Balve

Panoramic hike including Luisenhütte, Museum for Pre- and Early History Balve and other attractions
more info – click here
approx. 2.5 hours hike

Museum for Pre- and Early History Balve
Many festival visitors wonder what was actually found in the Balve Cave. Answers are provided by the local Museum of Prehistory and Early History Balve directly on site. There you can admire artifacts from the Stone Age and from the Germanic Iron Age to the Middle Ages. Currently, the museum is still closed due to a reconstruction.
Distance to Balve Cave: 1.2 km, approx. 17 min. walk

Luisenhütte
The Luisenhütte Balve, which was only restored at the beginning of this millennium, shows its visitors the traditional production of iron and the further processing to various cast products in a tour through the old ironworks.
Distance to Balve Cave: 1.2 km, approx. 17 min. walk

Town of Balve
The town of Balve, which was granted town rights in 1430 by the Archbishop of Cologne and the Elector Dietrich II of Moers, also invites you to take a tour. The place was first mentioned in a document in 864, when, according to a note from the Werden Abbey near Essen, a girl from Balve was miraculously cured of her blindness there at the grave of St. Ludger.
Distance to Balve Cave: 1.2 km, approx. 15 min. walk

Sauerland

Atta Cave
Also called Attendorn Dripstone Cave, this natural monument near the Hanseatic town of the same name is one of the most colorful and largest formations of its kind in Germany. Of the 6000 meters of the cave system known so far, a 560 meter long circular route with an approx. 90 meter long show cave can be visited.
Distance to Balver Cave: 33,4 km, approx. 2 h 14 min. by bike

Biggesee
From the Atta Cave, the Biggolino-Bimmelbahn runs hourly to the landing stage at the Biggesee. This artificially created reservoir in the Ebbegebirge Nature Park was created in the 1950s and offers numerous activities and rare fauna.
Distance to Balver Cave: 36 km, approx. 2 h 16 min. by bike

Möhnesee
The same is true for the Möhnesee Dam in the Arnsberg Forest Nature Park. Starting from the imposing stone pulpit bridge, the nature reserve “Möhneaue”, among other things, can be easily explored on foot.
Distance to Balver Cave: 36 km, approx. 2 h 5 min. by bike

Bruchhauser Stones
The Bruchhauser Steine offer almost everything the interested visitor’s heart desires. The remains of an Iron Age fortress as an archaeological monument, rocks of volcanic origin as a national geotope, a nature reserve with peregrine falcon and eagle owl and on top of that the great view of the Rothaargebirge.
Distance to Balver Cave: 64.1 km, approx. 3 h 28 min. by bike

Altena Castle
This high-altitude castle towers over the Sauerland region as a symbol of power, visible from afar. According to legend, a first fortification was built at the beginning of the 12th century. Today, the restored fortress houses the world’s first youth hostel as well as the German Hiking Museum and the Märkische Schmiedemuseum.
Distance to Balver Cave: 19 km, approx. 1 h 19 min. by bike

Teutoburg Forest

Externsteine
The striking Externsteine and the surrounding nature reserve in the Teutoburg Forest are occasionally described as the “German Stonehenge”. Archaeologically, there is only evidence of activities in the Old and Middle Stone Ages as well as the Middle Ages, but nevertheless many legends arose around the spectacular and fortunately even walkable rock formation. Is it a prehistoric observatory or even a Germanic cult place? In any case, it is worthwhile to take a look for yourself.
Distance to Balver Cave: 130 km, approx. 1 h 23 min. by car

Hermann Monument
Northeast of the Sauerland there are numerous exciting monuments that are worth exploring. The “Hermannsdenkmal”, a 53.46 meter high colossus from the 19th century, was erected in commemoration of the Varus Battle of the year 9 AD. Even at the time of its construction, it was also a symbol of the burgeoning German nationalism in the wake of the Napoleonic wars. The imposing monument offers a magnificent view of the Teutoburg Forest, so named in modern times.
Distance to Balver Cave: 129 km, approx. 1 h 38 min. by car

Museum and Park Kalkriese
If you want to visit one of the presumably real places of the Varus Battle, you have to go even further north. In the archaeological museum with attached open-air museum in the Kalkriese district of Bramsch, there are presumed traces of the battle mentioned by the ancient author Tacitus, which led to the end of the expansion of the Roman “world empire” east of the Rhine.
Distance to Balver Cave: 163 km, approx. 1 h 55 min. by car

Wewelsburg Castle
Visitors interested in history can visit two museums in the Wewelsburg: The Historical Museum of the High Diocese of Paderborn deals with the history of the prince-bishopric. The memorial museum Wewelsburg 1933 – 1945 deals with the history of the SS, which wanted to establish a “spiritual center” here. The “Black Sun” can be found in its original design with explanations in the castle.
Distance to Balver Cave: 86.7 km, approx. 1 h by car