The Osterberg

Every year on Easter Sunday in Lügde, following the custom of the fathers, at dusk, burning wheels roll down from the Osterberg into the valley of the Emmer. The organizer of this old tradition is the Dechenverein.
How old this magical custom is cannot be determined, as there are hardly any records. There is no evidence that this custom dates back to the pagan-Germanic era.

However, there is much evidence that the origin of the fire wheels can be found in the bonfires with which our ancestors said goodbye to the cold and dark winter.
According to a report by the Brothers Grimm, there were supposed to have been fire wheel races in around 15 places in Central Europe during their time.
If you want to explore the scene of this ancient tradition up close, a trip to the Osterberg is worthwhile. With its height of 235 meters, it offers an enchanting view of the Lügder Valley. A 10 meter high Easter cross was erected on the Osterberg in the summer of 1935, which can also be admired. And very close to the Osterbergkreuz is the "repulsion point" from which the Osterräder are "sent" into the valley.

Fairytale tip: you can ideally hike the Osterberg. The 8 km long Osterbergweg leads you from the old town of Lügder through the beautiful Meintetal to the Lügder Osterberg. On the last section, the tour then leads through the Lügder Emmerauenpark. What's special - along the hiking trail you will find a few benches that don't just invite you to take a break. Bench back signs reveal mysterious legends about Lügde. Among other things, the legend of the fake miller and sister Irmgard ...