Wooden Owl Sculpture – Schweichlerwald loop from Kreis Herford

Hiking trails & Routes

Herford

Hiddenhausen

Wooden Owl Sculpture – Schweichlerwald loop from Kreis Herford

Easy

4.7

(28)

hikers

Wooden Owl Sculpture – Schweichlerwald loop from Kreis Herford

01:57

6.89km

150m

Hiking

Easy hike. Great for any fitness level. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: August 19, 2026

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

Get Directions

818 m

Fox and Badger Dens in Schweichler Forest

Highlight • Natural

In the Schweichler forest, several fox and badger dens are located together on a small hill. They can be reached via an unofficial trail, which is very well trodden but does not appear on official maps. It is stored in the OSM.
Since the nearby creek valley has dried up for years, some of the buildings have unfortunately also been abandoned. Only a few caves are still inhabited.

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Tip by

1.41 km

Schleifenweg

Highlight • Trail

2.52 km

Wooden Owl Sculpture

Highlight • Structure

Wood art on the roadside

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2.94 km

Grave of Carl Theodor Werner Meinders

Highlight • Historical Site

Here rests in God the faithful support of his mother and siblings Carl Theodor Werner Meinders, born August 18, 1820, died March 6, 1850 - this is what is written on the gravestone in the middle of the Schweichl forest.

There are three theories about the grave that can only be weakly proven:

Accordingly, Meinders was a tramp who was buried here in the forest after his death.

According to a second theory, Meinders was a forester who died here in an accident and was buried on the spot. The forest grave is also popularly known as the "forester's grave".

However, the fact is that Meinders was a landowner and lived on the Eickhof, which he received from his parents in a difficult time - 4 years before his death. He had to struggle with alimony payments, his parents' divorce and his siblings' emigration. The situation remains mysterious, however, because according to police files, Meinders hanged himself in the manor building on October 1, 1850. However, the church register of Herford states that Meinders only died on October 4th from a stroke. The theory is that the doctor hid his true death to ensure a burial in the cemetery, but when the truth was out he could only be buried in his parents' forest. However, it remains unclear why the dates on the grave slab differ roughly from the documented dates on Meinders. Both the date of birth and the date of death do not match the documented Carl Meinders.

So the forest grave remains a mystery that cannot be fully explained.

It's a pity that you have to research these stories afterwards, because there is no information on site and the inscription can only be interpreted poorly.

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3.35 km

View of Herford from Schweichler Berg

Highlight • Viewpoint

An impressive vantage point from Schweichler Berg. While the Schweichler Church can be seen nearby, the main focus is on the town of Herford with its many churches and the course of the Teutoburg Forest.

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Tip by

5.76 km

Schweichlerwald

Highlight • Forest

Also here at Bünde there are beautiful forests

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Tip by

6.13 km

Forest Edge in Teutoburg Forest

Highlight • Forest

6.89 km

End point

Bus stop

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

5.43 km

784 m

678 m

Surfaces

4.40 km

1.24 km

1.04 km

214 m

Elevation

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Weather

Friday 16 October

14°C

8°C

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Comments

January 12, 2022,Ausgiebig Wetter u Aussicht im Schweichelner Wald genossen

Good combination of paths between the fields and on the edge of the forest with a great view and paths directly through the forest
Currently absolutely recommendable as it is pretty mud-free (sometimes a little bit of the way ... but absolutely reasonable)

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January 4, 2022,Schweichelner Wald zum Jahresanfang

Nice round through the Schweicheln forest in slightly cloudy weather. But fresh air is always good and there is always something to discover. I really like the wood because it is very close from me and you hardly hear any street noise. I also found a hiking stone and took it with me. It will get a nice new place …

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August 8, 2025,Runde um Schweichelner Wald

The Schweicheln Forest is crisscrossed by numerous paths and trails, including some for horseback riding. The outer trails also offer beautiful views. Previously (before the coronavirus pandemic), there was also a sniffer trail for little ones with all sorts of stations (forest organ, teepees made of branches, and much more), but unfortunately, this no longer exists. The forest area is …

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September 18, 2022,Schweichler Wald

Actually, a round in the Patthorst was on the plan today....but the weather didn't look good at all 🙈
So without further ado drove into the Schweichler forest...started in the pouring rain and got back to the car under a bright blue sky
The Schweichler forest is worth it in any weather 😍

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May 1, 2023,Schöne-Aussichten–Runde durch den Schweichler Wald und die angrenzenden Felder von Lippinghausen bei Hiddenhausen

What do you do when the weather on the holiday is better than announced and you hiked a few kilometers (or ran the Hermann) yesterday? Correct! At least you turn a little round ☺️

Said and done. In almost the same constellation as yesterday, we went to the Schweichler forest. Just around the corner from home but somehow never been …

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