| Hermannsweg | |
| Photo Alt: | Hermannsweg signage in Heimat-Tierpark Bielefeld |
| Length Km: | 156 |
| Location: | Teutoburg Forest, Germany |
| Use: | hiking |
| Highest M: | 441 |
| Lowest M: | 100 |
| Waymark: | white "H" on black square |
The Hermannsweg is a long hiking trail which follows the ridge of the Teutoburg Forest, running from Rheine to Velmerstot in Germany. It is marked by signposts showing a white H on a black background. The Hermannsweg has been named for Arminius (German name: Hermann), a Cherusci chief who defeated the Romans in the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest in 9 AD.[1] Together with the long Eggeweg, this long-distance hiking trail forms the Hermannshöhen. It is maintained by the Teutoburger-Wald-Verein e.V. located in Bielefeld.
As shown by findings of flint tools, parts of the way on the ridge of the Teutoburg Forest have been used by hunter-gatherers and traders since the Mesolithic period. In the Middle Ages, the Hermannsweg connected the surrounding areas to travelling and trading routes of interregional importance like the Westphalian Hellweg and the Frankfurter Weg. The hiking trail has officially been established in 1902, 25 years after the construction of the Hermannsdenkmal near Detmold, which commemorates the Cheruscan victory over the Romans in 9 AD.[2]
The Hermannsweg starts at a low altitude of less than in Rheine, in the North-West of North Rhine-Westphalia, and runs to the South-East through the towns of Ibbenbüren, Tecklenburg, Bad Iburg, Borgholzhausen, Halle (Westfalen), straight through the city of Bielefeld, and the towns of Lage, Detmold before it ends at an altitude of in Velmerstot by Horn-Bad Meinberg. The trail leads mostly through forest, but along the way there are also many sights and landmarks of cultural, historical or geological importance like the Naturzoo Rheine, the Water Castle Surenburg, the high sandstone formations Dörenther Klippen, the former limestone quarry Lengericher Canyon, the Baumwipfelpad Bad Iburg, the Castle Bad Iburg, the Lookout Luisenturm in Borgholzhausen, the Castle Ravensberg, the Sparrenberg Castle in Bielefeld, Detmold Castle, Adlerwarte Berlebeck, the bird-park Heiligenkirchen, and a variety of museums.[3]