Valley tour from Willingen to the Niedersfelder Hochheide (Hochsauerland)

An exceptionally beautiful tour. If you have the time, you should definitely do the "Golden Trail." The starting point is at the "Hochheide Hütte" restaurant!

In August, the heath is in bloom, so the destination was the Hochheide near Villingen. With temperatures around 20 degrees Celsius and sunshine, the weather was perfect, and the heath was in beautiful bloom. There was plenty of activity, and in addition to hikers and walkers, there were also a few blueberry pickers out and about. The route led over gravel roads and trails. The start and finish were near the "Gebrannte Warmecke" hiking car park.

https://www.willingen.de/themen/wandern/top-wanderwege/qualitaetstour-taelerweg.html

https://www.sauerland-wanderdoerfer.de/de/import/sauerland-wanderdoerfer.de/import-neusta/inhalte/neusta-touren/taelerweg-qualitaetstour

At the end of the short vacation in Willingen, another hike without rain and with a little sunshine. The valley path was planned to be a certified hiking trail at https://www.sauerland.com/Media/Touren/Taelerweg-Qualitaetstour However, we built a detour and hiked through the Hochheide. The many blueberries, cranberries and the heather, as well as the many stunted pines and birches, are wonderful. On the last section we had to vary the route again, as the main route was closed due to tree felling work. So we were able to hike directly through the beautiful Hoppecketal again. That was probably the nicer and more exciting way. The highlights were definitely the view from the Hochheidehütte and the Clemensberg, the Hochheide and the many orchid on a section.

The Niederfelder Hochheide is a unique high plateau with expansive heathland, ancient juniper stands, and magnificent views over the Sauerland region. Especially in late summer, the heath blooms in rich purple, transforming the landscape into a true natural experience. Well-maintained trails invite you to hike – a break at the rustic Hochheiden Hut with homemade cake perfectly rounds off the trip. A worthwhile destination for anyone seeking peace and quiet and nature.

With sunshine🌥️, wind🌬️, and 12°C, we went hiking🥾 to Willingen. The parking lot 🅿️ was well located. Directly on the route and far from the hustle and bustle. Beautiful paths led us steadily uphill to the Hochheide heath. The heath had already faded 😌 and was partly dry🫣. But there were still plenty of cranberries 😋. We also looked for porcini mushrooms... unfortunately, all we saw were mushrooms 🤨 along the path 😡. It was a nice hike in the autumn weather.👍

Today we hiked from the hotel on site through the Hoppecketal Valley to the Niedersfelder Hochheide, a scenic gem. The so-called "Golden Pledge" is a path that winds through the heath and offers opportunities for mindfulness exercises at various stations. Unfortunately, a cold wind was blowing today, and since we were a bit sweaty from the long climb, we didn't want to expose ourselves to it too much. So, instead of meditating for long, we opted for a brisk walk. A special highlight was the view from the 840-meter-high Clemensberg. An idyllic path led gently down into the Hoppecketal Valley, and we arrived at the hotel, full of the day's experiences, where a Sauerland gourmet buffet awaited us.