Swedensteig - Heidenstraße (W1)

The entry and endpoint are located at St. Blasius Church - the trail is labeled W1. The circular hiking trail has a total length of 15.5 kilometers, but can be shortened to 6, 9 (Rehhecke: towards Schützenkreuz and back via Heidenstraße) or 12.5 (Knick) kilometers. As the name suggests, the hiking trail leads over the old Heidenstraße (this centuries-old historical military, trade, and pilgrimage route between Leipzig and Cologne, crossing the Electorate of Cologne's Sauerland in the Upper Sauerland and in the Olpe district), past the Schwedenschanzen (old border wall system) to the Schwedenhütte in the winter sports village of Altastenberg in Winterberg. You will pass through the Rehhecke nature reserve with juniper heath and hornbeam trees and will have scenic views of the Bundesgolddorf Westfeld, the Hohen Knochen, and the Kahlen Asten from the Wesenberg.