Belm: Trails, Erratic Boulders and Autumn Fair

Belm combines varied trails with traces of the Ice Age, prehistoric tombs and a long-standing fair tradition. Around the town, the foothills of the Wiehen Hills invite you to go hiking and cycling; recurring views of the surrounding area are part of this landscape experience. If you are looking for a holiday destination with nature, geological history and a special event date, Belm offers several themes to consider when planning your trip.

Hiking trails with different themes

There are four TERRA.tracks within the municipality, covering a total of 30 kilometres. One specific example is the TERRA.track Gattberg: including its variant, it features ten trail stations along a 4.3-kilometre route. The Black Cretaceous Experience Route is also a circular trail. Seven stations along its 3.5 kilometres lead to places where clay and black chalk were once mined, explaining how the mining was carried out. The information combines exercise on the trail with insights into the former use of these raw materials.

The long-distance Wittekindsweg trail offers a different kind of hike, running through the municipality of Belm and also through Belm-Vehrte. In addition to the themed trails described above, the municipality therefore includes sections of a long-distance hiking route. The gentle foothills of the Wiehen Hills are another point of reference for cycling trips and extended hikes: the trails around Belm offer recurring views of the surrounding area.

Erratic boulders and prehistoric traces

Belm is part of the TERRA.vita Nature and Geopark. Between Belm and Vehrte, the “Steinernes Meer” nature reserve lies on the wooded Gattberg. It contains numerous erratic boulders. They were deposited towards the end of the penultimate ice age, the Saalian glaciation, around 200,000 years ago. The landscape history to discover during a stay therefore reaches far beyond the more recent history of the town. The Butterstein is also nearby: a granite erratic boulder weighing around 70 tonnes that originally came from Scandinavia.

The Sloopsteine near Haltern are the remains of a large Stone Age burial chamber. One of the original six capstones is now missing; the supporting stones on the south side are fully preserved. The trapezoidal ground plan of the structure is still clearly visible. The Sloopsteine are among the best-preserved prehistoric tombs. Those interested in the past can therefore explore not only geological traces but also an example of Stone Age architecture.

The autumn fair as a reason to visit

The Belm Autumn Fair has been held on the second weekend in October for over 100 years. The venues are the Belmer Tie and, increasingly, Lindenstraße, known as the “Kirmesmeile” (fair mile). Showmen offer rides, shooting galleries, snack stalls and sweets. The festival adds a very different focus to the nature and history experiences: it is all about the fair and the variety of stalls and attractions. If you would like to include this event in your trip, the second weekend in October is the key date to plan around.

When choosing Belm as a holiday destination, you can base your decision on your preferred travel theme: the trails combine exercise with stops and views, the erratic boulders and Sloopsteine tell of different chapters in the history of the Earth and humankind, and the autumn fair adds a specific seasonal highlight. These differences make it easier to tailor your trip to your own interests without trying to fit every experience into the same outing. When looking for a holiday apartment in Belm, you can consider which of these aspects matters most to your stay.

More destinations: Dissen am Teutoburger Wald, Bad Laer, Rieste, Nortrup, Merzen, Wallenhorst, Hesepe, Georgsmarienhütte.

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