Experiences at the Versetalsperre:
Loop Walk Around Hokühler Bay (1.9 km): From the parking lot, the path—which is wheelchair- and stroller-accessible—leads around the bay. The loop trail also includes the Knax Naturerlebnispfad, which features 9 stations offering fascinating insights into nature. (For more information, visit www.luedenscheid.de)
Trail along the east side of the reservoir (one-way 6.6 km): From the parking lot at the dam, the paved path runs several kilometers along the reservoir. Well-suited for inline skaters or bicycles.
The A1 circular hiking trail runs for about 11 kilometers, first along the east side of the dam and then through the countryside with views toward the Ebbege Mountains.
Dining options near the Versetalsperre:
Steakhaus am Piepersloh, Lüdenscheid (approx. 2 km)
Café-Restaurant Vedder, Herscheid (approx. 5 km)
Landhaus Stottmert, Herscheid (approx. 5 km)
Parking:
Free parking at Hohkühler Bucht (L694) and at the dam (L561).
Getting there by public transit:
MVG Bus Line 54 between Lüdenscheid Station and Plettenberg Central Bus Station (ZOB), stop: Versetalsperre.
Additional information:
Numerous small tributaries and streams feed the Versetal Dam, which can be crossed via two bridges. It is used for drinking water supply, to raise the water level of the Ruhr during low-water periods, and for electricity generation. Water sports are therefore not permitted. At the hiking parking lot by the Klamer Bridge near Hokühler Bucht, the Ruhrverband provides information on six display panels about water management, technical details, and the construction of the Versetalsperre.
The dam was built in the 1940s using the labor of prisoners from the Nazi Hunswinkel labor-reeducation camp. Some 550 prisoners died during this time from starvation, mistreatment, or execution by firing squad. The Hunswinkel Memorial near the Klamer Bridge commemorates these victims of the Nazi regime.
