Hiking the Winterberger Hochtour – Hiking trip around Winterberg, Germany – Walking over the slopes of Winterberg – Germany
In the mood for a good walk? Looking for some challenge in altimeters but don’t have the time to go far away? Here I have the solution for you! Go hiking the Winterberger Hochtour, a hike around Winterberg, gives you challenge on all fronts! Together with blog friend Antonette from we12travel, I went hiking around Winterberg in early June 2022. We walked around 90 kilometres in 4 days and conquered around 2,500 altimeters in those days. What wonderful days they were!
Fortunately, I have no trouble with ascending. In fact, I prefer going up to going down. Uphill I walk slowly but steadily and love the challenge of it.
I can recommend the hiking the Winterberger Hochtour to anyone looking for a bit of a challenge.
Hiking the Winterberger Hochtour – Germany
Day 1 Winterberg P3 – Die Sperre (nearSilbach) * 16 km
We unfortunately walked out of Winterberg with rain on this first day. We had started from NL that morning and so our adventure on the Winterberger Hochtour began just after noon. Using the parkinglot on P3 at the Bike Park and from there you can easily navigate up to the official starting point of the Winterberger Hochtour on top of the Kahler Asten using google maps.
- To make it easier for you let me share with you the GPS for the starting point of the Winterberger Hochtour
For a moment, we hesitated at the Kahler Asten, do we go for a cappuccino or just walk on in the rain? We chose the latter option and it took some time before it got better. Halfway through the first stage, the sun started shining and the rain poncho could be put away again. It became lovely to walk in the forest just now. It all smells so nice and fresh then!
Fortunately, the rain poncho also stayed in the bag for the rest of the days hiking around Winterberg. The views on this first day were already lovely and it predicted to be a wonderful hike!
When we were almost over, we kept seeing the large raptor red or black kite flying around in the distance.
This bird is so easy to spot by its tail and wings.
The temperature was lovely… what more could you want on a mini adventure holiday?
After a nice walk, we reported to Die Sperre just outside Silbach.
What a super neat hotel say! We got the beautiful forest room and had a view of the forest at the back of this hotel. The restaurant was also super and the food was just perfect! The days hiking around Winterberg could not have started better!
- Overnight stay in the forestroom of Die Sperre
Hiking around Winterberg, Germany
Dag 2 Silbach – Elkeringhausen * 27km
That next morning, after a delicious breakfast, we walked on. Not long after we left the village, the first ascent offered itself. Slowly but steadily we went up. I saw some religious images next to the road and joked that it looked like the Via Dolorosa. The path Jesus took with the cross to Mount Golgotha where he was then crucified.
Antonette did not know it that way but a few years ago I walked that road in Jerusalem. My surprise was also great when it turned out to be so. There was a little church upstairs and it was open for viewing. On our last day, we found ourselves walking along such a way of the cross again.
- I looked up the GPS locations of this agony and place. Do you also want to see this Way of the Cross and visit the chapel?
After this way of the cross, we came to walk on beautiful roads with great views. The arrows took us over the Winterberger Hochtour for the most part without any difficulty but every now and then it was really searching and guessing.
I passed this on to Winterberg and they were happy to hear the message. Curious that when you hike this Winterberger Hochtour whether it will be better.
At noon we were in Niedersfeld and sat on a terrace with kaffee und kuchen of course.
After the fine coffee break, we walk out of Niedersfeld and disappear right back into the forests and mountains. There are a lot of signs but, as mentioned, a lot of clearing has been done, so some signs are missing. Nevertheless, we hike the Winterberger Hochtour with the signs that are there and the gpx found online just fine. Again, we can enjoy wonderful views.
Then, when we arrive at one of those fine mountain huts again, we sit down on the terrace. We order some drinks and food. With lovely sunshine, a nice breeze and super views, we enjoy our little holiday!
After this, we hiked on again to get to the area where we are warned not to go too far off the path. There is a quarry here and obviously you are not allowed near it. If we follow the path he leads us back up so we do come to a great viewpoint with, of course, a cross … but also the view of the quarry. It is crowded with day tourists and hikers and after a short visit we descend again on the other side.
We come to walk in a beautiful area, the hochheide. I think if you come here in late summer/autumn you will have a nicer view. Even so, the plain with the various paths that run there is suitable for all kinds of hikers super!
