Forest trail without limits
Against the background that it is very important for people with disabilities to be able to experience nature and interact with it, the desire to realize a project "Learning forest for people with disabilities" was born. Due to the unique location of the school center of the Landschaftsverband Westfalen - Lippe, the Josefshaus and the children's hospice, directly adjacent to the state forest in Olpe, the Kimickeberg was chosen as the location for the "Waldweg Grenzenlos".
Location
The trail is located on the edge of the district town of Olpe, embedded in a low mountain range landscape with fascinating views over the southern Sauerland. It runs through varied forests with old beech, oak and spruce trees as well as through a section of forest that was felled by the storm "Kyrill" in 2007 and is now expected to reforest itself naturally. Here you can see, smell and feel how nature is reclaiming its refuge. Its special surface and the incline and decline make the path accessible to wheelchairs and walking frames. Wooden planking on one side of the entire path is intended to give people with visual impairments the necessary safety to be able to walk the path independently. Path crossings are provided with a narrow strip of stone paving.
The "Waldweg Grenzenlos" extends over a total of 2,900 m and leads over clear-cut areas, through young and old woodland and through a school forest.
The main section is designed as a circular trail with a length of almost 2,000 m. At the end of the first section (approx. 1,300 m), after crossing a forestry road, another part (approx. 800 m) of the "Waldweg Grenzenlos" begins, which only leads downhill (with a gradient of <6%) and ends as a dead end at a pond (please pay attention!).
The "Waldweg Grenzenlos" is equipped with a guidance system for the blind to enable visually impaired people to experience the trail independently.
A language guide / podcast is available for download and guides visitors along the "Waldweg Grenzenlos". Here, the stations and the forest are brought closer to the listener in short stories and funny tales. The audio files can then be listened to from a cell phone or MP3 player at each station.
The "Waldweg Grenzenlos" not only conveys interesting facts, but above all makes the visible and invisible tangible. It has many surprises in store for young and old. Outdoor play and adventure elements along a total of 35 adventure stations such as the scent organ, the balance wood, along animal tracks on tactile, barefoot and trust trails, passing nesting boxes, the forest pond or the insect hotel will make this visit an unforgettable experience.
Finally, a request to the visitor(s): The stations marked as mobile in the "Station overview" will only be set up if visitor groups expressly request this. Contact with the Regional Forestry Office and the setting up of these stations is made possible via the "registration form" - see the Regional Forestry Office homepage at the following link: https://www.wald-und-holz.nrw.de/ueber-uns/einrichtungen/regionalforstaemter/kurkoelnisches-sauerland/
In addition, the "Waldweg Grenzenlos" is equipped with a rescue system. This rescue system ensures that an accident victim can be rescued in just a few minutes.
Download the leaflet for the Grenzenlos hiking trail: https://www.wald-und-holz.nrw.de/fileadmin/Publikationen/Faltblaetter/Faltblatt_Waldweg_Grenzenlos.pdf
