Rehsiepen: Forest House, Spring Marsh and Paths through the Cultural Landscape

Rehsiepen combines historic architectural heritage, protected landscapes and selected paths into a destination with clearly defined thematic focuses.

History of the Old Rehsiepen Forest House

The Rehsiepen Forest House served for 85 years as the official residence and farmstead of a district forester. An official residence and farmstead was a combined residential and working farm for foresters. The Old Rehsiepen Forest House survived two wars without being destroyed.

The Old Rehsiepen Forest House is a protected historic complex. It includes a kitchen garden, trees, pastures and adjoining wet meadows. The wet meadows and the other parts of the complex are maintained by a foundation. The old forest house from 1884 thus forms part of a context encompassing former forestry use, architectural history and well-maintained outdoor areas.

Nature at the Head of the Valley

At the head of the valley in the Kulturlandschaftskomplex Rehsiepen nature reserve lies a diverse, species-rich biotope complex. It includes wet and damp grassland, nutrient-poor grassland, spring-fed streams and small bodies of water. These different habitats give the landscape a varied structure. This creates a nature theme for you that clearly differs from simply viewing the historic forest house.

South of the Old Rehsiepen Forest House, within the same nature reserve, lies a spring-fed marsh with orchids and cottongrass. Anyone who pays attention to landforms, water and plants during a stay in Rehsiepen will find several clear points of interest here.

Hiking around the Old Forest House

The ranger tour around the “Old Forest House” in Rehsiepen leads from a car park through old beech stands, past numerous springs and traces of charcoal burning, to the old forest house from 1884. Traces of charcoal burning point to the former production of charcoal and complement the tour’s forestry-history perspective.

The ranger tour is approximately 7 km long, takes about 3 hours and has a moderate level of difficulty. Whether the tour suits your personal fitness depends on your individual circumstances.

Circular Route and Getting There

The circular route from the Großes Bildchen hikers’ car park in Rehsiepen (A7) can be reached via bus route 462 and the “Rehsiepen” stop. This connection refers to the circular route from Großes Bildchen and should not automatically be equated with the starting point of the ranger tour.

Registration with Taxi Spieler is required for the on-call taxi in the Sorpetal no later than one hour before departure.

Putting Rehsiepen into Perspective for Your Stay

Rehsiepen’s main themes are hiking, nature and history. You can therefore plan your stay according to whether you want to focus on the Old Forest House as a historic destination, the biotopes and spring marsh as a landscape theme, or one of the paths. The ranger tour combines several of these interests over a route of approximately 7 km. The circular route at Großes Bildchen, on the other hand, has its own starting point and adds a connection via bus route 462 and the Rehsiepen stop to your planning.

Other places you may consider when planning your trip include Kirchrarbach, Altenilpe, Niederberndorf, Lenne, Dorlar, Oberkirchen, Menkhausen and Kirchilpe.

For the higher-level travel overview: Schmallenberg.