The lumberjack round

The gatehouse was built in 1911 as the gatehouse of the former game park. (The game park was abandoned in the 1950s. Later, the Torhaus, whose name corresponded to its function, was converted into a hotel and restaurant), is the starting point. Easily accessible by bus, bicycle and car. Recently, the large hiking parking lot has also become a stop on the Sauerland-Waldroute, a 240 km long-distance hiking trail from Marsberg to Iserlohn. You follow the white W on a green mirror, initially on a path, then over the Heveseedamm to the idyllic valley of the Kleine Schmalenau. The Waldroute uses thenarrow side strip between the dam (road) and the bank until the bank becomes wider and wider. The forest path that follows offers beautiful views of the Schmalenau, which alternately flows quickly or slowly. The Grüne Hoffnung, a lonely house, used to be a forester's lodge. But the trail continues straight ahead, the first time as a narrow path. Later, you briefly cross an asphalt road (forest path) and follow the forest path until you cross the B 229 at Breitenbruch and turn left, initially on an unsecured asphalt strip, later on a footpath, into the village. It developed from a forest workers' settlement. On the right is the Schüttler country inn (closed on Mondays, 02931/6308). Later, we cross the main road with the white double line markings (we leave the Waldroute) and turn left into the street "Im Windlicht". We follow this road, with extensive pastures on the left, until the path runs slightly uphill towards a crossroads at Altenbreitenbruch (the original site of the forest workers' settlement) on an asphalted forest path marked with a double horizontal line. The bench, under chestnut trees, bears the strange nameKastanienkeller. Continue straight ahead now with the A 2 markings, initially roughly gravelled, then the path format becomes increasingly natural. At the height of a medium-aged spruce forest on the left, the trail changes to a forest path into the forest and later back onto the forest path. There is a crossroads ahead of us. We cross the beautiful meandering stream of the Neue Schmalenau over the Jännis-Steg, a far too beautiful spot with dammed water and unearthly silence. Uphill on a path to a fork in the trail. Follow the forest path on the left with the familiar markings to the Kreuzeiche forest parking lot. The field cross is there, but the oaks are missing. It is said that the Kreuzeiche once marked a prominent waypoint on a historic trade route. We hike with the A 1 markings around the 370 m high Oerberg, which runs uphill on a path to the left in a valley incision and introduces one of the most beautiful passages of today's tour. High-stemmed spruce forest, then deciduous forest, then, we now follow the X 13 coming from the left, a sheer endless forest meadow passage of special class. The meadow strip opens up narrowly, bordered by dense forest. The path runs through the middle of it almost to the gates of Neuhaus, another settlement that has its origins in lumberjack activity. On the left is a veritable estate that belonged to the former forest estate and castle of St. Meinolf. The castle itself is just under 1.2 km away in the Hevetal. Refreshments are available at the Landgasthof Zum Tackeberg (02924/ 7613, closed on Mondays) in Neuhaus (follow the Rennweg to the right) and at the Wilhelmsruh recreation park at the crossroads. (Geronimos Lodge, open daily from 11.00 am, tel. 02924 / 85085). The hunting lodge also has a restaurant. We hike uphill on the X 13 (the Hanseweg of the SGV) and the Waldroute, initially on a roughly gravelled forest path, later on a typical forest path. Turn right at a refuge, a short unmarked passage, before the A 5 and X 26 join from the left and right respectively at a crossroads. We follow the A 5 straight ahead into a valley incision and soon see how a rivulet becomes a small stream through all kinds of tributaries, which flows into a bay of the Möhnesee. Shortly before reaching the lakeside road, turn left onto asphalt and, at the height of a small sailing facility, take another sharp left uphill on the A 5 (also M, X 13, rhombus etc.). A small stream valley accompanies us on the right. The path climbs steadily. At a bend, turn left onto the A5 and M paths to a refuge. Here we reach the good old friend again, the Waldroute, which we follow consistently to the Torhaus parking lot. Past passages that offer a glimpse of the Möhnesee, past several stations of the sound forest installation with forest instruments worth seeing.