Holzhausen-Externsteine: Roman-Knight Rites

This hike leads through the heart of the Teutoburg Forest / Eggegebirge Nature Park and connects the spa town of Holzhausen-Externsteine with the historic sandstone cliffs of the Externsteine. The trail starts at the spa park in Holzhausen, which impresses with its redwoods and ginkgo trees, and leads visitors through dense mixed forests up to the rock formations, which are up to 40 meters high. With a bit of luck, black woodpeckers and eagle owls can be spotted in the shady beech forests, while white wild garlic and rare mosses thrive on the forest floor in spring. Historically, the area is known as a place of ancient rites and medieval piety, as evidenced by the monumental relief of the cross and the artificial grottoes in the rocks. Some of the paths are rooty and the ascent is via steep rocky steps.