After a long walking day of 27 km on the Winterberger Hochtour, we arrived at Bed and Breakfast Am Knittenberg. Here, too, we had a lovely neat room. Like yesterday, it seemed like new and as if they had used the corona period to renew. Very nice! What is useful to know about this Bed and Breakfast is that in the village of Elkeringhausen there is little to no place to have your evening meal and the B&B does not have a kitchen you can use.
We ordered our food from Efes (Döner, kebab and Pizza) which we had seen in Niedersfeld that afternoon.
They provided us with a delicious pasta and pizza.
In the small town of Elkeringhausen was the annual marksmen’s festival and several times the brass band passed by in full regalia. It really gave the whole thing an atmosphere! Following the music, several couples walked along nicely dressed in old German traditional style.
Overnight stay at B&B Am Knittenberg
Day 3 Elkeringhausen – Mollseifen * 27km
When we were checking out that morning, I heard the brass band playing again hahaa! Late in the evening I heard them play a congratulatory song again and now they were there again early. I naturally went to have a look and saw that at the local pub/restaurant they were already drinking beer and partying hard. Of course, the annual archery festival needs to be celebrated properly!
As we left the village, we immediately faced a steep ascent. It was already getting warmer, so we walked up slowly but steadily. Meanwhile, the views only got more beautiful. When we reached the top, there was of course a cross and there we got the best view. We looked over the village of Elkeringhausen where we had come from with a beautiful green rolling landscape as far as we could see.
After this, we were allowed to choose how to proceed. You could choose from two levels of difficulty. If you went left then the descent would be a bit easier and so we chose right. We went for the challenge. I really enjoyed it! It was definitely challenging and for Antonette it was really challenging and she even had to overcome some fear of falling/slipping. Very good! We arrived after half an hour unscathed and happy at a bench where we sat down for a while.
Hiking on the Winterberger Hochtour, Germany
- If you are not very flexible and don’t like heights very much, I can recommend going left. It was quite steep downhill in some places.
Stone is being quarried everywhere in this area. Earlier, we walked past a stone quarry and the bench where we were now sitting was at Zeche Elend. This was currently closed but here you could get a peek into entrance to the 30-metre-deep tunnel.
Walking further, we again met some other hikers who are probably also doing a similar walk. We had also seen them two days back at a coffee stop. Still, they walk on different paths and only sometimes cross our paths. Largely, we hike alone on the trail and we quite like that to be honest.
After another fine climb, I am the first to reach the top and find some tree trunks around the corner where I decide to eat the rollover I brought along. After all, we had to order 50 euros at Efes yesterday or we wouldn’t deliver. We thought it would be a good lunch and ordered a rollo. In retrospect, this really turned out to be a pizza only folded up, the picture looked like a kind of wrap….
But he was delicious and the place was again super!
After an encounter with curious cows and another nice forest walk, we arrived in the village of Züschen where we naturally hoped for a kaffee mit kuchen… Nothing was further from the truth. The local was open but I could shout and walk all the way to the kitchen but got no answer. So we walked on. What was very unfortunate afterwards is that forgot to refill my water bottle in that kitchen because this was the only chance….
After this, we walked up another way to the cross to finally end up at a pretty little church (GPS Hackelberg Kapelle) again with a view of Züschen. There we realised we were running low on water for the remaining 13 km left for the day.
The walk that followed was one through the woods, much in the shade and thus good for my water supply. We went up some more paths and with that I do notice that I actually walk up easier than down. If anything would be more difficult it would be downhill but because I adjust my posture, go through the knees to avoid the blows to the knees, I don’t suffer from that.
On the way, we stopped at a watchtower where I naturally went up to take in the view. It is always nice to walk up and enjoy the view. I couldn’t see Winterberg, which was just behind a mountain at this point. It was chilly up there though, with the wind making itself felt quite strong.
And on the last stretch we finally came across some wildlife 🙂 a hazelworm…. I had accidentally spotted two roe deer earlier this walk, I was walking slowly but steadily uphill and when I looked up I saw them looking at me and then running right away…. Advantage of not talking and walking quietly 🙂
Overnight stay at Pension Walddorf.
It is our most expensive overnight stay these days. The room was fine. However, I should add that it was a mess around the guesthouse and you might be better off arranging your food in the village. We ate with the pot. I must say it was quite fine but this is not what you expect when you go to eat in a guesthouse. As an explanation for what I mean by, we ate with the pot, is that we sat at the table with the manager’s 3 children and we actually ladled from the same pan.
