Altenilpe: Hiking Trails, Local History and Schützenfest

Altenilpe combines several specifically routed hiking trails with a local history shaped by chapels, St. Lucia Church and historical mining. If you are looking for accommodation in Altenilpe, you can therefore tailor your stay to different interests: circular hikes through forests and meadows, a trail with a connection to mining history or the village’s cultural themes.

St. Lucia and older chapels: St. Lucia in Altenilpe is a three-bay hall church dating from 1921, incorporating part of the 1890 chapel. In 1890, the former chapel had been replaced by a considerably larger chapel dedicated to Saint Lucia. As early as around 1600, a chapel dedicated to Saint Jodocus was mentioned in Altenilpe. It had fallen into disrepair and was demolished in 1888.

AL4 circular trail: The AL4 circular trail starts in Altenilpe and runs along the Ilpe spring below Sellinghausen. It then passes through part of the forested Schmallenberg Sauerland before returning to the starting point. This makes it a relevant route for planning your day: it begins in Altenilpe and leads back there, with the spring area and forest determining its course.

S8 circular hiking trail: The S8 circular hiking trail passes through Altenilpe and around the Ilpe Valley. Along the way, it crosses the Ilpe, passes St. Lucia Church, continues through meadows and later through a wooded area towards Hengsiepen and Nierentrop. The change between water, church, open spaces and forest gives this hike a varied spatial character.

Sellinghausen Miners’ Trail: The Sellinghausen Miners’ Trail is a 6.7-kilometre circular hiking trail with an elevation difference of almost 300 metres. It also includes some steep sections. This combination is particularly important if, when choosing your hike, you want to consider not only the distance but also the inclines and the physical demands.

Mining history along the trail: The Sellinghausen Miners’ Trail largely follows the historic footpath that many miners from Sellinghausen and Altenilpe used for almost 100 years to reach their workplace, the Felicitas slate mine in Heiminghausen. The trail thus connects a present-day hike with a specific history of work from the surrounding area.

Annual Schützenfest: The Schützenfest organised by the Altenilpe-Sellinghausen shooting club takes place annually on the first weekend in August. If you are considering this period for your stay, the event is one of the recurring cultural occasions associated with Altenilpe and Sellinghausen.

Connection to the regional trail network: New hiking and cycling trail signs connected Altenilpe with the regional trail network. For orientation around the village, this means that, alongside the individual routes, the links to other regional hiking and cycling trails are also important.

Choose trails according to your interests and ability

The trails described focus on different aspects. With the AL4, the emphasis is on a complete loop starting and ending in Altenilpe. The S8 derives its character from the sequence of different landscapes and local features. The Miners’ Trail additionally draws attention to elevation differences, steep sections and the history of the Felicitas slate mine. This allows you to plan according to what is most valuable for your group: a landscape-focused loop, a trail with a visible connection to the villages or a hike with a historical background.

For couples, families and groups with different interests, this distinction is more helpful than a blanket assessment. Anyone wishing to travel together can clarify in advance whether the focus should be on a circular route, changing landscapes or the connection to mining history. The steep sections of the Sellinghausen Miners’ Trail are a clear physical factor. On the other trails, the character is determined primarily by the route, landscape and relationship to Altenilpe, Sellinghausen and the Ilpe Valley.

Local history as part of your stay

St. Lucia Church does not stand in isolation from the history of the trails. The S8 passes it, while the development of the chapels dates back to around 1600. Together with the miners’ historic route to work, this creates a local setting in which religious architectural history, hiking trails and mining history provide different ways of discovering Altenilpe. Accommodation in Altenilpe can therefore be the starting point for your personal plans without requiring you to focus on just one subject.

The first weekend in August also establishes a clear time-related connection for a stay. This is when the Altenilpe-Sellinghausen shooting club’s Schützenfest takes place every year. Outside this date, the trails and local history are the focus of your planning. The connection between the hiking and cycling trail signs and the regional trail network also supports orientation beyond Altenilpe.

Other places to compare

For comparing other places, you can also include Rehsiepen, Oberrarbach, Kirchrarbach, Niederhenneborn, Sellinghausen, Bad Fredeburg, Dorlar and Werntrop.

To the overarching travel overview: Schmallenberg.