Encounters are simply good for you.
When they are real - and we take the time for them.
Encounters cannot take place digitally, even if social media often make us believe this. We feel connected, but ultimately we are not connected in such moments. We can share pictures and news - that's great for keeping in touch. But a real exchange only happens when we are face to face or when we go out into nature, breathe in the fresh air, look at the light over the woods and feel part of a greater whole.
Here in the Schmallenberg Sauerland and the vacation region Eslohe we have a special way of thinking and acting. We all see ourselves as a large community that makes this region a wonderful place to live for locals and guests alike. People who come to us feel this: when they are greeted with a "hello" or "hello" on the street. When they see how lovingly the locals look after their houses, gardens and traditions, thus shaping the typical image of the Schmallenberger Sauerland. When they come to their hosts, who not only give them a warm welcome, but also surprise them with the highest quality.
It is therefore about a very personal exploration of these spaces of encounter. They remind us of something essential that is the basis of everything in our region: having, living and being at home.
The best of Schmallenberg & Eslohe
The magazine for guests and friends
This is an invitation to you, dear guests and friends of the Schmallenberger Sauerland and the vacation region Eslohe, to collect
moments. With ourselves and with others. When you wake up in the morning in a cozy bed without any time pressure. When you walk through our forests with a rucksack on your back and breathe in their scent. When you sit and chat with your friends or family over a good meal. We are all travelers - let's collect many moments together in 2024.
We will be happy to help you!
All real!
As part of the creation of our 2019 magazine, a special photo shoot took place with the actress Daniela Bette-Koch in the Schmallenberger Sauerland took place. We would like to share our ideas and thoughts for the magazine with you in several parts. See for yourself what the Schmallenberger Sauerland and the vacation region Eslohe so special!
Only flying is better!
From the sheltered villages, you head out into the vast landscape. Around every bend, a new picture emerges: clear, bubbling streams, jagged rocks, an old giant tree that tells of the storms of time... In the following places, you will breathe in a particularly large portion of freedom and adventure!
On the 658 meter high, striking Wilzenberg. This is the holy mountain of the Sauerland, so to speak, and is considered a particularly powerful place. The old ramparts probably date back to the Middle Ages. From the observation tower, you have a 360-degree view over the Sauerland. Magnificent!
Hiking on the WilzenbergPretty half-timbered villages with imposing churches and impressive scenery await you if you follow the golden route label. Fancy more? Then book our guided e-bike tour on the Golddorf cycle route!
To the Golddorf cycle routeExperience Rothaarsteig!
Hiking
Hiking on the famous Rothaarsteiga 154-kilometer long-distance hiking trail that follows selected paths and trails from Brilon to Dillenburg over the ridge of the mountain range of the same name.
To the RothaarsteigAbove the clouds!
Flying
Gentle green hills and dense forests stretch to the horizon, small villages nestle in valleys and on mountain slopes, glittering rivers meander through the countryside and the endless blue sky shines above everything - you can enjoy this view on a sightseeing flight over the Schmallenberg region. Sauerland.
To Rennefeld airfieldThe Hollenhaus with Bödefeld
Hiking
This is a massive, rugged rock covered in lichen with a striking yellowish-green shimmer. The mysterious giant rock is also the subject of a legend about the Hollen, little fairies who are said to have guarded precious stones here. But with this adventurous sight, it's easy to make up your own heroic story.
Hiking on the HollenpfadOn the photo hiking route around the Bundesgolddorf Oberhenneborn you will always experience breathtaking views of the Schmallenberger Sauerland. Above all, however, it is about training your eye for a meaningful visual language and at the same time experiencing nature intensively - advanced and amateurs alike will find inspiration here!
To the photo routeMeeting yourself...
Powerful places in the midst of nature, pre-Christian places of worship, churches that tell stories - the Schmallenberger Sauerland has a long spiritual tradition. The region sees it as an important mission to bring this to life - even beyond its own borders. Ideal conditions to take some time for yourself and find yourself...
There is magic in the encounter - with ourselves.
Close your eyes for a moment: who is breathing, sitting and reading right now? How pleasant it is when all thoughts stop for a moment. A tiny little break in the midst of an everyday life full of speed. Quickly to this appointment, organize something there and then when we are stopped by a traffic jam, we see red... Is there another way? Deep down knowledge we realize that there is something that goes beyond all this. In moments of silence, we experience that we are part of something that is not visible, but tangible. Connectedness. Then we come to rest.
Really enjoy a forest bath ...
Find a section of forest that appeals to you personally. Begin the forest bath with conscious, very slow walking. Concentrate on your breathing and your steps. You can also walk barefoot if the ground doesn't pick and scratch you too much. Listen to the sounds in the forest: the birdsong, the rustling of the leaves, cracking branches. Try to listen in all directions. Just let your gaze wander without focusing on a particular point. If your thoughts keep distracting you, imagine how they move on like clouds in the sky and keep "bathing". Find a beautiful, large tree with a thick trunk and lean against it - sitting or standing. Feel its strength and how you can release all your heaviness onto it. How old do you think it is? How many storms it has already experienced and survived.
This exercise may be unusual at first. Slow walking in particular is quite unfamiliar to most people. Just try it out and see how it goes. In any case, you should be relaxed - or have plenty to giggle about with children.
Unsure? The relaxation and health educator Petra Breker will accompany you to Waldbaden.