Hiking Tour "Discovering Home on the Hohe Mark Steig

You can travel to Haltern am See comfortably by car or by train. The train station is served by numerous trains from the Ruhr region.

A good starting point for exploring the town is Haltern am See's market square. In fine weather, visitors and locals meet here in the town's cafés, beer gardens and restaurants. Haltern am See looks back on a long and eventful history. The LWL Roman Museum, which is also within easy walking distance of the town centre, provides a fascinating insight.

Those who would like to explore the reservoir already have the opportunity to get to know the town from the water on a round trip with the excursion boat. In any case, there will be no chance of boredom on the day of arrival.

From the historic town hall and the market square it is only a few steps to the shore of the reservoir. Take some time and enjoy the lively activity on and around the lake. Especially when the weather is nice, countless sailors, surfers and rowers populate the vast expanse of water. Your first stage takes you along the water loop on the north shore of the Haltern reservoir to the Stever and on to the south shore of the Hullerner reservoir. Again and again, wonderful views open up over the deep blue lakes, which are home to numerous bird species. Today you will walk along the Kökelsumer Heide and small wooded areas to the pleasant small town of Olfen at the junction of the Stever and Dortmund-Ems Canal.

The second day of your hiking tour takes you along the canals between Münsterland and the Ruhr area from Olfen to the small town of Oer-Erkenschwick. Very close to the Steverauen, which are well worth seeing, is the "Alte Fahrt". This disused section of the Dortmund-Ems Canal is characterised by its three canal bridges over the Stever, Lippe and Oststraße rivers. You reach the canal crossing in Datteln on level paths. Four canals meet here, making Datteln the largest canal junction in the world. Even though it is mostly tranquil, ships can almost always be seen sailing through the canal network. The hiking trail follows the Wesel-Datteln Canal to the old aristocratic residence "Haus Vogelsang".

The woodlands of the Haard accompany you on the last section towards Oer-Erkenschwick. Through the picturesque Gernebach valley you reach the "Teufelssteine" (Devil's Stones) and finally the Stimmbergpark as the end point of the stage.

The last day of your hike leads you through the quiet forests of the Haard. On your way, you will pass the Rennberg fire lookout tower and the Dachsberg charcoal kiln site. A charcoal pile is erected here at the end of April and coal is produced until the end of May. The landscape is extremely varied over the next few kilometres to Haltern-Flaesheim. Dark fir trees alternate with mixed forest, meadows and fields. Almost within sight of the Haltern reservoir, you reach another scenic highlight with the Westruper Heide. The sandy paths lead through a dreamlike heath area. Open heath areas, impressive trees and picturesque juniper bushes form an incomparable natural area. Walk along the southern shore of the reservoir back to Haltern am See.