Oerlinghausen combines extensive hiking trails with short local loops and cultural attractions. When planning your visit, you can consider whether you want to spend most of your time exploring the countryside, discovering history and culture, or combining both.
Hiking between the Senne, Tweten and long-distance trails
Oerlinghausen has 120 kilometers of signposted hiking trails through deciduous and mixed forests, as well as the heathland of the Senne. The Hermannsweg passes through the town and offers opportunities for longer hikes towards Detmold or Bielefeld. If you prefer a loop with a specified distance, there is a 2.15-kilometer circular trail along the Tweten. In total, 26 Tweten lanes are marked with blue signs and can be explored on foot. This gives you a specific circular hike alongside a broader theme for exploring the town.
The Kumsttonne also makes a starting point for walks and longer hikes. On a clear day, you can see far into the distance from there. The route and the view complement each other, but answer different planning questions: the Kumsttonne can serve as a starting point, while the signposted trails and the Hermannsweg offer different options for longer routes. Check trail conditions before setting out.
Several hiking trails in the Wistinghauser Senne pass the paddocks and pastures where ponies and Highland cattle graze. There, you can watch Scottish Highland cattle and Exmoor ponies grazing. Access may vary by season, and animal husbandry conditions may also change over time. If you plan to visit this section, take the seasonal restriction into account.
Discover local history and culture
The Kumsttonne is the surviving stump of a windmill dating from 1753. You can combine its history with a stop at the viewpoint and the start of a hike, without this implying a particular route length. The Alexanderkirche also offers a glimpse into the past: it probably dates back to the ninth century and preserves elements of a Romanesque basilica. Choral and orchestral concerts are held there regularly. Concert dates may change, so it is worth checking the current schedule.
The Oerlinghausen Climate Experience World offers a different focus. Multimedia exhibitions, simulations and interactive stations explain climate change, weather and nature. The exhibition may change over time. It therefore complements the hiking opportunities with a subject that is not focused solely on trails and landscapes.
The Oerlinghausen Air Sports Centre offers sightseeing flights in gliders, motor gliders and powered aircraft. Whether a flight can take place depends on the weather and the operator’s conditions. This option therefore requires different planning from a hike on signposted trails; check the conditions in advance.
Oerlinghausen as a starting point
Oerlinghausen is also a starting point for trips around East Westphalia-Lippe, including visits to the Hermannsdenkmal, the Externsteine and Sparrenburg Castle. The wider Lippe destination has a hiking trail network of around 2,000 kilometers. This includes a section of European long-distance path E1, as well as the award-winning Hermannshöhen and Hansaweg trails. This regional perspective extends beyond the trails in Oerlinghausen; regional routes should not be confused with the local Tweten lanes or the trails in the Wistinghauser Senne.
Plan your trip and stay
If you are travelling by car, the A2 and A33 motorways are close to Oerlinghausen; both are only a few kilometers from the town. Regional trains run hourly from Bielefeld to Oerlinghausen station. The station is in Leopoldshöhe-Asemissen, with a connecting bus service to Oerlinghausen. Timetables may change, so check current connections before travelling.
The options described vary in the time they require and the conditions involved: a 2.15-kilometer loop has a clearly stated length, while the Hermannsweg offers longer hikes towards Detmold or Bielefeld. Access to trails through the Wistinghauser Senne also varies by season, while sightseeing flights depend on the weather and the operator’s conditions. When choosing a hotel in Oerlinghausen, you can use your planned activities and travel arrangements as a starting point, without assuming any particular accommodation or amenities.
Discover more destinations: Leopoldshöhe, Lemgo, Hörstmar, Lage, Dörentrup, Lügde, Blomberg, Horn-Bad Meinberg
Return to the main travel overview: Lippe.
