Welleringhausen: Volcanic Landscapes and Traces of Local History

Welleringhausen combines a volcanic landscape with hiking trails and traces of past land use. Highlights range from nutrient-poor grasslands on the Grotenberg to historic remnants on the slopes and ridges. If you are looking for accommodation here, you can focus your trip on nature, hiking or local history.

Volcanic Landscapes and Nutrient-Poor Grasslands

Ten hectares of acidic nutrient-poor grassland have been preserved in the protected area on the southern slope of the Grotenberg near Welleringhausen. This type of grassland is characteristic of nutrient-depleted diabase sites on the eastern edge of the Sauerland mountains. The volcanic rocks in the landscape also have a name of their own: they are known as “Welleringhausen volcaniclastic rocks” and are particularly well exposed on the Grotenberg and Kuthenberg. Here, you can see both distinctive grasslands and rock formations that reveal the landscape’s volcanic character.

Two Circular Trails, Different Highlights

The easy Welleringhausen Volcanic Trail is 6.76 kilometres long and runs through Diemelsee Nature Park along the foot of the long-extinct Grotenberg volcano. Typical plants found along the trail include maiden pink, wild thyme and biting stonecrop. The Welleringhausen History Trail is a 6.41-kilometre circular route of moderate difficulty. Information boards along the trail provide details about geological features and local history. The two trails are easy to tell apart by their stated length and difficulty: the Volcanic Trail is about 350 metres longer but rated easy; the History Trail is shorter and of moderate difficulty. They also have different themes: one focuses on plants and volcanic landscapes, while the other offers geological and historical information.

The Uplandsteig passes the Grotenberg. From Welleringhausen, you can reach the southwest corner of the nature reserve by following the county road towards the B 251 for 250 metres and then turning right.

Traces of Mining and Early Settlement

There is a large diabase quarry on the Kuthenberg. Collapsed mine entrances on the slopes and mining pits on the ridge bear witness to former gold and ore mining. Another chapter in the area’s mining history unfolded on the northern slope of the Hülsenberg, in the Ohl area: gold was mined there from the 13th to the 15th century. Today, numerous depressions in the terrain can be identified as remnants of gold-mining pits; there were also horizontal tunnels driven into the mountain.

Former settlements are also part of local history. The information boards along the History Trail cover, among other things, a former Jewish settlement that has since become an abandoned village site. In the surrounding landscape of the deserted settlement of Wieferinghausen, the contours of former paths and building sites are still visible. These traces in the terrain bring past land use to life in a different way from the visible signs of mining.

Fruit Trees and Visiting Hours

The Welleringhausen Apple Avenue preserves old apple and pear trees. They still bear rare fruit that can withstand the harsh climate of the Upland mountains. The Abraham Church in Welleringhausen is open to visitors from Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. As opening hours may change, check the current times before your visit.

Willingen (Upland) as a Wider Destination

The wider destination of Willingen (Upland) offers a longer hiking option: the certified Uplandsteig quality hiking trail is 66 kilometres long, loops around the municipality and passes through all nine districts. The landscapes along the trail range from mixed, beech and fir forests to open farmland, flowering meadows and marshland.

Other notable destinations within the wider Willingen (Upland) area offer their own highlights. The Skywalk Willingen stretches for 665 metres, suspended 100 metres above the Upland landscape. The Mühlenkopf Ski Jump has a 25-metre-high jump tower with the “Adlerhorst” (“Eagle’s Nest”) viewing point and attracts visitors all year round. The Hochheideturm on Ettelsberg is 62 metres high; its observation deck is 875 metres above sea level and is considered the highest viewpoint in northwestern Germany. An accessible lift with room for eight people takes visitors to the platform.

Discover more destinations: Schwalefeld, Usseln, Eimelrod, Rattlar, Bömighausen, Neerdar.

Back to the main travel overview: Willingen.