Lennestadt and Kirchhundem
Every square meter of soil in the Sauerland has been worked and shaped by people at some point. Some are more noticeable than others. Tal-Vital - the spa park in Saalhausen in Lennestadt - has been completely redesigned in the typical Sauerland style using local materials - creatively and carefully as part of nature. Saalhausen is picturesquely situated in the Lennetal valley. It is surrounded by forest, especially to the south in Kirchhundem, the most densely wooded municipality in Westfalen. These extraordinary places are as unspoiled as the Schwarzbachtal or the Oberhundemer Klippen, mainly because some areas were renaturalized years ago as part of near-natural forestry.
Lennestadt and Kirchhundem - forest - nature - park shaped landscape
Sweeping silhouettes covered with forest as far as the horizon - spruce, beech, fir, larch, birch, maple - interspersed with broom, foxglove and herbs. What a distant view! Aren't we in a primeval forest?
"No, it's all been shaped by man. In the past, the valleys were full of swamps and the Buchenwald forests on the slopes were so full of undergrowth that no one would have been able to get through," says ranger Ralf Schmidt, not at all out of breath. Of course, I only stopped to take a photo and the hefty movement in my chest is of course only due to my enthusiasm for the view. We are standing at the top end of a narrow serpentine path that has taken us through a cathedral of old trees from the Krenkelbach valley near Kirchhundem-Heinsberg up to the Rothaarsteig. The view from the ridge fully compensates for the almost alpine ascent.
Now it's back down the other side of the Rothaar ridge into the Schwarzbachtal, one of the 42 Sauerland-Seelenorte. On the bridge over the stream, Ralf enthuses: "This is my favorite place. I always feel like I'm completely at peace here. I can follow my thoughts. The surroundings are beautiful, the colors are lovely and, above all, it's perfectly quiet here. You can really only hear what the forest is saying and nothing else. When the mist rises from the wet meadows in the first morning sun - when the butterflies sunbathe on the stones by the stream at midday - when the crickets chirp in the tall grass in the evening ..." No road, no village far and wide disturbs the idyll. The Schwarzbachtal was extensively renaturalized years ago. Here you get an idea of the original natural landscape that once characterized the Sauerland.
As we climb up to the Rhein-Weser-Turm, Ralf tells me about his job as one of ten rangers at the forestry and timber company in Südwestfalen. He and his colleagues are out and about in the forest every day, looking after the hiking trails and, above all, the hikers. He leads groups, repairs benches, checks the signposts and "keeps an eye on everything". Above all, however, he takes the time to chat with anyone he meets along the way who is interested in learning something about nature.
As we look down on Lennestadt-Saalhausen from the Roßnacken, we talk about animals. "Foxes and hares, wild boar, deer and stags - yes, and now bison too - they all live freely in our forests. Unfortunately, I can only rarely show nature lovers such large animals. They hide themselves quite well. But if you open your eyes, you will definitely see fascinating animals - very small ones. To be honest, I'm particularly fascinated by the insects - the variety of shapes and colors," says Ralf enthusiastically, pointing to a thistle. I only see green. Then something moves. A cricket is sitting on the thistle in the light of the sunset. Even the ranger quickly takes a photo.
Forestry in Südwestfalen should be close to nature: "Mixed forests with trees of different ages in one area, healthy undergrowth, biodiversity. In such forests, many things take care of themselves. The silviculturist who wants to harvest timber at some point has to intervene less. This is better for nature, because many species find space in the forests again. It's better for hikers, because they have the impression of almost walking through a primeval forest again. And it's better for the forest farmer because he has to spend less money on labor when nature itself ensures that storms and pests can do less damage to the forest. If a tree is felled in such a forest and dragged to the forest road by horse, this is good luck for nature, as light now reaches the forest floor and gives the small tree shoots a chance to grow up. It's impressive to see how the race to the light begins over the next few months."
After a hike like this, you have to stop for a bite to eat. In many Sauerland villages there is still at least one rustic inn - in Saalhausen there are several. At the table next to us, a huge, prepared fish is being passed around. It's the anglers' regulars' table and we immediately strike up a conversation. "This comes from the Lenne," says Raimund Schmidt proudly, pointing to the giant fish, "We've leased a stretch of the Lenne and spend some of our free time there - when we're not working in the Tal-Vital park." The Saalhausen spa park was redesigned under the title Tal-Vital. The designers have succeeded in creating a park that fits perfectly into the Sauerland: creative, down-to-earth, with local materials, integrated into nature, rooted and modern. The Anglerstammtisch has taken over the sponsorship of the waters in the park, the ponds and the Lenne, which flows through the vital valley in its renaturalized bed.
A short time later, I'm wearing Raimund Schmidt's waders, standing in the Lenne up to my chest and taking photos of the men at work. The owner of the waders lists off from the bank: "We clear away fallen trees, fish out algae and collect garbage. We clear away everything that doesn't look so nice." It takes a lot of time and when I ask why they put in so much effort on a voluntary basis, he looks quite surprised: "We live here and we make sure that everything in our surroundings is as beautiful as possible. The whole club life in Saalhausen is such that everyone takes on tasks. That's how village life works. After all, we want to live in a beautiful village." Typical Sauerland - the villages are the way they are because the people want them that way. And visitors notice this too: villages like Saalhausen are not a picturesque backdrop, but an authentic, living piece of Sauerland.