Ahden lies in the Alme Valley. Two very different hiking options are particularly useful when planning a trip: an easy 3.2-kilometre circular walk and a 27-kilometre route that extends beyond Ahden to Wewelsburg and Brenken. This lets you choose between a short circular walk and a considerably longer hike. Other highlights include the parish church of St. Anthony the Hermit, the Klus Chapel and a rooftop terrace at the Quax Hangar at the Paderborn-Lippstadt Airport site in Büren-Ahden.
Hiking in Ahden: a circular walk or a long route
The A3 hiking trail, “Heinbergweg,” is an easy 3.2-kilometre circular walk. It starts and ends at the Klus Chapel in Ahden. Its length, easy rating and circular route give you clear points of reference when choosing a hike. There is also a car park and a hiking information board at the chapel.
The 27-kilometre hiking route via the Ahdener Talweg to Wewelsburg is a different proposition. On the return leg, it follows the Alme and takes the Kaiserroute through Ahden to Brenken. Compared with the Heinbergweg, its main differences are its length and the route it follows. The two options should therefore not be seen as variations of the same short loop: one is a circular walk that returns to its starting point, while the longer route passes through several named places along the way.
Church and views at the airport
The parish church of St. Anthony the Hermit in Ahden was built in 1911 and 1912. It offers another cultural point of interest alongside the trails and the Klus Chapel. This makes it possible to combine a visit to a local landmark with different hiking routes, without needing to plan them in any particular order.
At the Paderborn-Lippstadt Airport site in Büren-Ahden, the Quax Hangar has a rooftop terrace with panoramic views of the runway, taxiways and apron. The view takes in several areas of the airport grounds. The parish church and the rooftop terrace appeal to different interests: one focuses on a local building, while the other offers a panorama of airport operations.
Culture in the wider destination of Büren
The wider destination of Büren offers more cultural attractions. The Jesuit Church of “Maria Immaculata” stands in the centre of Büren. Built between 1754 and 1773 to designs by Franz Heinrich Roth, it is in the late Baroque style and is considered one of the most magnificent Baroque works in North Rhine-Westphalia. Its construction period and style give it a distinct historical character, different from that of the parish church in Ahden.
The Mittel and Bohr mills are located in the Alme river meadows, by the old town wall and the millrace, and within sight of the Jesuit Church. Regular public tours lasting about 60 minutes take place there during the summer months. They explain the history of the mills and demonstrate how an old stone mill worked. These tours do not take place in months when special events are held, so check the dates before your visit. The mills are also described as an “interactive museum” for visitors of all ages.
The Bernhard Wolff School Museum of the City of Büren presents school life during the German Empire through furniture, pictures, documents and posters. Its main exhibit is a classroom from around the turn of the century. Visitors can write on slates with a slate pencil. The St. Sebastian Brotherhood of Büren Shooting Museum is located in the Eulenturm tower on the eastern wall of the town fortifications. Across two floors, it displays old documents, everyday objects, uniforms and flags. The two museums focus on different subjects: one on school and learning, the other on historical objects and the shooting brotherhood.
Wewelsburg also brings together architectural history and a museum. Built between 1603 and 1609 in the Weser Renaissance style, it is a triangular castle. The museum in the castle explores the history of the former Prince-Bishopric of Paderborn: across 29 rooms, it traces the history of the Paderborn region from its earliest settlement through to secularisation in 1802. This makes it easy to choose between hiking trails in Ahden and the cultural and historical attractions in the wider destination of Büren according to your interests.
For the wider travel overview: Büren.
