Circular hiking trail No. 2 through the Brakel Mountain region from Rheder via Gehrden and Siddessen

The circular hiking trail No. 2 starts in front of St. Katharina Parish Church in Rheder. Take the opportunity to have a brief look inside the church. Then walk along the street towards the castle, pass through the gate of Rheder Castle, and admire the breathtakingly beautiful castle and unique courtyard.

Continue your hike along the front of the outer bailey to the corner octagon, then turn right and walk on the "Parkweg" towards the castle park. On both sides of the path, you will see the brewery buildings. Heading south, you will have a view of the upper village and the adjacent Spiegelbreite, the construction area of the last 50 years. Turning to the right, you will see the castle with the orangery on the south side and the brewery's Sudhaus in the southern wing of the outer bailey. After crossing the Nethe, the building complex on the left side of your path is colloquially known as the "beer cellar," now used for storing young beer at a constant temperature of 6°C.

You now enter the Sieseberg Nature Park and immediately enjoy a magnificent view of the vast landscape park traversed by the Nethe. The west side of the castle and parts of the lower village with the church are now in your view. One of the main features of the landscape park is a sightline, called "Pückler-Schlag," extending from the central garden hall of the castle to the heights of the steeply rising forested Sieseberg.

A preserved feature of the park is the temple on a hill at the entrance. In close proximity to the "Pückler-Schlag," about halfway up the ascending forest, lies the family burial site of the current owners, the Spiegel von Peckelsheim family, accessible via a separate access road and several natural stone stairs.

Further along the way, you pass the castle pond, fed in a baroque manner by water supplied underground from the mill ditch. You walk through the landscape park at the foot of the Sieseberg with its abundant old trees and pass another pond, the Reed or Riedteich, fed by inflow from the castle pond as well as genuine spring water from the Sieseberg. From here, take a moment to look back at the castle and appreciate the comprehensive landscape design. This meadow landscape is particularly charming in spring, when cuckooflower, corydalis, and wild garlic are in full bloom.

The landscape park and the vast protected area of the Sieseberg hold further botanical rarities. For example, the March lily is still one of the spreading early bloomers. After leaving the park through the gate pillar, turn immediately left and continue on the path used by forestry and agriculture, leading you between the forest area "Mähne" and the agriculturally used "Dollenkamp," gradually ascending to the beginning of the "Sünderholz." Both forest areas belong to Count Sierstorpff, Bad Driburg.

Shortly after passing the spruce grove on the field side, you reach the connecting path from Siddessen to Schmechten or Istrup. Here, you can enjoy views of the Brakel basin, the high-lying field expanses, and the extensive forested slopes of the Lippe mountain range and the adjacent Weser mountain range. Even the Köterberg is visible from here in clear weather.

Continuing straight ahead, you reach the right-angled bend in the path to Schmechten and Istrup. The terrain reaches a height of about 225 m. Instead, continue straight on the consistently sloping path through the Sünderholz and eventually cross the K 20, connecting Gehrden and Schmechten. From here, turn slightly to the left and walk along the steadily ascending forest path parallel to the county road through the "Mittelholz," passing by the shelter "Eichental" and the shooting range towards the sports field of Gehrden, located in front of the holiday village Gehrden. Here, you will encounter the fruit tree educational trail for the first time, established since 1995. 54 different fruit varieties are planted here, some of them typical to the area, such as the "Brakel apple."

You pass by the Hudewald, formerly used as a communal meadow where small farmers and citizens could graze up to three cattle. The planting of the Hudewald was carried out in 1997 according to historical guidelines under the responsibility of the local heritage and tourism association of Gehrden. The stock of 52 remaining oaks, all natural monuments, is complemented by 103 new plantings.

Through the sports field, you reach the northern edge of the Gehrden holiday village and encounter the fruit tree educational trail again, offering an extraordinary view of the Hudewald. Following the road straight ahead, you reach the Rotheweg, leading right into the village. Descending past the baroque Wayside Shrine "Christ on the Mount of Olives," erected in 1708, you reach the Öse. This small river flows through the municipality of Gehrden and flows into the Nethe at Siddessen. Follow the course of the Öse along the water educational trail established by the fishing club. Numerous information boards provide insights into the local wildlife in and around the stream. Passing by the former monastery mill from 1708, you reach a Wayside Shrine from 1701 depicting a Pietà.

