Sauerland-Waldroute
Diemeltalsperre - Brilon (17km)
The Sauerland Forest Route is a 240 km long hiking trail in the Sauerland.
The Sauerland-Waldroute
The trail marking of the Sauerland Forest Route.
The Sauerland Forest Route stretches over 240 kilometers from Iserlohn to Marsberg, connecting the Sauerland hiking region in an east-west direction. This excellent quality trail traverses the ‘Land of a Thousand Hills,’ offering ancient forests, shimmering lakes, as well as dark caves and mysterious places along the way.
Starting from the Diemel Dam, the trail follows the beautiful Diemel Lake with its blue-green sparkling water, leading up to the Buttenberg. The trail ascends to 600 meters, overcoming a total elevation gain of nearly 250 meters. Leaving not only the Diemelsee Nature Park but also the state of Hesse. After the ascent, you pass through the towns of Bontkirchen and Hoppecke towards Pulvermühle. Just before reaching Poppenberg, you once again leave the Sauerland Forest Route and follow the NST signage to reach Brilon and the trailhead of the Rorhaarsteig.
Conclusion: The original route of the NST in 2020 followed the Sauerland Forest Route for a stretch of 35 km from the city of Marsberg. Even at that time, this section of the trail was highly appealing and sparked curiosity for further exploration. However, during a revisit of the path in 2022, significant damage to the forest was unfortunately observed, and this trend continued into the adjacent Rothaar Mountains.
