In the heart of the Sauerland mountain range, Märkischer District will certainly be an adventure. It has miles of hiking and Nordic walking trails—up to 700m high at Nordhelle—for the fresh-air lovers, and endless caves through the Devonian Limestone valleys for those who crave darkness!

The Hönnetal is a great example of the latter. This stunning creation is completely the work of nature—with the river having carved out this magnificent stretch of steep-sided valley.

Some of the caves (Höhlen) travel underground for 400 meters or more near Hemer and Iserlohn and have formed massive stalactites. One huge cave near Balve is actually used to host live music events, usually Irish Folk or Celtic.

The ancient town of Altena is balanced by a steep, narrow valley on the Lenne river and famous for making chain-mail armour for medieval knights! It also has a picture-perfect 12th century towered castle on the highest point, which houses a 28-room themed museum.