Adventure hiking trail with a view of the city wall
On May 1, 2014, the adventure hiking trail was ceremoniously opened with a walk-through.
Experience the medieval mountain and Hanseatic town of Rüthen from a completely different perspective. Let yourself be surprised and inspired by new insights and views.
The adventure hiking trail is divided into two tours: Route I blue and Route II red:
Route I blue : Difficulty: easy Length: approx. 2 km.
Small differences in altitude
Start parking lot Hachtor- along below the city wall- view of the mountain village Altenrüthen with its medieval church- past the former Rüdenburg (today cemetery)- Hexenturm (with relax bench)- city wall back to the starting point ( connection via "hiking by colors").
Route II red:not usable -difficulty: medium (not suitable for wheelchairs/pushchairs) length: approx. 4.5 km not usable
strong differences in altitude
Trappenwald- downhill to the fish ponds -viewpoint on the city wall and Hexenturm (rest bench) -continue to Katzenbuckel with a view of the city wall and St. John's church (relax bench) connection further via "Hiking by colors".
Highlights:
1: Hachtor
The Hachtor, dating from the 14th century, is the only one of formerly four town gates that is still preserved. Since Rüthen is situated on a mountain ridge and the terrain to the north is predominantly flat, it was particularly important to protect this area in the Middle Ages. For centuries, the gate also served as a prison for offenders coming from outside the town.
2: Hexenturm
The Hexenturm is the only completely preserved fortified tower of the city fortifications. In the 17th century, alleged sorcerers and witches were imprisoned in the building. Today, the tower houses a small documentation with exhibits about the time of these witch trials. The bronze relief on the outside commemorates all the persecuted people, 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 persecutions of witches at that time. The Hexenturm can be visited as part of a guided tour.
3. cat's hump
The Katzenbuckel itself received its name through popular usage because of its terrain, which is conspicuous from afar. In former times this area was unwooded.
P.S.: The charming and romantic natural ambience on the Katzenbuckel was, by the way, the scene of the first rendezvous for 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-nave hall church built in 1872-74 in the neo-Gothic style. The tower and the antechapel were newly built in 1737. In the chapel there is the oldest work of art in Rüthen, the statue "Maria vom Stein" , created from the local green sandstone, probably shortly after the foundation of the town of Rüthen.
5: Town wall
The core of Rüthen is characterized by the historic city wall. The former fortification dates back to the 14th century. The inhabitants of Rüthen in the period from about 1270 (the time when the stone fortification ring was built) to about 1648 (the time when it fell into disrepair) had none of the magnificent view that we enjoy so naturally today. The wall was there for their protection in the troubled times of war and hardship, e.g. in the Soest feud (1444 - 1449), in the battles that the sovereigns fought among themselves, against the robber barons and in the Thirty Years' War. The townspeople lived, so to speak, in a big box with high walls. The average height of the wall was from 3.0 m to 3.50 m.