Discover Sandebeck: Trails, Church and Volcano

Sandebeck combines hiking and cycling with church architecture, volcanic geology and local traditions. When planning a trip with children, it helps to first decide what you would like to focus on: should it be mainly about trails and scenery, or would you also like to include architectural history and local culture? Other destinations in the wider Steinheim area can also be considered as a separate part of your plans.

Out and about: starting points and routes

Hiking Trail A4 starts in Sandebeck at an information board in a hiking car park west of the village, near the forester’s lodge. Another described starting point for hikes into the Egge Mountains is Sandebeck railway station on the Herford–Paderborn line: from there, the European long-distance path E1 leads into the Egge Mountains. For a cycling trip, Tour 3 – Graf Metternich Fountain Tour offers a different focus. In Sandebeck, the route passes close to St. Dionysius Church, built in the Neo-Gothic style in 1862 and also known as “Eggedom.”

St. Dionysius and its furnishings

St. Dionysius is a three-aisled hall church in the Neo-Gothic style. Its copper-roofed tower stands at the west end and is 48 metres high. The church also preserves furnishings from its predecessor: an offertory box from 1588, a holy water font from 1620 and a baptismal font from 1627. This brings the 19th-century architectural style together with objects that are considerably older.

Volcanic landscape and Velmerstot

The Sandebeck volcano formed during the Miocene and is between 7 and 14 million years old. The disused basalt quarry on the volcano has been protected as a natural monument since 1974. In the Steinheim-Sandebeck area in the district of Höxter, Prussian Velmerstot, the southern summit of Velmerstot, rises to about 464 m above sea level. The entire Velmerstot lies within the Teutoburg Forest / Egge Hills Nature Park. The Egge Tower stands on Prussian Velmerstot. Lippian Velmerstot forms the northern summit and reaches 441.4 m; its landscape is characterised by heathland and rugged sandstone rocks. The two summits therefore differ both in elevation and in the landscape features described for each.

Gut Wintrup and Sandebeck traditions

A long walk leads to Gut Wintrup, an imposing natural-stone building with a half-timbered upper storey. At a crossroads, you can see a statue of St. John of Nepomuk, tucked away among shrubs and trees, off the path. Sandebeck’s Krautbund also has its own local tradition: it includes 24 plant parts.

The Christmas market in Sandebeck is organised every two years by the Sandebeck Village Workshop. The Vincenzhaus hosts stalls selling handmade items from the village and beyond; food and drink are available in the forecourt and at the neighbouring village café. The next market is planned for Advent 2026. This recurring event offers a different focus from hiking days or exploring the village’s architecture and landscape.

In the wider Steinheim area

The hiking landscapes described in the wider Steinheim area also vary. Four of the six designated A trails run in and to the southwest of Steinheim Forest. A1 and A2 follow forest tracks throughout, through species-rich mixed deciduous woodland; A3 and A4 loop around Hahneberg through an area of meadows, pastures and fields between the Emmer and Steinheim Forest. A5 runs through the Emmer floodplains towards Eichholz, crosses the Emmer near Struckstein and returns along the opposite bank. A6 leads to the Kluslinde east of Eichholz and then follows the other bank of the Emmer back to Steinheim.

For a town walk, the interactive tour of Steinheim covers 13 attractions. It starts at the Steinheim Kump, but you can also begin at any other point. The Steinheim Furniture Museum traces the history of furniture-making in Steinheim and its development over 120 years, displaying its collection across 900 m² in the former furniture factory of Joseph Günther. The exhibits come from Steinheim businesses and showcase furniture styles from Historicism and Art Nouveau through Art Deco and period furniture to modern designs. Up to four special exhibitions are held there each year, featuring works, photographs, pictures and objects by local artists, collectors and historians; their themes range from current and historical topics to the city’s club life. The annual Rose Monday parade offers a different cultural perspective: its modern-day origins date to 1911, and the city reports up to 25,000 visitors.

Discover more destinations: Vinsebeck.

To the wider travel overview: Steinheim.