Winterberg, Schmallenberg and the Hochsauerland (Medebach, Hallenberg)
Winterberg has the largest group of our Sauerland homes. The Skiliftkarussell above the town is the region's biggest ski area, with snow-making on most runs, and the bobsleigh track hosts World Cup races. The Kahler Asten, at 841 metres, is a few minutes' drive away. Schmallenberg, to the west, sits on the Rothaarsteig trail. Medebach and Hallenberg, to the east, are smaller and quieter. Dortmund and Paderborn airports are each around an hour and a half away.
Best for: Skiing, the bobsleigh track and high walks on the Rothaarsteig
Not for you if: You want peace on winter weekends: Winterberg fills with day skiers from the Ruhr.
Olsberg, Brilon and Willingen (Bruchhausen, Alme, Bömighausen)
Bruchhausen, part of Olsberg, sits below the Bruchhauser Steine, four volcanic rock towers with a path up through the woods. Alme, near Brilon, is a farming village where the river of the same name rises from a cluster of springs. Bömighausen belongs to Willingen, just over the border in Hesse, where the Ettelsberg cable car runs most of the year and the Mühlenkopfschanze hosts World Cup ski jumping. Paderborn airport is about an hour away.
Best for: Families who want ski slopes, rock towers and forest walks close together
Not for you if: You want a proper town on the doorstep: these are villages, and evenings are early.
The Diemelsee (Diemelsee, Helminghausen, Marsberg)
The Diemelsee is a reservoir on the border between North Rhine-Westphalia and Hesse. Heringhausen, on the Hesse shore, has a bathing beach and boat hire, and Helminghausen sits by the dam at the northern end. Marsberg, a little further north, has an old upper town on a hill above the Diemel valley. Willingen is around 20 minutes away for winter days. Paderborn airport is roughly an hour by car.
Best for: Swimming, sailing and lakeside walks in summer
Not for you if: You are coming to ski: the lake has no lifts of its own, and Willingen is the nearest slope.
Attendorn and the Biggesee (Attendorn, Windebruch)
Attendorn sits beside the Biggesee, the biggest reservoir in the Sauerland, with passenger boats and swimming spots along the shore. The Atta cave, a show cave with long dripstone halls, is on the edge of town, and Burg Schnellenberg looks down from the hill. Windebruch is a small village on the Listersee, which joins the Biggesee to the west. Dortmund and Cologne/Bonn airports are about an hour to an hour and a quarter away.
Best for: Lake swimming, boat trips and a show cave
Not for you if: You want snow: this western side is lower and has no real ski slopes.
Arnsberg and the Möhnesee (Arnsberg, Möhnesee, Ense, Hemer)
The Möhnesee is a long reservoir on the northern edge of the Sauerland, used for sailing and swimming. Its dam was breached in the Dambusters raid of May 1943 and rebuilt within months. Ense is a village a few minutes north of the lake. Arnsberg's old town stands on a loop of the Ruhr, and Hemer, further west, has the Felsenmeer, a jumble of mossy rocks in the beech woods. Dortmund airport is under an hour away.
Best for: Lakes, an old town and short drives from the Ruhr
Not for you if: You want hills and forest all round: the northern edge is flatter and more built up.
