Eslohe (Sauerland): Half-timbered houses, museum and cycling

Eslohe (Sauerland) is a state-recognised climatic health resort in the Sauerland-Rothaargebirge Nature Park. The town combines a historic centre with a museum, swimming pools, mini golf and a variety of cycling options. Local history, technology, water and exercise therefore offer different interests side by side.

Half-timbered houses, village history and technology

In Eslohe’s historic centre, around St Peter and Paul Parish Church, stand half-timbered houses that are around 200 years old. The combination of church and half-timbered houses gives the townscape a distinct historic character. Those interested in local history can explore it here in a different way than at the DampfLandLeute Museum, which focuses on rural life and technology.

The DampfLandLeute Museum is located in a side valley of the state-recognised climatic health resort of Eslohe. Its permanent exhibition covers agriculture, forestry, village crafts, folklore and technology. The topics range from agriculture and forestry to crafts and everyday culture, as well as technical subjects. You can choose a particular focus for your visit or explore the exhibition as a broader museum experience.

The museum railway and Steam Days offer their own distinct highlights. From April to October, the DampfLandLeute Museum’s railway runs with a diesel locomotive on the first Saturday of each month from 3 pm to 5 pm. If this ride is important to your visit, check the timetable in advance, as seasonal operating arrangements may change. During the Steam Days, historic steam engines are put into operation at least twice a year. This offers two different technical experiences: rides with a diesel locomotive and demonstrations of historic steam engines.

Water, mini golf and cycling

Eslohe has an indoor swimming pool and a heated outdoor pool. There are also mini golf courses. These activities complement the local history and museum with other ways to spend your time. If you are travelling with children, you can decide together whether swimming, mini golf, the history of technology or cycling should take centre stage during your stay.

For cycling, you can choose between a route connecting several towns and a course with specific features. The 84-kilometre SauerlandRadring connects Finnentrop, Eslohe, Schmallenberg and Lennestadt. The Bike Parcours Eslohe at the Fun- & Sportanlage Eslohe features dirt lines, jumps in three difficulty levels, a flow trail and a large pump track. The cycle route and the course appeal to different plans: a connection between the four towns named above on the one hand, and a variety of course features on the other. When choosing your accommodation, consider which cycling activity you would like to prioritise during your holiday.

The wider destination of Hochsauerlandkreis

If you are also considering the wider destination of Hochsauerlandkreis, you will find other distinctive landscapes there. Kahler Asten is in Hochsauerlandkreis and, at 841 metres, is one of the highest elevations in North Rhine-Westphalia. The Bruchhauser Steine consist of four large porphyry rocks and are designated as a nature reserve, an FFH site and a bird sanctuary. The Niedersfelder Hochheide is the Neuer Hagen nature reserve and FFH site near Niedersfeld; it lies at an elevation of more than 800 metres and covers around 57 hectares of mountain heath. These examples give an impression of the landscape in the wider destination, while Eslohe has its own focus on its town centre, museum, swimming pools and cycling options.

Discover more destinations: Wenholthausen, Cobbenrode, Niedersalwey, Lochtrop, Reiste; Meschede, Olsberg, Winterberg.

Go to the overview of the wider destination: Hochsauerlandkreis.