Sauerland-Höhenflug winter hike: forest adventure trails around Neuenrade

From the hiking parking lot, the asphalt path leads for 1.5 km across open fields past individual farms southwest to Hexentanzplatz. This path is marked with the A3 and A4 signs. At Hexentanzplatz, the path meets the Sauerland-Höhenflug. We keep left and follow the Sauerland-Höhenflug and the Eichhörnchenweg forest adventure trail on forestry paths. The trail is deliberately called the "Forest Adventure Trail": here, hikers experience the forest with all their senses. There is plenty to marvel at, experience and try out. First, we pass a small pond - a paradise for plants and animals. An information board explains the pond over the course of the year and shows us which animals like to settle here. We then pass a small insect hotel.We continue straight ahead and stay on the Eichhörnchenweg (unlike the Eichhörnchenweg, the Sauerland-Höhenflug circles the Falkenlei - please follow the Eichhörnchenweg here). The path climbs up to the Falkenlei. There we can take a break at the refuge. As in some places before, there are information boards here. What wild animals are there in the forest? What tracks do forest animals leave in the snow? What mushrooms are there? How well do we know the local woods?The route continues to the watershed between the Lenne and Ruhr rivers, where the "Black Cross" has stood since time immemorial. Whether it was here - as tradition has it - that a hunter was shot by a poacher in ancient times or whether an unfortunate young man took his own life here, nobody knows today. Very close to the Black Cross, we have recently been able to admire a charcoal pile. The charcoal pile was not built here by chance, but because there used to be a charcoal pile site here. The forest adventure trail provides information that is linked to the real objects or the respective locations.We now leave the Eichhörnchenweg and turn right onto the Igelweg forest adventure trail. This leads us to a children's high seat. Climbing up here is encouraged. Like the hunters, children can observe the landscape and, with a bit of luck, the game from the high seat. A little further on, there is a listening tube to try out and a little further still, we can compose our own melodies at a tree dendrophone.Now we can take the opportunity to take a well-earned rest at the "Zur Borke" restaurant (please note opening times!). To do this, we have to cross the L 842 country road. For the way back, we first take the same path for a few meters and then follow the Igelweg to the right. After 1 km, we take a sharp right onto the Küntrop circular hiking trail, which is marked with a K. After a further km, we reach a small holy house on the L 842 country road. We turn left and must now take care, as we have to walk along this country road for approx. 100 m before we reach the Wirschaftsweg on the left, which leads us past the Thanshof farm. We continue via Severinshof to Freientroper Weg and finally to Schlader Weg. There we hike uphill until we reach the hiking parking lot again. If you have worked up an appetite while hiking, you can also reach the Mythos Grill via Kirchstraße and Garbeck Straße instead of taking the Schlader Weg and have a snack there before returning to the hiking parking lot.These are not cleared or pushed winter hiking trails. However, due to the wide paths and the forest adventure stations, this hike is recommended in light to moderate snow conditions.