Altastenberg

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Altastenberg is a village in the Winterberg area of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is a state-recognised spa and the highest village in the Sauerland, standing about 800 metres above sea level. It lies in the Hochsauerland district, a short distance northwest of the Kahler Asten and near the Bremberg, about 5 km west of Winterberg, near the Rhine-Weser watershed in the Rothaargebirge mountains.

The village began around 1540 when Johann von Hanxleden settled charcoal burners and herdsmen there. It was originally called Lichtenscheid. There were conflicts with Winterberg over land, and the Count of Waldeck claimed rights to tax the area as long as Hanxleden rented the land. By 1600 it came under the Oberkirchen court.

In 1563 there were about three farms; this rose to six in 1600, ten in 1630 and fourteen in 1720. In 1630 four witches were burned. Until 1785 Altastenberg was part of the Winterberg St. James parish, and the dead were buried in Winterberg. In 1729 farmers had to deliver a sled load of wood to the vicar in exchange for a mug of beer, bread, butter and hay for the horses.

There was a chapel in the 18th century, and a new church was built in 1971–72. From the 18th century the village was called Altastenberg to distinguish it from Neuastenberg, founded south of the Kahler Asten. The early residents were herdsmen, charcoal burners and cart drivers. Some income came from making and selling wooden goods and from slate mines in Nordenau. Today tourism is the main source of income.

Altastenberg is famous for winter sports. It is very close to the Skiliftkarussell Winterberg. At the village entrance there are ski lifts, a long-distance cross-country trail, and a ski jump (the Westfalenschanze). In winter, the Sahnehang slopes are used by skiers, snowboarders and tobogganists. In summer the area offers walking and hiking, and it lies on the Rothaarsteig long-distance trail that crosses the Kahler Asten. There is also a one-kilometre mountain bike arena with routes of varying difficulty.

Parish council chairman since 2007: Jörg Burmann (SPD). Local history curator: Hermann Pfennig (CDU).