Blueberry route – pure nature in the Teutoburg Forest

Very nice route. But the two climbs from the Extern stones were quite exhausting. Not just for the kids.

Because my girlfriend @Sabine and I are both on holiday this week, we treated ourselves to a day trip to the Teutoburg Forest. Neither of us had ever been to the Externsteine before and it was very impressive to climb up there😊. We then hiked the blueberry route - a beautiful and varied tour that lives up to its name 🫐🫐🫐. Blueberry bushes lined the edges of the path in abundance. What must it be like there when the berries are ripe?😋 In the middle of it all, there were always picnic areas with beautiful views. And even the weather was kind to us most of the time🌞. A very relaxed and beautiful day. Thank you, dear @Sabine 😘.

Now the second part of the day tour, the circular route to the Externsteinen. Many wooded sections of the path made the sun bearable, the highlight for me, in addition to the truly imposing rocks, was the almost infinite area of the blueberries that gave the route its name: beautiful, never seen before!

I've wanted to go to the Externsteine for a long time. But since it is a corner away from where I live, I rented an old, lovingly renovated water mill for the night. The Externsteine are impressive, but I was more impressed by the beauties along the way, above all that some fire salamanders are at home there. Which were much more to discover in the rainy weather. The official car park costs 4 euros. If you drive straight ahead on the left hand side of the driveway, the next left up the street is a free parking lot. Climbing the Externsteine also costs 4 euros. In the evening after the ticket office closes (after 5.30 p.m.) you can climb the rear stone free of charge, as it is freely accessible. There is also a combination ticket to the Hermannsdenkmal, which costs 4 euros individually and 6 euros in combination.

The Externsteine are a striking sandstone rock formation in the Teutoburg Forest. They are a natural and cultural monument with carved-in grottos and a rock tomb. Two rocks can be climbed for a fee to enjoy the view. Today, our visit took us to the Externsteine and hiked the Blueberry Route. The Blueberry Route is a 6-kilometer-long, certified quality trail in the Teutoburg Forest. It leads through blueberry heathland, heathlands, and mixed forests. A very beautiful, highly recommended trail; we've hiked it twice this year.

What wonderful weather it is today! We're going to the Teutenburg Forest and visiting the Externsteine. Jeroen and Corrie climb the steps, and Leo and I admire the whole thing from below.

PPP. That was a disaster on Sunday. We wanted to hike around the Hermann and take a look at the jersey. When we got stuck in traffic in Detmold, we figured several other people were planning to do it! After a half-hour struggle to find a parking space, my better half said, get out, take your stupid photo, and let's get out of here. We still had to pay the €4 parking fee. The Externsteine were supposed to serve as a replacement, but unfortunately, they were also crowded. We learned from this: Avoid tourist hotspots on the weekend!!!

https://www.wanderbares-deutschland.de/wege/alle-wege/blaubeerroute-e324ccd7b9 (incl. GPS file) Own rating: 7 / 7⭐ Start / finish: started from the accommodation; otherwise there are free parking spaces here: hiking car park Externsteine / Bärenstein (51°52'19.6"N 8°54'14.1"E) Tour Highlights: - External Stones 🪨 - Blueberry and broom heather areas 🫐 - 100% pure nature - beautiful views - almost no traffic noise Briefly summarized: - as soon as the sun comes out, people come crawling out of their caves 😅 But there was still relatively little going on - well signposted - There were always seating options 🪑 - Path condition: mostly forest soil (+ root paths), pure mud paths, some gravel / gravel and only a few meters of asphalt Mega tour and absolutely recommendable! 🤩 It may not be that long, but it has it all: exciting and adventurous paths, some beautiful views and pure nature. I was already on the Externsteine yesterday (alone, in bad weather), which is why I skipped it today and didn't squeeze myself up like an anchovy and stand next to it. 🤭