Oerlinghausen - Archaeological hiking trail

The hillfort begins approx. 2.3 km south-east of Oerlinghausen at the top of the elongated ridge of the Tönsberg. It is a ground monument worth seeing with clearly recognizable remains of a prehistoric fortification. Some maps also refer to it as "Sachsenlager". The signposted "Archaeological Hiking Trail" starts at the Archaeological Light Museum in Oerlinghausen and leads along the ridge path of the Tönsberg (part of the "Hermannsweg") to the information boards of the ground monument. These provide information about the most striking parts of the site and explain the significance of the former rampart castle. The rampart ditch system consisted of various ramparts, ditches and terraces. In the west of the hill, a rampart over 10 meters wide and four meters high stretched over a length of 180 meters. In the Latène period, the main rampart consisted of a three-metre-high wooden plank wall with an attached breastwork made of wattle and daub and an earth embankment behind it. In the early Middle Ages, the main rampart was a double-shelled mortared stone wall about 1.6 meters thick. The entrances to the rampart were once protected by two chamber gates. Various traces of settlement have been found inside the fortifications, which were around 440 m long and between 80 and 180 m wide. Stone remains of a building from the early Middle Ages were also found, which extended over a length of 21.6m and a width of 8m. However, nothing is known about the function of the house. Next to it was a chapel called the "Hünenkapelle" or "Tönskapelle". Pilgrimages to the Tönsberg are said to have taken place in the 15th century. The Paderborn annals report on a pilgrimage chapel of St. Anthony, in which the St. Hülffe cross was worshipped. This now 900-year-old oak cross with corpus is now worshipped in the Paderborn cathedral crypt.

Due to its outstanding significance, the Wallburg has been an archaeological and biological conservation zone since 2004.

A visit to the rampart castle on the Tönsberg is not only worthwhile from an archaeological point of view, but also offers beautiful views of the Lipper Bergland and the Senne as a special scenic attraction. Below the Hünenkapelle is the Wistinghaus Gorge and opposite is the Huneckenkammer, which rises 325 m above sea level. You can also see the Wistinghausen estate and the district of Währentrup from up here.