Sundern (Sauerland)

Stroll by Lake Sorpe and enjoy the landscape

Lake Sorpe lies in the Sauerland landscape between the districts of Langscheid and Amecke. In Amecke, on the edge of the Sauerland reservoir, the 3.4-kilometre AiRlebnisweg trail leads to 20 interactive stations about air, breathing and water. The trail is illuminated throughout, open year-round and fully accessible. It offers a clearly described way to combine exercise with themed stations on an outing. It is also suited to walkers and hikers interested in the trail’s topics.

In Langscheid, the observation tower at the war memorial offers views over the town and the surrounding Lake Sorpe landscape. The tower is open from March to November. Visitors can borrow the gate key in advance from the Haus des Gastes. The Himmelsbank Sorpesee is also located there, in the spa gardens beside the Haus des Gastes; it has been open to the public since October 2024. The observation tower and the Himmelsbank are separate destinations for anyone wishing to include Langscheid and the landscape around the lake in their trip.

Winter sports in Wildewiese

Those interested in skiing and cross-country skiing will find a range of options in Wildewiese: on 648-metre-high Schomberg, there are five ski lifts, several runs up to 1,200 metres long, and a ski school. These details give an idea of the range available locally, from ski lifts and different runs to lessons. Cross-country skiers have around 50 kilometres of groomed trails. They run along the Homert ridge as far as the area around Röhrenspring. Wildewiese thus offers two different kinds of winter sport: downhill runs on Schomberg and longer trails across the Homert. Which suits your plans better depends on whether you prefer downhill runs or groomed cross-country trails.

Hiking and regional history

There are also different ways to discover Sundern beyond winter sports. Endorf has had a dedicated mining history trail since 2004; guided tours are available. Hellefeld is part of the “Altes Testament” hiking area. These two places offer different thematic experiences: mining is part of the hiking trail in Endorf, while Hellefeld belongs to the named hiking area.

You can also learn about history in museums, on guided tours and at historic buildings. The “Alte Kornbrennerei” Museum in Sundern displays, among other things, exhibits from Sundern’s lighting industry and mining history. On a town tour in Allendorf, the local history association “Fickeltünnes” explains important historical events and notable figures. In Hachen, the castle ruins stand on a castle hill that rises 80 metres above the Ruhr Valley. Melschede Castle in Hövel dates back to the 13th century; its present-day Baroque appearance dates from the 17th century. These examples offer different reasons to explore the region’s industrial, local and architectural history.

Choose the right focus for your stay

When searching for a holiday apartment, it can help to decide on your preferred focus first. If you are interested in Lake Sorpe, Langscheid and Amecke are the two districts between which the lake lies; the AiRlebnisweg is also in Amecke. If winter sports are your priority, you can look to the options in Wildewiese. Endorf is an option for hikes connected with mining, while the museum in Sundern and the guided tour in Allendorf are among the choices for historical insights. These different travel ideas can help you choose the places and experiences in Sundern that suit you, without combining interests in the lake, hiking and culture into a single route.

Discover more places

Discover more places here: Hallenberg, Olsberg, Brilon, Meschede, Winterberg holiday apartment, Marsberg.

For the regional travel overview: Hochsauerlandkreis.