Breckerfeld brings together two distinct themes: the Ennepe Loop, a cycling route with specific distance and elevation figures, and medieval traces in the historic town center. A historic section of the Way of St. James also passes through the town center. When planning your stay, you can focus separately on cycling and local history.

Cycling the Ennepe Loop

The Ennepe Loop is a 45 km cycling route connecting Breckerfeld, Ennepetal, Gevelsberg and Hagen-Haspe. The route climbs approximately 300 meters in elevation. Distance and elevation gain complement each other as two measures for planning your ride: the kilometer figure shows the length of the loop, while the elevation gain provides additional guidance on the route profile. Check the current condition of the trails before setting out.

Medieval traces in the town center

Remains of the medieval town fortifications can be found in Breckerfeld’s historic town center. These include a double ring wall and a defensive moat. These architectural remnants make the fortifications tangible in the townscape and provide a concrete reference point for the town’s history.

A 41.1 km historic section of the Way of St. James to Santiago de Compostela also passes through the town center. Its route runs from Hagen via Breckerfeld to Lennep. As early as the Middle Ages, the route was one of the secondary paths to Santiago. The distances given for the Ennepe Loop and the Way of St. James are similar, but refer to different routes: a cycling route in the first case, and a historic section of the Way of St. James in the second.

More to explore in the wider Ennepe-Ruhr District destination

In the wider Ennepe-Ruhr District destination, the Glörtalsperre reservoir offers its own nature-focused experience. You can hike and jog there; during the warm summer months, you can also swim in the clean, natural water. Swimming is therefore a seasonal activity, while hiking and jogging are other things to do at the reservoir.

Another nature attraction is the Kluterthöhle cave in Ennepetal. It has been designated a National Natural Monument and a National Geotope; fossils are exceptionally well preserved on its walls. Guided tours are offered several times a day, and on some days there are also physically challenging adventure tours. A fossil workshop and cave visit are available for children’s groups. These activities are intended for children’s groups; the guided tours are a different format.

You can explore industrial history in Hattingen, in the wider Ennepe-Ruhr District destination. At the LWL Industrial Museum Henrichshütte, visitors can follow the flow of materials—from ore, coke and lime to molten pig iron—along the “Path of Iron.” A glass elevator takes you to the 55-meter-high “Giant.” From there, you can look out over the region’s past and present. Alongside Breckerfeld’s historic routes and town center, the wider destination therefore offers other nature and cultural attractions to explore.

Discover more destinations: Witten, Wetter, Herdecke, Gevelsberg, Sprockhövel, Ennepetal, Hattingen, Schwelm

Back to the overview of the wider destination: Ennepe-Ruhr District.