ll find natural wading spots to cool down overheated feet. Along the way, you’ll find yourself taking your shoes off six times to dip your feet into the cool, clear mountain stream. This refreshes you and gives you the energy for the climb to the summit of the 700-metre-high Olsberg, from where the view stretches far into the distance. And somewhere out there, amidst the Sauerland woodland, you’ll see them again: the Bruchhauser Steines (Bruchhauser stones). 

Peace, wide open spaces, a sense of well-being: the Landhotel Voshövel in Schermbeck is the ideal place for a walking holiday combined with wellness. After a walk along the Hohe Mark Steig trail, where dense forests alternate with idyllic moors and floodplain landscapes, a hammam, sauna and massage await you in the evening. What will the next day bring…? 

Perhaps another stage: this quality hiking trail runs right across the Hohe Mark Nature Park – from Wesel on the Lower Rhine to Olfen in the Münsterland. At times, walkers wind their way through forests here. Then the landscape opens up and the route continues through moors, floodplains and lake landscapes. With a total length of 150 kilometres, the trail’s six stages, as well as the ‘LandStreifer’ circular routes, are ideal for day trips. There’s also time along the way for unexpected cultural highlights. Among other things, a detour to the Otto Pankok Museum and Haus Esselt in Hünxe is well worth it. The painter’s former home is idyllically nestled in a wild and romantic garden – and just over two kilometres from the Landhotel Voshövel, where good food and the Livingroom Spa allow weary walkers to recharge their batteries.

Unspoilt, unspoilt, down-to-earth: people find true peace of mind whilst exploring the wild and romantic landscape of the Eifel National Park and treating themselves to a break at the guest house of Steinfeld Abbey. The Salvatorian religious order has been based here for almost 100 years and offers its guests an exceptional place to stay. The monastery is both a place to slow down and connect with others, as well as a stop on the Eifelsteig trail.

Here in the Eifel, it is not just nature itself that decides what it does, at what pace, and what it does not. You can do the same: through yoga retreats and meditation, walks and forest bathing, body and mind are brought back into harmony.

It’s a sight you simply can’t get enough of: the Niedersfeld high heath blooms in vibrant purple in late summer. This sea of colour on the high plateau near Winterberg in the Sauerland invites you to let your mind wander and take in the surroundings with all your senses. One of the country’s largest mountain heathlands provides the magnificent backdrop for the ‘Golden Path’. 

This circular walking trail stretches for around five kilometres through the high heathland at the foot of the Langenberg. Along the way, there is not only plenty of nature to enjoy, but also ten mindfulness stations that offer a chance to connect with your inner self. Simply listening to the concert of nature and your inner voices – that is truly grounding.

At Kornelimünster Abbey, guests leave their everyday lives behind at the gate – and enjoy a few hours or days of peace and contemplation within the abbey walls. Sometimes in a religious context through prayer, sometimes in a purely secular one through qigong or meditative dance. Or they might engage in sport: the Aachen district of the same name not only marks the start of the Eifelsteig long-distance walking trail, which runs from the Vulkaneifel to Trier under the motto ‘Where rock and water accompany you’. The abbey also lies directly on the Vennbahn cycle path, which runs in six stages through three countries and the Hohen Venn Nature Park. 

However, for an active break, you don’t necessarily have to venture beyond the abbey gates: Kornelimünster Abbey, where Benedictine monks still practise their faith to this day, is a cosmopolitan meeting place and offers meditation courses, archery and dance days as part of its programme. 

Monastic history and culture: what was once reserved for monks can now be experienced in a thoroughly secular way on a cycle tour through the Teutoburg Forest. The Monastery and Garden Route not only offers a glimpse into the ‘heavenly gardens’, where the monks once cultivated herbs, medicinal plants and exotic species. It also offers the chance to catch a glimpse behind the monastery walls along the way – and to leave everyday life behind for a moment. 

The Monastery Garden Route starts at the former Benedictine Abbey of Marienmünster, where a visitor centre provides information about other monasteries in the region and what lies in store on the tour through the district of Höxter. Once you’re fully prepared, you can set off on the 315-long route, which can easily be cycled in five stages. As well as the numerous gardens inspired by the monks’ knowledge, the route takes in further sights along the way. These include, amongst others, the medieval setting of Warburg and the former Benedictine monastery of Corvey. Its Carolingian westwork is the oldest almost completely preserved building in Westphalia and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Switch off, take a deep breath and let the wind blow in your face: a stroll through Bad Salzuflen’s spa gardens feels just like a day by the sea. That’s because there’s always a gentle breeze in this brine spa. The air has a slightly salty taste, and in the summer months a brine beach invites you to relax and sunbathe. Here, every breath is a revitalising experience. 

Bad Salzuflen is one of seven modern spa towns in the Teutoburg Forest region. The air here is particularly pure and healthy. Every day, 600,000 litres of mineral-rich brine trickle down the walls of the impressive graduation towers in the spa gardens, providing a soothing burst of freshness. The extensive park, with its mature trees and colourful flowerbeds, also provides the setting for activity programmes such as Qigong or gymnastics, which anyone is welcome to join. The most beautiful view across the park is from the viewing platform of the ‘Erlebnisgradierwerk’ with its brine mist chamber. 

This walking tour through the Sauerland takes you from Königsmünster Abbey in Meschede to Bestwig Mountain Monastery – and back again via a different route. Two days of walking, two special places to pause and reflect. Both monasteries are still active as places of worship: Königsmünster is home to Benedictine monks, whilst Bestwig is home to the Sisters of St Mary Magdalene Postel. Spirituality is very much alive here, and there are opportunities for conversation, prayer or shared silence. 

The natural landscape surrounding the medieval Nideggen Castle in the Eifel is rugged and stark. Rugged red sandstone cliffs characterise the landscape, which can be explored on foot along the Red Sandstone Trail. Stretching for around 40 kilometres, the walking trail winds its way through the striking red rocky landscapes, the Rur Valley and the Eifel National Park. Birds accompany walkers along the way, as the cliffs provide a refuge for numerous native bird species such as woodpeckers, falcons and eagle owls. 

At the same time, a walk around the medieval Nideggen Castle – once the residence of the Counts of Jülich – offers unique views of the Eifel National Park landscape – a blend of dense forests and panoramic lake views. Idyllically nestled here is, amongst other things, Lake Rur, which attracts visitors in summer with its natural bathing spots and sandy beaches. The restaurant at Nideggen Castle – directly opposite the museum in the keep – also invites you to stop for a bite to eat along the way.