Valme can be explored via trails by the stream and through the surrounding hills. The hiking routes vary in length, walking time and elevation gain: from the approximately eight-kilometre Valme circular hike to the Bestwig Panorama Trail. The Maria Hilf der Christen Chapel in Obervalme and the Plästerlegge in the wider Bestwig destination also provide specific points of interest for your stay.
Hiking trails between stream and hills
The Valmetal-Hunau Tour starts at a small wooden bridge over the Valme and follows the stream towards Untervalme. It leads up to Hunau, the highest point at over 800 metres. The Valme Circular Trail (VA2) offers another way to explore the water: it runs along the stream in the Valme Valley, through varied mixed forests, and is well signposted.
The VA2 is listed as 8.11 kilometres long, with a walking time of 2 hours and 21 minutes and 255 metres of elevation gain and loss. For comparison, consider the “Around Faulenberg” circular route (VA5): it is 7.87 kilometres long and takes 2 hours and 7 minutes, with 151 metres of elevation gain and 147 metres of elevation loss. The VA5 is therefore shorter and has less elevation gain, while the VA2 also follows the stream.
The VA5 follows a different route, too: it crosses a ridge to Obervalme, then loops back through the valley to the Valmetal hiking car park. Check the latest route information before setting out, as route details may change.
The Bestwig Panorama Trail and the chapel
The Bestwig Panorama Trail (B) is a circular long-distance hiking trail of approximately 56 kilometres, with 1,733 metres of elevation gain and 1,732 metres of elevation loss. Since 2011, it has regularly been awarded the “Quality Trail Hikable Germany” distinction by the German Hiking Association. Its route passes through Untervalme, by the Maria Hilf der Christen Chapel, then on to Valme and through Faulenberg, the Brabecke Valley and the Twillmecke Valley to Bastenberg above Ramsbeck.
The Maria Hilf der Christen Chapel in Obervalme was built between 1899 and 1900. It lies along the long-distance trail and serves as a historical point of reference in the route description. Those looking at the Panorama Trail will find here, alongside its elevation gain and long route, a clearly identified section through Untervalme and Valme. The trail’s award and its specific route data provide different kinds of orientation: one helps put the route into context, while the other indicates the extent of the hike.
The Plästerlegge in the Bestwig destination
In the area around Valme, the 15.83-kilometre “Hike to the Waterfall” circular route leads to the Plästerlegge in Bestwig-Wasserfall. It is a circular route, and the waterfall is considered the highest natural waterfall in North Rhine-Westphalia. The hike thus complements the trails by the stream with a destination of its own in the wider Bestwig destination.
In Bestwig, the water of the Plästerlegge falls almost vertically for about 20 metres over a rocky outcrop and then continues for around 500 metres as a torrent. From the car park in the centre of the village on Aurorastraße, the waterfall can be reached on foot in about 20 minutes. Conditions on the trail may vary. The longer circular route and this access point offer different landmarks to help with planning.
By the Valme stream
Valme offers opportunities for peace, relaxation and enjoying the landscape. The family-run Camping Valmetal campsite is in a quiet, natural and idyllic setting by the Valme stream in the heart of the Hochsauerland. Its waterside location reflects the landscape that also characterises the trails described here.
Camping Valmetal is a specific option when choosing accommodation; the hiking routes, meanwhile, offer a range of distances and elevation profiles. This lets you consider your preferred type of accommodation separately from your daily itinerary and choose between a loop of just over eight kilometres, trails by the stream and the considerably longer Panorama Trail.
Discover more destinations: Berlar, Wasserfall, Andreasberg.
For the wider travel overview: Bestwig.
