Experience ­nature

60 million years ago, the powerful forces of drifting continental plates unfolded rock masses as if they were made of paper. This is how the Alps and the ridges of the Teutoburg Forest were formed. In many places, the layers of rock broke open - and geologists can now read the different layers of the earth's history like a book. And even the layman can easily recognise the shell limestone, for example, which remains from a primeval ocean.

The mighty glaciers of the Saale Ice Age stretched from Scandinavia to the Teutoburg Forest. When they finally thawed, they left behind huge quantities of sand - especially in the Senne, where it forms the basis of the attractive heathland vegetation and in many places forms huge inland dunes.

It is Europe's mightiest sand-lime brick bridge. Almost 500 metres long, the railway bridge spans the Beketal valley with 24 arches. Last but not least, the Great Viaduct is the hub of the Viaduct Hiking Trail, one of five quality hiking trails in the Teutoburg Forest holiday region.

Many of the sandstone blocks from which the Reichstag was built in Berlin were quarried on the Silberort cliffs below the twin peaks of the Velmerstoth. A good piece of the Teutoburg Forest can also still be found in Cologne Cathedral and in several pillars of numerous motorway bridges. Conversely, the abandoned quarries, long since reclaimed by nature, offer picturesque views.

The Eggegebirgsverein was founded in Altenbeken on 11 March 1900 to ‘promote and facilitate tourism in the Egge mountains, in particular by creating signposts, benches, footpaths, viewpoints, shelters and springs’, according to the declared aims. The first project: the Eggeweg was opened in 1902.

Under the impact of industrialisation, beautification associations came together in many places in the 19th century to preserve the beauty and characteristics of their homeland. In the Teutoburg Forest, these associations came together on 25 June 1902 in the spa hotel in Bad Rothenfelde to form the ‘Teutoburg Mountain Association’, the forerunner of today's Teutoburg Forest Association and the marketing organisation ‘Teutoburg Forest Tourism’, a department of OstWestfalenLippe GmbH.

A path on the ridges of the Teutoburg Forest has of course existed for countless years. The ancient Romans probably used the military and trade route to go into battle against the Germanic tribes. But it was only with the onset of industrialisation that the idea of using this route for completely different purposes emerged: Recreation, enjoyment of nature and the countryside, fresh air. And so the success story of the hiking holiday began with the trail markers and the Teutoburg Forest Association's shelters.

They are a natural monument with a beauty all of their own and form a landmark in the middle of an intact natural environment - good reasons to make the Externsteine one of the first protected areas in the former Free State of Lippe.

In 2004, the German Hiking Association set new standards and awarded the "Wanderbares Deutschland" quality seal for the first time. It was awarded to the Eggeweg. Four other trails in the Teuto region have followed since then: Hermannsweg, Viadukt Wanderweg, Hansaweg and Paderborner Höhenweg.

In 2005, Germany's most beautiful and exciting long-distance hiking trails came together under the Top Trails of Germany brand. Among the twelve "founding members" are the Hermannshöhen, the congenial link between the Hermannsweg and Eggeweg trails.

50,000 guests travelled to Paderborn for the annual meeting of hikers. The event, which this time was organised under the motto "Hiking at springs", was hosted by the Eggegebirgsverein, which had already proved its worth as host for the German Hiking Association in 1981 and 1998.

To ensure that the Teutoburg Forest remains one of the most popular hiking regions in the country, the offers for active holidaymakers are constantly being improved. This is ensured by the Hiking Competence Centre, which began its work in 2015.

After 2015 in Paderborn, the German Hiking Day was once again held in the region, this time in Lippe, from 5 to 19 August 2018. Detmold and the surrounding area welcomed almost 50,000 visitors with a varied programme.