Westphalian Salt Route
Experience Salt Production and the Salt Trade in the Hellweg Region
The Westphalian Salt Route, which is just under 90 kilometers long, is a joint project of the towns of Unna, Werl, Soest, Bad Sassendorf, Lippstadt-Bad Waldliesborn, Erwitte, Geseke, and Bad Westernkotten.
Salt production and the salt trade have left behind a wealth of cultural, historical, and industrial heritage sites in the Hellweg region. From the spa park in Unna-Königsborn to the “Kütfelsen” in Salzkotten, there is much to see along the Hellweg related to salt. The three spa towns of Bad Sassendorf, Bad Waldliesborn, and Bad Westernkotten offer a wide range of health treatments based on brine and mud.
The Westphalian Salt Route follows in the footsteps of this history and guides cyclists, hikers, and travelers through the region to new health and tourism-related attractions. It invites you to discover and enjoy the diverse landscape and hospitality in the heart of Westphalia!
With its few inclines, the Westphalian Salt Route is an easy route that primarily follows paved farm roads away from main traffic routes or bike paths alongside the roads. Along the way, numerous restaurants and cafes invite you to stop and linger. The landscape of the HellwegBörde is characterized by wide-open fields, rows of trees lining the paths, and small farming villages. The Hellweg refers to the old trade route between Duisburg and Paderborn along the road from Aachen to Goslar, which passes through Dortmund, Soest, Bad Sassendorf, and Salzkotten, among other places. Goods traded along the route included salt from the Soest, Werl, and Unna regions, as well as ironware such as knives and scissors from the Sauerland. Goods from the Hellweg were distributed throughout the entire Hanseatic region.
The Westphalian Salt Route is one of the premium routes in the ADFC-certified HellwegBörde Cycling Region.
