Pilgern in Lippe - Westroute

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38.79 km long
Difficulty: medium
condition: medium
Regional hiking trail
  • 11:23 h
  • 911 m
  • 1,006 m
  • 151 m
  • 402 m
  • 251 m
  • 38.79 km
  • Start: Am Hahnberg 14 , 32760 Detmold-Berlebeck
  • Destination: Sparrenburg Castle, Burgwiese 6, 33602 Bielefeld
"Pilgrimage in Lippe"
From church to church on 3 pilgrimage routes:
  • East loop (approx. 82 km)
  • West loop (approx. 110 km)
  • West route (approx. 39 km)

Pilgrimage in or to Lippe - this is nothing new. Before the Reformation, there were also places in Lippe that were places of pilgrimage for decades. Blomberg, which was a place of pilgrimage in pre-Reformation times, forms the center of the trail with its monastery church. The host parishes are looking forward to supporting pilgrims as much as they can and bringing stories about their own parish and its people to life.
 
Enjoy the vastness of the fields, feel the silence in the forest, experience churches as a place of peace, strength and encounter. Pilgrimages in Lippe lead from church to church through the diverse and charming landscape of Lippe in the Teutoburg Forest. Over 40 churches along the way, historical sites and natural monuments invite you to trace the cultural heritage over 230 km. The route stretches from the south-east of Lippe (East Loop) via Schieder, Schwalenberg, Falkenhagen, Elbrinxen and Lügde to the parishes in the north of Lippe (Barntrup, Sonneborn, Alverdissen, Hillentrup) to Lemgo, Detmold, Heiligenkirchen, Berlebeck, Horn, Bad Meinberg and Reelkirchen (Westschleife) to the west of Berlebeck, via Stapelage, Oerlinghausen to Bielefeld. The West route connects the Lippe pilgrimage routes with the pilgrimage routes of St. James in Bielefeld.
The routes are suitable for a half-day or day tour up to a multi-day tour.
Here we present the West route:
The West Route starts in Berlebeck. Eagles and birds of prey from the eagle observatory accompany you along the way. Passing the Dreiflussstein, the Stapelager church (first foundations of a stone church from the 8th century), the Hünenkapelle on the Tönsberg, the Senne nature conservation project and the Alexanderkirche in Oerlinghausen, we reach Sparrenburg Castle via Bielefeld-Bethel. Below Sparrenburg Castle, the Lippe Pilgrims' Trail joins the pilgrimage routes towards Soest and Münster.

Good to know

Best to visit

suitable
Depends on weather

Directions

The western route connects the Lippe pilgrimage routes with the St. James pilgrimage routes in Bielefeld.
Passing the Stapelager church (first foundations of a stone church from the 8th century) and the Alexander church in Oerlinghausen, you reach Sparrenburg Castle and the St. James pilgrimage routes towards Soest and Münster via Bielefeld-Bethel.

Tour information

  • Cultural Interesting

  • Good Connection to public Transport

  • Labelling

  • Multiday Tour

  • Stop at an Inn

Equipment

Please choose suitable clothing and footwear.

Additional information

Further information and offers: www.pilgern-in-lippe.de

The Lippische Landeskirche offers guided pilgrimage days and pilgrimage tours lasting several days.

More information

Pilgrim guides, who have been trained by the Lippische Landeskirche, can accompany groups on their journey on request. Meditative impulses, times of silence, songs and prayers along the way can contribute to leaving everyday life behind and returning to questions about the meaning of one's own existence, about God and the world.

The Lippische Landeskirche offers guided pilgrimage days and pilgrimage tours lasting several days.

Literature

Lippische Landeskirche: Buch zum Weg (pilgern-in-lippe.de)
The book about the trail was edited, expanded and republished in 2021. Published at the beginning of 2022, the book contains maps on a scale of 1:55,000, descriptions of the churches and sights on the individual stages and meditative texts. You can order it from the Lippische Landeskirche at a price of €12.90 plus €2.50 postage  orders at: pilgern@lippische-landeskirche.de

Author´s Tip / Recommendation of the author

A pilgrim's pass for the Lippe Pilgrimage Route is available from the Lippe Regional Church.
 
The "Way of Silence", an ecumenical pilgrimage route from Schwalenberg via Marienmünster to Corvey, connects the Lippe pilgrimage routes in the south-east of Lippe with the Way of St. James in Höxter. The western route connects the Lippe pilgrimage routes in the north-east with the St. James pilgrimage routes in Bielefeld. Below Sparrenburg Castle, the Lippe Pilgrims' Way joins the pilgrimage routes towards Soest and Münster. This has created a connection for pilgrims to Santiago de Compostela, which leads through the beautiful landscape of Lippe before returning to the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. 


Almost all churches participate in the "Open Churches" project of the Lippe Regional Church.

Map

The route and maps can be found on the website www.pilgern-in-lippe.de


Getting there
Pilgern in Lippe - Westroute
32760 Detmold