Olpe: Cross-Country Skiing, Nature and Excursions
Accommodation in Olpe District
For a winter stay in the Olpe district, cross-country skiing is one specific option: groomed trails run through the snow-covered forests of the Ebbe and Rothaar ranges. If you would like to plan your stay around a winter activity, you can take this focus into account when choosing your destination. Olpe also offers other ideas for travellers who want to combine nature, exercise, culture or excursions.
Landscape and trails
The entire Olpe district is part of Sauerland-Rothaargebirge Nature Park, Germany’s second-largest nature park. For walks and hikes, there is a well-signposted network of trails, with options ranging from easy walking paths to challenging hikes. This lets you choose according to the type of route you want, rather than assuming the same level of difficulty for every trip. The Rothaarsteig is designated in the Olpe district as a quality or premium hiking trail.
The Historic Town Walk in Attendorn also leaves room for planning: you can create your own route or use a suggested route on Komoot. For a view of Biggesee, BiggeBlick is a good option. From the viewing platform, 90 metres above the ground, you can see across the lake, including Gilberg Island, and towards the ruins of Waldenburg Castle. This gives you different ways to explore: a self-planned loop through Attendorn or a viewpoint with a sweeping view of the landscapes and historic sites mentioned.
Cycling and excursions
The SauerlandRadring is a cycling route in and around the Olpe district. The KnochenmĂĽhle in Finnentrop-Fretter lies directly on this well-known cycle path. Built around 1900, it is housed with its waterwheel in a small half-timbered building. The Ruhr-Sieg cycle route, in turn, passes through Attendorn and goes by the fire brigade museum, the South Sauerland Museum, the Biketurm and the Gildehaus in the town centre. If cycling is one of your travel interests, these details can help you distinguish between the two routes and the attractions mentioned along each one.
In Attendorn, you can also plan a guided tour of Atta Cave, which lasts about 40 minutes. Visitors enter the cave through an 80-metre-long tunnel. The duration and the tunnel are useful points of reference when including this visit in your day’s plans.
Culture and activities for a range of interests
Gildehaus Attendorn is housed in a lovingly restored, listed building dating from the late 19th century on Kleiner Markt. It displays utensils still in use today and replicas of historical exhibits from Attendorn’s guilds and trade associations. The Attendorn Fire Brigade Museum offers a different perspective on the town’s history: its exhibition space of more than 700 m² covers the history of firefighting, including old hand-operated fire pumps, wooden ladders and vehicles. Educational materials enable children and young people to explore the history of the fire brigade independently.
Exhibitions at Galileo Park rotate between four pyramids. The “Tinkering + Puzzling” exhibition features around 50 interactive exhibits that visitors can tackle alone or as a team. Panorama Park Sauerland is a wildlife and adventure park covering 80 hectares. These places offer different experiences: Galileo Park focuses on solving puzzles at interactive exhibits, while Panorama Park is a wildlife and adventure park.
For culture with a historical connection, there are also destinations outside Attendorn. Wendener HĂĽtte is almost 300 years old, dating back well before industrialisation. In summer, the Elspe Festival stages the Karl May Festival. As a show and festival park, it offers attractions featuring people, animals and the natural environment; rides, carousels and roller coasters are not part of its concept. A Sauerland-themed tour also includes a tasting of original Sauerland Bockwurst sausage at the Metten factory outlet.
Boat trips on the lakes
Passenger boat trips are offered on Biggesee and Listersee. The lakes therefore add trips on the water to the range of excursions available in the district.
For further orientation around the area, you can also visit the pages for Wenden, Drolshagen, Kirchhundem, Attendorn, Finnentrop, Olpe and Lennestadt.
For the general travel overview: North Rhine-Westphalia.
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