The Hermannsweg is a long hiking trail which follows the ridge of the
Teutoburg Forest, running from
Rheine
Rheine () is a city in the district of Steinfurt in Westphalia, Germany. It is the largest city in the district and the location of Rheine Air Base.
Geography
Rheine is on the river Ems, approx. north of Münster, approx. west of Osnabrück a ...
to
Velmerstot
The Velmerstot is the northernmost and highest hill in the Eggegebirge ridge in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It has two summits, the Prussian Velmerstot (''Preußische Velmerstot'') (468 m), which lies on the territory of Stei ...
in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. It is marked by signposts showing a white H on a black background. The Hermannsweg has been named for
Arminius
Arminius ( 18/17 BC – 21 AD) was a chieftain of the Germanic Cherusci tribe who is best known for commanding an alliance of Germanic tribes at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 AD, in which three Roman legions under the command of ge ...
(German name: ''Hermann''), a
Cherusci
The Cherusci were a Germanic tribe that inhabited parts of the plains and forests of northwestern Germany in the area of the Weser River and present-day Hanover during the first centuries BC and AD. Roman sources reported they considered themsel ...
chief who defeated the Romans in the
Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 AD. Together with the long Eggeweg, this long-distance hiking trail forms the Hermannshöhen. It is maintained by the ''Teutoburger-Wald-Verein e.V.'' located in Bielefeld.
History
As shown by findings of flint tools, parts of the way on the ridge of the Teutoburg Forest have been used by hunter-gatherers and traders since the
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic (Greek: μέσος, ''mesos'' 'middle' + λίθος, ''lithos'' 'stone') or Middle Stone Age is the Old World archaeological period between the Upper Paleolithic and the Neolithic. The term Epipaleolithic is often used synonymous ...
period. In the Middle Ages, the Hermannsweg connected the surrounding areas to travelling and trading routes of interegional importance like the Westphalian ''Hellweg'' and the ''Frankfurter Weg''. The hiking trail has officially been established in 1902, 25 years after the construction of the
Hermannsdenkmal near Detmold, which commemorates the Cheruscan victory over the Romans in 9 AD.
The Route
The Hermannsweg starts at a low altitude of less than in
Rheine
Rheine () is a city in the district of Steinfurt in Westphalia, Germany. It is the largest city in the district and the location of Rheine Air Base.
Geography
Rheine is on the river Ems, approx. north of Münster, approx. west of Osnabrück a ...
, in the North-West of
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia (german: Nordrhein-Westfalen, ; li, Noordrien-Wesfale ; nds, Noordrhien-Westfalen; ksh, Noodrhing-Wäßßfaale), commonly shortened to NRW (), is a States of Germany, state (''Land'') in Western Germany. With more tha ...
, and runs to the South-East through the towns of
Ibbenbüren
Ibbenbüren ( Westphalian: ''Ippenbürn'') is a medium-sized town in the district of Steinfurt, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Geography
Ibbenbüren is situated on the Ibbenbürener Aa river, at the northwest end of the Teutoburger forest ...
,
Tecklenburg
Tecklenburg () is a town in the district of Steinfurt, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Its name comes from the ruined castle around which it was built. The town is situated on the Hermannsweg hiking trail.
The coat of arms shows an anchor a ...
,
Bad Iburg,
Borgholzhausen,
Halle (Westfalen)
Halle, officially Halle (Westf.) or Halle Westfalen (i.e. Westphalia) to distinguish it from the larger Halle (Saale), is a town in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, 15 km west of Bielefeld. It belongs to the district of Gütersloh ...
, straight through the city of
Bielefeld, and the towns of Lage,
Detmold
Detmold () is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, with a population of . It was the capital of the small Principality of Lippe from 1468 until 1918 and then of the Free State of Lippe until 1947. Today it is the administrative center of ...
before it ends at an altitude of in
Velmerstot
The Velmerstot is the northernmost and highest hill in the Eggegebirge ridge in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It has two summits, the Prussian Velmerstot (''Preußische Velmerstot'') (468 m), which lies on the territory of Stei ...
by
Horn-Bad Meinberg. The trail leads mostly through forest, but along the way there are also many sights and landmarks of cultural, historical or geological importance like the
Naturzoo Rheine, the Water Castle Surenburg, the high sandstone formations
Dörenther Klippen, the former limestone quarry Lengericher Canyon, the
Baumwipfelpad Bad Iburg, the Castle Bad Iburg, the Lookout Luisenturm in Borgholzhausen, the Castle Ravensberg, the
Sparrenberg Castle
Sparrenberg Castle, also known as the Sparrenburg (german: Burg und Festung Sparrenberg or ''Sparrenburg''), is a restored fortress in the Bielefeld-Mitte district of Bielefeld, Germany. It is situated on the Sparrenberg hill ( altitude) in the T ...
in Bielefeld, Detmold Castle,
Adlerwarte Berlebeck, the bird-park
Heiligenkirchen, and a variety of museums.
References
External links
{{Commons category-inline
Hiking trails in Germany