Rehsiepen is defined as a place to stay by two main themes: the Old Forester’s House, with its history as a forester’s homestead, and the species-rich landscape in the Kulturlandschaftskomplex Rehsiepen nature reserve. A Ranger Tour links old beech stands, springs and traces of charcoal burning with the historic forester’s house. This gives you two distinct themes to consider when planning your visit: a specific tour and the area’s unique wetland and spring habitats.
The Old Forester’s House as a historic ensemble
The Old Forester’s House in Rehsiepen is a protected historic site. It was a combined residence and farmstead for foresters and served as a district forester’s official residence for 85 years. It survived two wars without being destroyed. Both facts make the site an insight into the history of forestry: it represents the residential and economic functions of a forester’s homestead, as well as having endured two wars.
The protected complex includes a cottage garden, trees, pastures and adjoining wet meadows. A foundation maintains these grounds. The buildings and their surrounding outdoor areas together form the historic ensemble. At the same time, the wet meadows are thematically connected to Rehsiepen’s spring and wetland habitats, allowing the history of forestry and the landscape to be explored as distinct themes of the area.
Wet meadows, springs and spring marsh
At the head of the valley in the Kulturlandschaftskomplex Rehsiepen nature reserve is a diverse, species-rich habitat complex. It includes wet and moist grassland, nutrient-poor grassland, spring-fed streams and small bodies of water. South of the Old Forester’s House, the nature reserve also contains a spring-fed marsh with orchids and cotton grass. If you are interested in nature, it is helpful to distinguish between the two: the habitat complex includes several types of habitat at the head of the valley; the spring marsh refers to a specific place south of the forester’s house and its characteristic plants.
Ranger Tour to the Forester’s House
The Ranger Tour around the “Old Forester’s House” in Rehsiepen starts at a car park. It passes through old beech stands, by numerous springs and traces of charcoal burning, and ends at the old forester’s house, built in 1884. The route brings together forest, water and historic woodland use with the forester’s house. It is about 7 km long, takes approximately 3 hours and is of moderate difficulty. When planning your day, you can allow for the approximate duration as a separate block of time for the tour; the “moderate” rating is a separate point of reference alongside distance and time.
A Ranger Tour is listed for 10 November 2026. Check the date and whether the tour is going ahead before you travel.
Getting to the A7 circular trail
The circular trail from the Großes Bildchen hiking car park in Rehsiepen (A7) can be reached by bus route 462, getting off at the “Rehsiepen” stop. Check the bus connection before travelling, as local transport details can change.
Forest-related activities in the wider destination of Schmallenberg
In the wider destination of Schmallenberg, activities in Schmallenberg-Latrop complement the forest-related themes. The Forestry Workers’ Museum there displays historic tools, pictures of village and forest life in the past, forester’s office records and information about the development of the chainsaw. Also in Schmallenberg-Latrop, the Forestry Workers’ and Foresters’ Trail runs for 4.5 kilometres and has 17 stations, covering topics such as forest ecology and timber use. The Ranger Tour to the historic forester’s house in Rehsiepen, the museum’s exhibits and the trail’s stations thus offer different points of interest in the wider destination of Schmallenberg.
Discover more destinations: Obringhausen, Schanze, Dorlar, Nordenau, Oberhenneborn, Altenilpe, Gellinghausen, Kirchilpe.
Back to the wider travel overview: Schmallenberg.
