Day hikes in Oerlinghausen

From the hiking car park, the circular hiking trail A6 leads along historic paths from the Bartholdskrug, an old smuggler’s jug near the former Prussian-Lippe border, through the “Schopketal” to the idyllic mountain town of Oerlinghausen. After the ascent to Alexanderkirche, the way back leads over Menkhauser Berg on the old “Lipperreiher Kirchweg” back to the Senne.

You go on a hike through the beautiful beech forests of the Barkhauser Berg to the Wistinghauser Senne, to the wild horses and forest cattle.

This short family hike leads over the limestone ridge of the Teutoburger Wald into the heath landscape of the Senne and on to the show enclosure of the forest cattle and wild horses.
The interplay between the landscapes of the Teutoburger Wald and Senne is unique in Germany. While in the Teutoburger Wald it is the red beech forests, under whose umbrella thousands and thousands of blossoms of wild garlic, anemones and other spring bloomers spread out in April, in the Senne it is the historical cultivated landscape with its heaths, sparse grasslands and sparse forests that make the landscape so attractive for hikers. A real highlight on the hike is the park-like landscape of the Hassler sandpit. Numerous rare and endangered animals and plants have settled here and today the sandpit is one of the most important areas for nature conservation in the Senne outside the military training areas. From the woodlark, the very rare stonechat, the sand lizard and the endangered non-toxic smooth snake, to the heathen carnations and orchids, a multitude of natural treasures can be found here in a small area.