Next, turn right towards the village center to Hansaplatz. Don't miss the chance to explore the historical core of the village. Short walks lead to Gehrden Castle, which was a Benedictine convent until the secularization in 1810. Today, it houses a hotel. A gem of high rank is the former St. Peter and Paul monastery church, now the parish church of Gehrden, built in the 12th century. Romanesque architecture and baroque decoration form a unique synthesis. It not only houses a wealth of art treasures but also a historically unique bell system consisting of nine bells. Within the former monastery precinct is the Apostellinde, believed to be the third-oldest lime tree in Germany. Experts disagree on its exact age.
Before returning to Hansaplatz, make sure to see the former town hall and other notable half-timbered buildings. Pass by the civic hall and from Hansaplatz, continue your hike towards Ösebrücke, adorned with a statue of St. John of Nepomuk. Turning left into "Am Ring" street, you must now ascend the steadily rising "Rosenberg," perhaps known to many for the annual Good Friday procession. Stone images of the stations, donated by Gehrden families after World War I in memory of the fallen sons, accompany you to the destination, a stone high cross on the hill. Here stands the St. Catherine's Chapel from 1668 and a double-sided baroque Wayside Shrine with a representation of the legend of St. Catherine.

From this vantage point, hikers can enjoy the surrounding views. Rewarding panoramic views in all directions: to the west, the Egge mountains, the villages of Altenheerse and Drinenberg; to the east, a partial view of Siddessen and a magnificent vista to the east, including the radar station at Auenhausen.

Continue your hike on the left side of the high cross through a pasture area owned by the municipality of Gehrden. Here, you encounter another section of the fruit tree educational trail. At the end of the pasture, follow the path to the left along the asphalted road, descending sharply to the path through the beautiful Tiefental towards Siddessen.

Before continuing your hike, take the time to explore the sights of Siddessen. The oldest architectural monument, the baroque portal of the former chapel from 1668, stands at the southeastern entrance to the church square, adorned with the coat of arms of Bishop Ferdinand von Fürstenberg. The present church, a neo-Gothic structure from the early 20th century, along with some notable houses and farms with inscriptions, the Waterhof, and two baroque Wayside Shrines depicting St. Anthony and St. Apollonia are among the village's attractions. A few meters east of the church, you reach the beginning of the "Klinkenhahn," a path running along the mountainside initially parallel to the Öse. After a few hundred meters, the Öse flows into the Nethe in the valley, now flowing on your right side below the path. This section of the trail has recently been developed as a cycle path, crossing the Nethe via a new bridge and running parallel to the B 252 towards Rheder.

Stay on the slightly elevated forest path, leading you back through the Sieseberg nature reserve parallel to the Nethe until you reach the flood weir, diverting a portion of the Nethe water for the previously described mill ditch. Walk up a narrow footpath to the footbridge over the mill ditch and cross the weir bridge to inspect the "fish ladder" erected in 2000, specifically the "meander pass." From here, you can observe the entire Nethetal running north-south. The "Spiegelbreite" on the other side of the Nethetal is also clearly visible from here.

Follow the "Philosopher's Path," the official name of the embankment between the Nethe and the mill ditch, back to Rheder. In terms of fauna, it's worth mentioning that both the white-throated dipper and the kingfisher are regular inhabitants of this area. You will pass by artificially created ponds belonging to the Biological Wastewater Treatment Plant of the von Mengersen'sche Steam Brewery. With a constant supply of oxygen through a movable hose system into the slightly polluted water, the sewage water clarifies naturally from pond to pond.

After a few more steps, you will see the confluence of the Sieksbach into the Nethe. It has carved its way from the Hampenhausener sources through the scenic and remote Rheder Siek valley, called "Himmelreich."

Following the Parkweg or the initially mentioned alternative route via the "Katharinabrücke," which you encountered at the beginning of your circular hike, you will return to the village and your starting point at the church.

Alternative routes or shortcuts are not maintained by the city of Brakel.