Langenberg circular route (Bruchhausen)

The highest mountain in North Rhine-Westphalia is the Langenberg (843m), a wooded peak in the district of the city of Olsberg in the transition to the Hessian Upland. In contrast to its well-known neighbor - the Kahler Asten (842m) - the Langenberg is a rather unpretentious representative of its guild. There is no large parking lot near the summit, no restaurants, no observation tower. But the Langenberg is ahead in one, it is one decisive meter higher and that makes it the king of the mountains in the Sauerland.

A beautiful circular hike to Langenberg is signposted by the Sauerland Mountain Association (SGV) from Bruchhausen as the local circular route B3. Bruchhausen - especially known because of the Bruchhausen Stones designated as a national geoptop - also has some pretty sights in the town center. Above all, the moated castle Bruchhausen on the western slope of the Istenberg (728m). The estate is still inhabited today. Today the facility also has its own court brewery. Bornsteiner beer is named after the tallest of the four Bruchhauser stones, and when you visit the Gutsschänke you can enjoy the cool drop.

The Langenberg circular route starts a little below Schloss Bruchhausen in Kapellenweg at the Catholic parish church of St. Cyriakus, which was built in 1967. We follow the Kapellenweg to its end, then follow the signs for B4 into the fields.

The B3 runs for a good part parallel to the Rothaarsteig, but then leads further east to the state border between North Rhine-Westphalia and Hesse. This now shows the way to the summit of the Langenberg. A simple boulder with a metal plate informs you that you are currently on the highest peak in North Rhine-Westphalia. To ensure that the Langenberg gets a little more of the attention it deserves, a large summit cross was erected in 2010 that can no longer be overlooked.

From Langenberg it goes west to the neighboring summit Auf dem Sternrodt (789m). There is a popular summer toboggan run here, on which you can plunge over 300 meters into the valley. But we prefer to continue on foot through the Medebach Valley and remember fondly the Bornsteiner beer mentioned at the beginning, which is served in the Gutsschänke of Schloss Bruchhausen.