Discover Nordenau: Hiking, Half-Timbered Houses and Rappelstein Castle

Nordenau combines trails through the Sauerland mountain landscape with a historic village setting and winter activities. When planning, the precise route names, starting points and conditions for seasonal offers are especially important. Rappelstein Castle and the local history museum add their own cultural touches. This allows you to decide whether to focus your time on hiking trails, local history or a specific event date.

Hiking Trails and Navigation

The Osterglockenweg begins in Nordenau and leads through the Sauerland mountain landscape; it is about 11 kilometres long. It is distinct from the Osterglocken circular trail, which begins and ends at the Haus des Gastes on Sonnenpfad, where parking is available. When planning, check the exact name so you can choose the right starting point.

The circular trail around Nordenau (No2) leads from Nordenau through the Wesenberg nature reserve to the Hubertusstein and then back to Nordenau. The circular trail around Nordenau (No4) follows a different route: from Nordenau, it first goes up to the Heerhagen plateau, continues via Nesselbach and then returns to Nordenau via the Westfalenhang ski lift. The named waypoints make it easy to distinguish between the two routes.

Bus route S40 runs through Nordenau. You can use the “Kirche” stop to reach the starting point of the circular trail around Nordenau (No4). Check the timetable before travelling. If you arrive by car, parking is available at the Haus des Gastes on Sonnenpfad, the starting and finishing point of the Osterglocken circular trail.

Kurpark Nordenau also offers a range of facilities, including walking paths, a playground, a water-treading pool, a sports field and ponds. Alongside the named circular trails, there are therefore several other places to enjoy during a stay in the village.

Half-Timbered Houses, Slate and Rappelstein Castle

Nordenau has the character of a historic half-timbered village; some of its houses are over 200 years old. Slate mining shaped the settlement, and slate is still visible on many houses. Half-timbering and slate thus give the village two distinctive features, closely connected with Nordenau’s history.

The ruins of Rappelstein Castle are a historic landmark of Nordenau and now serve as a viewing platform. From there, you can see across Nordenau, the Nesselbach Valley and the Land of 1,000 Mountains. This lets you combine a visit to the historic site with views of the surrounding area.

The Nordenau local history museum is located in the Haus des Gastes at Sonnenpfad 2. Visits are possible during the office hours of Nordenau Touristik e. V.; additional visiting times can be arranged on request. Check the office hours before your visit so you can plan around the stated visiting option.

Winter Activities and a Set Date

You can ski or snowboard at Nordenau’s own ski lift. Its operation depends on conditions, so check before your trip. There is also a small toboggan slope near Nordenau. Whether it can be used in winter depends on the snow conditions.

The traditional year-end torchlight hike is scheduled for 30 December 2026. It follows a route around Nordenau with torches and ends at the Haus des Gastes with mulled wine and children’s punch. As this event is tied to a specific date, check the event date before your trip.

The activities on offer range from circular trails with different waypoints to local history and seasonal activities.

Discover more destinations: Oberrarbach, Gleidorf, Niederhenneborn, Niederberndorf, Werntrop, Obringhausen, Gellinghausen, Arpe.

Return to the main travel overview: Schmallenberg.