Winterberg is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the middle of the Sauerland, at the source of the Ruhr and Lenne river, at . Population: 14,676 (2002). Area: 148 km². It belongs to the district Hochsauerland.

History

Winterberg was declared a city about 1270, and was a member of the Hanseatic League from the 13th until the 17th century. As it is located in high hills with swampy ground, it always was a poor city. Only since tourism started about 200 years ago has it blossomed. In 1975 several small villages were merged into the city, increasing the population notably - the center of Winterberg only has 4,536 residents.

Points of interest

The second highest mountain of the Sauerland, the Kahler Asten, is located in the city area, which also contains the spring of the Lenne and Ruhr rivers.

Sport

The city is one of the winter sports centers of the Sauerland, best known probably for the bobsleigh track. In 2003, there were the first official World Wok Championships, initiated by Stefan Raab.

Coat of arms

The arms show the city (the city walls only existed between 1261 and 1266) behind the patron of the city, Saint James.

External links

• Official website