Cherry cycle route

Enjoy the lovely low mountain landscape with its numerous cherry trees, take a little break now and then or make a photo stop at the most beautiful spots – that's how you spend almost three hours on the Cherry Cycle Route. But if you really want to know, you should plan the whole day.

Because the cycle route leads to two exciting paths, each of which wants to be explored on foot. The first one is of course about cherries, about the unexpected variety of varieties and about the special role that the popular stone fruit plays here in the Teutoburg Forest. For centuries, most farms in Hagen have had sweet cherry trees, because the fruits could be sold well at the surrounding markets – for example in Osnabrück and Münster. In order for new cherries to ripen gradually for as long as possible, different varieties were planted. In gardens and on farms, more than 40 varieties are preserved, and around 300 varieties are kept and cared for in the plantation of the gene bank collection. This variety makes the Cherry Trail experienceable: during public or individual group tours during the flowering season from mid-April and during the ripening season from late June. For a taste comparison even outside the harvest season, there are single-variety jams – in small quantities, but enough for a taste test.

The second experience trail is the Geological Trail in Hüggel. In the wooded ridge, ores were mined in the past, so that ancient rock layers are now exposed in many places. In other words: 25 excursion points provide deep insights into the history of the earth. The small circular path is three kilometers long and easy to manage, the large one requires good surefootedness on eight kilometers with steep ascents.

Two other themes characterize the region around Hagen. Firstly, horses, which are almost omnipresent here. The center of this enthusiasm is Hof Kasselmann. Here, horse-related events take place several times a year – from auctions to tournaments. The highlight known nationwide is the equestrian and music festival Horses & Dreams, held every spring.

Secondly, Hagen is a center of pottery. This is shown in the exciting exhibition in the historical rectory of St. Martinus Church. The extensive collection of the pottery museum contains both archaeological finds and contemporary ceramic art. If you are looking for a typical souvenir from Hagen, you will find it at Niehenke Pottery. The Hüggel Dwarfs are unique here: mythical figures fired in clay that helped in the ore mines of Hüggel.