The other two nights were really super and this one was really of a different calibre. This while we thought we were paying for better accommodation if the price is to be believed. On the first night, the food was really high class, both other nights the accommodation was like new! There was also a football team sleeping here which made it very noisy on the night we were there. All in all, I cannot recommend this overnight stay as there is so much nicer and more beautiful accommodation available in the area.
Apart from that, the manager was a nice man who had even lived in my working area … but yes …. you can’t save everything with that!
Check for you options: Mollseifen
Hiking the Winterberger Hochtour
Day 4 Mollseifen – Winterberg P3 * 18km
When we walked out of Mollseifen that morning, we actually lost the path quite quickly for a while. Whether the signs were really out of place or the path was buried under wood, branches and, of course, rubbish, I don’t know. But it was quite a challenge to follow the path for a bit. Eventually it ended up back on a higher road which we might have been able to follow earlier….
After this, we walked on wider roads through woods and along meadows. We were walking in a valley with lovely views and it was also Sunday…. The many motorcyclists were already letting us know this and in doing so, I had already been told by an acquaintance that it was a beautiful route to ride, Winterberg – Mollseifen.
After the village of Hoheleye, we arrived at Hoheleyer Hutte. A lovely place to sit on the terrace and enjoy an early lunch. In the village you also pass by an occasion but if you can hold out for a while I can really recommend this one. Where one was in the shade and not maintained and seemed quite empty and boring, this one was full of sunshine and pleasantly busy with day-trippers, motorcyclists, mountain bikers and, of course, hikers.
After this, we walked along a nice route, along a barefoot path. I did find this a really nice stretch, next to the barefoot path you can walk through a footbath. And also we finally found the lovely wooden benches that we are used to from Germany. We had to miss them the whole route anyway.
And then finally the Kahler Asten came into view again. Slowly but surely, we approached the end of our hike. 4 days we had hiked around Winterberg. Each time, we had seen Winterberg on our left. How nice is that?
At Kahler Asten, we enjoyed the terrace for a while and then decided to walk back to the P3 car park at the Bike Park where my orange car was parked. Always nice to come back to an intact car 🙂
All you need to know about the Winterberger Hochtour – Germany
Parking Winterberger Hochtour
We drove away from the Netherlands in the morning and started hiking around Winterberg at the car park at the Bike Park just inside Winterberg. The car park is also marked as P3 on google maps. There is a large car park and after the Winterberg Hochtour, I found my car there unscathed. ( I had parked it as close to the building as possible because of course there is the most movement there and possibly cameras).
Level of difficulty Hiking around Winterberg
Lately, however, I have noticed more and more that what comes easily to me can be quite difficult for someone else. Antonette described this walk as not meant for sissies. I hiked this walk without my poles and walked wonderfully. Antonette did need the poles on ascents and some descents.
Pointers while hiking the Winterberger Hochtour
The Winterberger Hochtour route would be super easy to follow if all the signs were in the right places and present. I’m sure this must have been the case initially. We really did see a lot of signs and in most places we were pointed in the right direction but still…. There was a lot of forestry and sometimes some signs are missing there. Also, sometimes the sign or directions are a bit further down the road than would be convenient. So you don’t see it from the junction but have to go slightly into the street already.
- The route is marked two ways so you could also walk clockwise.
There is also a GPX file available for hiking around Winterberg but it sometimes deviated from the Winterberger Hochtour route as he showed us the way on the signs. However, where the signs were missing, he did point us in the right direction. So that did help. Together with the signposts/instructions and the GPX, the Winterberger Hochtour was easy to hike but we still had to take a gamble at times. If you have all the time, that’s no problem at all. You walk in great area and everywhere is beautiful.
If you go hiking on the Winterberger Hochtour and actually find the distances too long, of course it’s not nice…. You’d rather not walk a metre too much then. So then it can cause irritation because you are unsure about the direction. Rather not walk a little further down the street to have a look and possibly go back.
I sent tourism Winterberg an email and they are aware that the signposting and GPX while hiking around Winterberg is no longer completely up to date. They have replied to me and promised to do something about it. I am curious that when you go hiking whether the directions are good and conclusive. Let me know!
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