Plettenberg: Castles and palaces - Tour

The following castles, castle ruins and palaces are easily accessible on the tour: Burg Schnellenberg, Schloss Ahausen, Schloss "Haus Bamenohl", Schloss Lenhausen and Burgruine der Burg Schwarzenberg.

The 44 km long round trip is a route that is very manageable by e-bike and mountain bike. Experienced touring cyclists will also enjoy it.

For older children, the tour is recommended if they are used to mountains with climbs and can ride short sections on country roads.

On the castles and palaces tour there is a bigger climb at the beginning, towards the end there are several smaller hills. There are many opportunities to take breaks. The tour can be cycled in 3 to 4 hours (plus breaks). An additional 1 to 2 hours should be planned for breaks. The tour runs 95% on asphalt roads (bike paths and smaller roads), the small forest road section in the second half of the tour is well rideable for touring bikes. The tour is not suitable for racing cyclists.

Directions:

The round tour starts at the office of the Plettenberger KulTour GmbH in the heart of Plettenberg, near the pedestrian zone. Here, various refreshment stops can be used for refreshment. Afterwards you cycle directly into the Grünetal and along the Grüne up to Landemert. At Gasthof Käsebrink you can take a short break with a motivational drink. Freshly strengthened, the route continues uphill to a ridge with a unique view of Landemert - here a comfortable bench invites you to take a breather. Afterwards, the tour leads through fantastic landscapes to the village of Hülschotten and on towards Ennest.

At the beginning of the forest, the long, beautiful descent to Ennest and Attendorn begins. In Attendorn you pass the Atta-Höhle, whose stalactites are worth a visit. After crossing the country road and the railroad tracks, the cycle path leads into the Biggetal valley, past Burg Schnellenberg, which lies at the top of the mountain, then to the Ahauser Stausee and Schloss Ahausen. The route then continues along the Bigge cycle path to where the Bigge flows into the Lenne near Finnentrop.

At junction 48 is the turnoff to Schloss "Haus Bamenohl" (Bamenohler Str. 19, 57413 Finnentrop-Bamenohl), which is privately owned. A good 2 km upstream and no longer on the described tour route, you will find stately rooms for conferences and weddings in it.

The next small town, Finnentrop, invites you to linger with its beautiful Lenne promenade.

The route continues to Lenhausen and Lenhausen Castle. Then follows the village of Pasel with several small, lovingly renovated half-timbered houses. A rest is recommended at the former Pasel village school. The last energy reserves can then be used up on the ride to the Schwarzenberg castle ruins. Afterwards, the flat path leads into Plettenberg. After the tour, a well-deserved refreshment is offered in one of the many cafés, ice cream parlors and restaurants in the Plettenberg town area.