Adventure hiking trail with a view of the city wall

Adventure trail with a view of the city wall

On May 1, 2014, the adventure hiking trail was officially opened with an inspection.

Experience the medieval hill and Hanseatic town of Rüthen from a completely different perspective. Let yourself be surprised and inspired by new insights and views.

The adventure trail is divided into two tours: Route I blue and Route II red:

Route I blue : Difficulty level: easy Length: approx. 2 km

Little difference in altitude

Start at the Hachtor parking lot - along below the town wall - view of the mountain village of Altenrüthen with its medieval church - past the former Rüdenburg castle (now a cemetery) - Hexenturm (with relaxation bench) - town wall - back to the starting point (connection via "Hiking by color").

Route II red: -Difficulty level: medium (not wheelchair accessible / suitable for baby carriages) Length: approx. 4.0 km

significant differences in altitude

Trappenwald with 5-minute bench (great views of the Arnsberg Forest Nature Park) downhill to the fish ponds - viewpoint of the town wall and Hexenturm - continue to the Katzenbuckel and transformer tower with views of the town wall and St. John's Church - then continue via "Hiking by colors" or the town wall back to the Hachtor.

Highlights:

1: Hachtor

The Hachtor, dating from the 14th century, is the only one of the four former town gates that is still preserved. As Rüthen is situated on a ridge and the terrain to the north is predominantly flat, this area was particularly important to protect in the Middle Ages. For centuries, the gate also served as a prison for criminals from outside the town.

2: Hexenturm

The Hexenturm is the only fully preserved defensive tower of the town fortifications. In the 17th century, alleged sorcerers and witches were imprisoned in the building. Today, the tower houses a small documentary with exhibits about the time of these witch trials. The bronze relief on the outside commemorates all those who were persecuted, but also points out people who stood up against such injustice. It shows, among others, the clergymen Friedrich Spee and Michael Stapirius (Rüthen), who as contemporaries courageously raised their voices against the persecution of witches at the time. The Hexenturm can be visited as part of a guided tour of the town.

3. cat's hump

The Katzenbuckel itself was given its name by the locals because of its striking shape from afar. In earlier times, this area was unwooded.

P.S.: Incidentally, the charming and romantic natural ambience on the Katzenbuckel has been the setting for the first rendezvous of generations of couples in love in Rüthen.

4: St. John's Church

St. John's Church, one of Rüthen's two Catholic parish churches, is a three-aisled hall church built in 1872-74 in the neo-Gothic style. The tower and the ante-chapel were rebuilt in 1737. The chapel contains the oldest work of art in Rüthen, the statue of "Maria vom Stein", created from local green sandstone, probably shortly after the town of Rüthen was founded.

5: Town wall

Rüthen's town center is characterized by the historic town wall. The former fortifications date back to the 14th century. The inhabitants of Rüthen in the period from around 1270 (when the stone fortification ring was built) to around 1648 (when it fell into disrepair) had none of the magnificent views that we take for granted today. The wall was there to protect them in troubled times of war and hardship, e.g. in the Soest Feud (1444 - 1449), in the battles between the sovereigns, against the robber barons and in the Thirty Years' War. The townspeople lived, so to speak, in a large box with high walls. The average height of the wall was between 3.0 m and 3.50 m.