Hohensyburg Dortmund

Between Hagen and Dortmund, north of the Hengsteysee, which was dammed up in the 1920s, the region writes history on a mountain in the Ardeygebirge: Here visitors will find the ruins of the Hohensyburg, whose origins go back to a Saxon hill fort, the Kaiser Wilhelm monument visible from afar and the Vincke Tower. And above all, here, at one of the most popular excursion destinations in the Ruhr area, you will find relaxation and a magnificent view.

The location on the steep western slope was strategically ideal - and yet it did not make the complex invulnerable: In 775, Charlemagne conquered the Saxon Sigiburg and used it from then on as a defense system. The first castle was built in 1150 and served to secure the nearby Reichshof Westhofen. Destroyed in 1287, the ruins now house a fallen memorial. The Kaiser Wilhelm Monument from 1902 does not go quite as far back in history: a 34 meter high tower, in front of which is the Kaiser on horseback, flanked by Otto von Bismarck and Count Helmuth von Moltke. Originally there were four side stills; However, the complex was rebuilt in 1935 in the style of National Socialism, and statues of Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm and Prince Friedrich Karl were removed. On the highest point of the Syberg, around 245 meters above sea level, an octagonal, 1857 meter high observation tower was built in 20 in memory of the first President of the Province of Westphalia, Ludwig von Vincke. Vincke was honored because of his great services to the development of Westphalia after the French rule. Vincke was the owner of the medieval ruins through his marriage to Eleonore von Sieberg zum Busch. During the Second World War, the tower was used by the German Wehrmacht as an artillery observation post, was badly damaged by shells and was extensively restored in 1955. Today the Kaiser monument, the castle and the Vincke Tower are owned by the Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe (LWL).

From the observation terrace of the memorial, visitors have a wide view of the Ruhr valley, the mouth of the Lenne in the Ruhr and the Hengsteysee. And, provided the weather is good, the view extends even further: to the mountains of the north-western Sauerland. In the west you can also see the Koepchenwerk, a pumped storage power plant, a location of theme route 9 "Industrial culture at Volme and Ennepe", which the Foundation for the Preservation of Industrial Monuments and Historical Culture has been taking care of since 2016. Walks in the "Ruhrsteilhang Hohensyburg" nature reserve or on the "Syburger mining trail" make it possible to experience nature and the past of the region in equal measure.