Self-guided podcast tour Siegen: Hauberg Paradoxon, 7 stations

A 400-year-old forest system saved the region from collapse while building an iron empire on the backs of its workers.

A self-guided podcast tour of Siegen covering 2.1 km and seven stations in roughly 90 minutes, exploring how the Hauberg, a revolutionary sustainable forest system, shaped the region's ecology, economy and social order. You navigate between stops using the app, listen to audio narrated by experts and locals, and use an interactive guide to ask questions about what you encounter. Suitable for ages 13 and up. Available in English and German.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Siegen's Hauberg history

• Visit Hauberge system museum
• Walk historic timber-frame street
• See Siegen's spiritual center
• Explore Hauberg forest administration
• Tour baroque Protestant rulers' residence
• Walk along industrial riverbanks
• Visit historic train station

The experience

This is not a walk through a postcard version of Siegen. The tour traces a paradox at the heart of the city: the Hauberg system that prevented ecological collapse also crushed the working class to forge an iron empire. You start at the Upper Castle, where the Schauberg mine tunnels run beneath the city, then move through half-timbered houses built by Haubergeiche: the forest workers whose labor sustained the system. The route passes the hexagonal Nikolaikirche, the administrative seat where Hauberg regulations were enforced, and the baroque residence of the Protestant rulers who codified those laws. Each stop sits on the map in the app. You move between them at your own pace.

The audio is structured as a podcast, with experts and locals telling the story rather than reading a script. When you reach a stop, you hear how that place fit into the machinery of early industrial capitalism: the riverbanks that powered iron smelting, the railway station that brought cheap coal and ended the Hauberg era. The app also lets you ask questions about what you're seeing, so if something on the street or in the landscape raises a question, you can get an answer without waiting for a guide. The whole route covers 2.1 km and takes roughly 90 minutes if you listen to everything. You can move faster or linger at any stop.

What’s included

• Podcast-style audio narration by experts and locals in English or German.
• interactive guide in the app to ask questions about history and the sites you encounter.
• point-to-point navigation between the seven stops.
• verified historical facts woven into the story.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (13 and older) · Under 13: can't be booked

Audio guideEnglish and German

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends at a different place from where it starts.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Red Thread

Is this one for you?Because you navigate on your own with the app and headphones, you move at your own pace and can pause or linger at any stop without waiting for a group or a guide. This works best for anyone who prefers to explore independently and wants to absorb the story without the rhythm of a scheduled tour.

Top questions

What is the Hauberg system and why does it matter to Siegen's history?

The Hauberg was a 400-year-old forest management system that prevented ecological collapse in the region while simultaneously enabling the iron industry that built Siegen's wealth and power. The tour traces how this paradox shaped the city's landscape, architecture and social order.

Can I do this tour in English, or is it only in German?

The audio guide is available in both English and German, so you can choose the language when you start the tour on the app.

Do I need a guide or can I really do this alone?

You navigate entirely on your own using the app, which shows you the route between the seven stops and plays the audio when you arrive at each one. No guide walks with you. The podcast narration and the interactive guide in the app are your only companions.

How long does the whole tour take?

The tour is designed to take roughly 90 minutes if you listen to all the audio at each of the seven stops, but you set your own pace. You can move faster or spend more time at any location.

Is this tour suitable for teenagers, or is it only for adults?

The tour is suitable for ages 13 and up, so teenagers can join if they're interested in history and industrial heritage.

What happens if I get lost or have a question while I'm walking?

The app provides point-to-point navigation between stops so you know where to go next, and the interactive guide lets you ask questions about the history and surroundings at any point during the tour.