Altenilpe: St. Luzia, the Ilpe Trails and Mining History

Altenilpe combines church history with hiking trails along the Ilpe. St. Luzia and the AL4 and S8 trails offer different perspectives on the village: one circular route follows the Ilpe spring and passes through woodland, while the other crosses the Ilpe and passes the church, meadows and a wooded area. The history of the Sellinghausen Miners’ Trail also offers another way to explore the area. When looking for a holiday apartment, you can first decide whether architectural history, hiking or traces of mining should shape your stay.

St. Luzia and the chapel’s history

Around 1600, a chapel dedicated to Saint Jodocus was mentioned in Altenilpe. It had fallen into disrepair and was demolished in 1888. In 1890, a substantially larger chapel replaced the former building; it was dedicated to Saint Luzia. St. Luzia Church in Altenilpe is a three-bay hall church dating from 1921, which incorporates part of the 1890 chapel. Its architectural history thus comprises several distinct stages: the Jodocus Chapel mentioned in historical records, the larger chapel and the later hall church. Those interested in the development of religious architecture will find a specific sequence here rather than a single foundation story.

Hiking trails with different focuses

The AL4 circular trail starts in Altenilpe, passes below Sellinghausen along the Ilpe spring and returns to the starting point through part of the woodland-rich Schmallenberg Sauerland. The S8 circular trail runs through Altenilpe and around the Ilpe Valley. It crosses the Ilpe, passes St. Luzia Church, crosses meadows and later goes through a wooded area towards Hengsiepen and Nierentrop. The descriptions therefore emphasise different features: the AL4 route includes the Ilpe spring, a stretch through woodland and a return to the starting point; the S8 also takes in a river crossing, the church and the change from meadows to woodland. You can compare the trails based on which of these landscape and local features interest you most.

Another hiking option is the Sellinghausen Miners’ Trail. The circular route is 6.7 kilometres long, has an elevation difference of almost 300 metres and includes some steep sections. For the most part, it follows the historic footpath that many miners from Sellinghausen and Altenilpe used for almost 100 years to get to their workplace, the Felicitas slate mine in Heiminghausen. As well as details of the route, the trail highlights the history of work and the former connection between the places mentioned. If you are planning a specific hike, it is advisable to check current trail conditions.

Traditions and getting your bearings

A report published in 2025 describes the Altenilpe-Sellinghausen Schützenverein’s festival as taking place annually on the first weekend in August. If you are planning a visit around the festival, check the dates for your year of travel. In 2025, reports also covered new hiking and cycling trail signs linking Altenilpe with the regional trail network.

More to explore in the Schmallenberg destination

The wider Schmallenberg destination adds urban and natural features to the experience of Altenilpe. Schmallenberg’s old town has a consistent Neoclassical architectural character and many restored half-timbered houses. In Schmallenberg-Latrop, the Forestry Museum displays historic tools, photographs of life in the forest and village in earlier times, historic forestry records and information on the development of the chainsaw. A historic guided tour of the town also offers insights into Schmallenberg’s past and introduces figures such as the Floigenkasper and the Breybalg. Check the current dates and booking arrangements for this tour.

For exploring together, Schmallenberg has a family adventure trail about three kilometres long, with 13 stations on forests, animals, wood and birds. The Forestry Worker and Forester Trail in Schmallenberg-Latrop runs for 4.5 kilometres and has 17 stations covering topics such as forest ecology and timber use. Another perspective comes from the 84-kilometre Sauerland Cycle Ring: it connects Finnentrop, Eslohe, Schmallenberg and Lennestadt and follows former railway lines. These options differ in scale and subject, from a trail with individual stations to a longer cycling route.

When choosing a holiday apartment, you can start with these interests: focus your search on Altenilpe if St. Luzia and the trails along the Ilpe are the deciding factors. If town history, a museum or the themed trails in the wider Schmallenberg destination are also important, consider those places and options separately in your selection.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Rehsiepen, Obringhausen, Kirchrarbach, Gleidorf, Arpe, Lenne, Winkhausen, Oberrarbach.

Back to the main travel overview: Schmallenberg.