Hermannshöhen - Etappe 10 von Leopoldstal bis Bad Driburg

The stage at a glance:
 
1.            Start and finish point of the stage
The stage starts in Leopoldstal and ends in Bad Driburg. In Bad Driburg, you can return to Leopoldstal by public transport from the train station via Altenbeken.
 
2.            Length of the stage in kilometers / elevation gain / route character
The stage is approximately 14 kilometers long and has 150 meters of elevation gain. The trail runs along natural paths through quiet forests, but also through fallow land to be reforested. Through beech forests, it repeatedly leads directly to the steep edge of the Egge eastern slope.
 
3.            Special landscape features
The Egge is the habitat of numerous rare animal species such as the wildcat, black stork and hazel grouse. The many crevices and caves serve as bat roosts. Large areas of the nature park have been designated as a European protected area. Funnel-shaped sinkholes and other karst phenomena can be found along the Eggeweg trail, which were formed due to the water-soluble limestone in the subsoil. After the ascent to the Lippischer Velmerstot, you come to its "twin summit", the Preußischer Velmerstot - the highest point of the Hermannshöhen.
 
Good to know: Towns and restaurants are rarely located directly on the trail.

• The Preußische Velmerstot is the highest elevation in the Eggegebirge. The Lippische Velmerstot is its little sister. In the past, the Lippe-Prussian border ran here. The Prussian Velmerstot is home to the Eggeturm - a 17-metre-high observation tower. From the tower, you have a fascinating panoramic view over the Egge, Teutoburg Forest and Weserbergland all the way to the Sauerland. Note: Unfortunately, the Eggeturm cannot currently be climbed due to fire damage.

• The Iburg is located on a mountain spur above the Bad Driburg basin. The impressive ruins, a former Saxon folk castle, and the Kaiser-Karls-Turm tower make a beautiful destination for hikers who love far-reaching views. The Sachsenklause offers a fantastic view of Bad Driburg during a refreshment stop.

 A good alternative interactive tour map of stage 10 can be found here