Oberkirchen in Winter: Trails, Nature and Historic Sites

When choosing Oberkirchen for a winter stay, you can plan your days around clearly defined trails, a distinctive natural environment and specific historic sites. When choosing accommodation for a ski holiday in Oberkirchen, this offers an additional perspective alongside winter sports: You can see which activities differ according to landscape, trail character or cultural interest. The focus is on a winter hiking trail that returns to Oberkirchen, the Golddorf Route through the Sommerseite, a wooded trail to the Hexenplatz and several culture-related destinations.

Winter hiking with a clearly defined route

The Oberkirchen winter hiking trail leads from Oberkirchen towards Winkhausen, continues to Almert and the Hexenplatz, and then returns to Oberkirchen. For planning your day, it is above all this clearly identifiable route that matters: The trail starts in the village, passes several intermediate destinations and ends there again. The return is therefore part of the route and not merely a general possibility. Anyone wishing to plan a winter hike with a clearly defined connection to Oberkirchen has a specific sequence of stages ahead.

A second option is the Hartmecketalweg O1. It leads through a heavily wooded area via the Mückenplatz to the Hexenplatz and then back to Oberkirchen via the Lüttmecke. Unlike the winter hiking trail, this route is particularly characterised by its woodland section and these landscapes. Here too, the return to the village is part of the route.

Natural environment, nature trail and views

The Golddorf Route Oberkirchen leads along a nature trail through the “Sommerseite” nature reserve and onwards to the Ennest. From there, you can enjoy panoramic views as well as a view into the Lennetal valley. For your planning, this route therefore focuses on the combination of a nature trail, protected area and viewpoint. The route is particularly suitable if you would like to combine your stay with experiences in the landscape and expansive views across the Lennetal valley.

The Sommerseite is characterised not only by its status as a protected area. At times, sheep and goats are used there for landscape management. The aim is to preserve the heathland and promote natural biodiversity. This combination of grazing landscape, conservation measures and biodiversity gives the natural environment its own particular depth. If, when choosing a destination, you also pay attention to how landscapes are preserved, the Sommerseite is one of the aspects you can take into account in Oberkirchen.

There is also a specific transport landmark at the start of the Golddorf Route: The “Kirche” bus stop served by bus line S 40 is located directly at the starting point of the Golddorf Route Oberkirchen. Anyone using this bus line can identify the route’s starting point by the bus stop.

Historic sites and local culture

The five historic sites in Oberkirchen include the Baroque church, the Pütte, the Galgen, the Kerker and the Hexenplatz. The different names show that historical themes here are not limited to a single building. If, alongside trails and nature, you would also like to include historical points of reference in your stay, you can consider these five sites as individual topics when exploring the village. Their names should each stand on their own, as they are not combined into an additional route.

Another ecclesiastical feature can be found in the Catholic parish church of “St. Gertrud” in Oberkirchen. It includes a painting entitled “St. Jerome”.

The watermill at Alten Poststraße 15 in Oberkirchen is also part of the local history. It includes the upper and lower millrace. These two components make the mill a subject of interest for anyone wishing to explore historic complexes and their architectural elements.

Experiences with different focuses

During the witch hike in Oberkirchen, the route leads to the Kerker. Following the witch hike, participants are invited to coffee and cake in the hostess’s living room. If, when planning your stay, you want to consider not only the landscape but also storytelling and social elements, this combination offers a distinct focus.

When choosing your activities, you can therefore select between several clearly distinguishable focuses: The winter hiking trail names Winkhausen, Almert and the Hexenplatz; the Hartmecketalweg O1 focuses on heavily wooded terrain and the return via the Lüttmecke, while the Golddorf Route brings together a nature trail, the Sommerseite, Ennest and views into the Lennetal valley. The historic sites, St. Gertrud, the watermill and the witch hike complement these trails with cultural themes. This allows you to structure your stay in Oberkirchen according to your interests without assuming an unsupported connection between the individual destinations.

For further orientation, you can also explore Fleckenberg, Menkhausen, Niederberndorf, Kirchrarbach, Gleidorf, Rehsiepen, Oberhenneborn and Sellinghausen.

For the broader travel overview: Schmallenberg.