Waldhaus Ohlenbach
Superior
A four-star spa hotel on the Schmallenberg heights in the Sauerland — a quietly placed refuge with a panorama pool, a small but fine sauna world and a kitchen committed to local game dishes and an upmarket regional level. A member of the “Sterne im Sauerland”.
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Waldhaus Ohlenbach: greetings from the front desk
The Waldhaus Ohlenbach lies at Ohlenbach 10 in Schmallenberg, one of the quieter upland villages of the Sauerland — a four-star spa hotel that positions itself not as a large operation but as a small, fine refuge with a connection to nature. A panorama pool with a view of the forest, a sauna and massage and beauty treatments form the wellness component; in the kitchen game and poultry from local grounds (venison, quail, guinea fowl, organic beef) stand at the centre. The house is a member of the “Sterne im Sauerland”, a group of selected Sauerland hotels that organise joint guided hiking weeks.
Wellness and spa
The “small, fine wellness area” — the house's own description — comprises a panorama pool with a view of the forest, a sauna landscape with several sauna types, massage and beauty rooms and rest areas. The spa team deliberately does not work in a large-operation style but with individual treatment sequences.
Cuisine — local game and upmarket regional
“It must be fresh, ideally from local products” — that is the house philosophy. In the restaurant with an open show kitchen venison, quail, guinea fowl and organic beef from the region are served in an upmarket interpretation. The wine cellar carries the selection of international as well as regional bottles.
“Sterne im Sauerland” — guided hiking weeks
The Waldhaus is a member of the hotel group “Sterne im Sauerland” — a cooperation of selected Sauerland hotels that offer joint star hiking weeks: five guided hikes per week, each with a lunch stop and a closing drink, transfers to start and end points organised. The hiking weeks typically run in May and August.
Rooms and suites
Rooms in various categories with a view to the south or west — modern bathrooms, some with free-standing bathtubs. The suites sit at the top of the house with equally open living areas.
Location in Schmallenberg / Sauerland
Schmallenberg is one of the largest municipalities in Germany by area and at the same time organised as a small town — hiking and ski trails begin practically at the door, Cologne/Bonn lie 90 minutes' drive away, Frankfurt about two hours. One of the quieter wellness addresses in western Germany.
© Hotel images: Waldhaus Ohlenbach
Good to know
Waldhaus Ohlenbach
Ohlenbach 10
57392 Schmallenberg
North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Frequently asked questions about the hotel
What makes the pool at the Waldhaus Ohlenbach special?
The view: the infinity pool opens with a panoramic view of the forest of the Schmallenberg heights — you swim towards the tree line. Add a sauna landscape with several sauna types, rest areas and massage and beauty rooms.
“Small but fine” is here both the self-description and the promise: treatments run individually, not to the beat of a large operation.
What is the kitchen of the house known for?
For local game at an upmarket level: venison, quail, guinea fowl and organic beef from the surrounding grounds, prepared according to the house philosophy “it must be fresh, ideally from local products” — served in the restaurant with an open show kitchen, accompanied from a well-stocked wine cellar.
What are the “Sterne im Sauerland”?
A cooperation of selected hotels in the Schmallenberg Sauerland, to which the Waldhaus Ohlenbach also belongs. Their finest format is the joint star hiking weeks: five guided hikes per week, each with a lunch stop and a closing drink, with the hotel organising the transfers to start and end points.
The hiking weeks typically run in May and August — whoever wants to combine hiking and wellness travels in these windows.
Is the Waldhaus suited to a wellness weekend for two?
Very well — that is exactly what the refuge is built for: a quiet upland position, rooms with a south or west view and in part free-standing bathtubs, at the top of the house suites with open living areas. Cologne and Bonn lie only 90 minutes' drive away, Frankfurt about two hours — near enough for the spontaneous gift weekend, far enough from everyday life.
What does the Sauerland offer around the house?
Hiking and ski trails begin practically at the door — Schmallenberg belongs to the quieter upland positions of the Sauerland, one of the most tradition-rich low-mountain recreation regions in western Germany. In summer hiking and cycling, in winter cross-country and downhill skiing in the surrounding areas.