The Silberbach Valley near the village of Leopoldstal is considered one of the most beautiful hiking regions in the nature park.
In an impressively natural notch valley below the Velmerstot, the silver stream gurgles with a silvery shimmer and flows around dark scree and mighty sandstone blocks. At the beginning of the 18th century, people actually searched for silver here, but the yield was more than low. The water power available in the Silberbach valley led to the establishment of various mills: three grinding mills, four grinding mills and two fulling mills were located in the upper reaches. Felt and cloth were refined in fulling mills. The grinding mills were used by blacksmiths in the town of Horn to grind and sharpen tools and weapons. Old quarries can be found on the valley slopes, where Osning sandstone has been quarried as a sought-after building stone since the 14th century. Today, the Silberbachtal is one of the most popular hiking areas in the nature park.
Hikers who know the Silberbachtal from days gone by will hardly recognize it at the moment, however.
In many areas, extensive clearing had to be carried out due to dying spruce trees and bark beetle infestation.
We hope that the numerous and varied new plantings in 2022 and 2023 will restore the valley to its former romance in a few years' time.
Our pictures were taken in August 2022, so there are also some intact and thoroughly wild and romantic areas.
Source: Naturpark Teutoburger Wald / Eggegebirge
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