New experts for geopark tours in the GrenzWelten
The GrenzWelten National Geopark was surprised and delighted by the great interest in the new training course for geopark guides, which started in spring 2025. Now 16 participants from the entire geopark area have successfully passed their exams. Two more will be retested soon and will certainly pass the test of their knowledge with equal aplomb.
The year before last, two women and one man from the Marsberg area trained as geology experts and have been offering expert guided tours in the GrenzWelten National Geopark ever since. In 2025, there were over seven times as many people interested in the training, from the entire Geopark area in the Hochsauerland district of North Rhine-Westphalia and the Hessian districts of Waldeck-Frankenberg and Kassel.
The successful trainees can now proudly call themselves certified geopark guides for the region around Korbacher Spalte, Edersee and Edertal, Helfensteine am Dörnberg, Frankenberger Steinbruch Hohenäcker, Bruchhäuser Steine and many other geological highlights. Ralf Enderlein, head of the district's environmental and climate protection department, whose specialist service the geopark is affiliated to, and geopark manager Dr Georg Bresser warmly welcomed the new geopark guides personally and on behalf of the dedicated GrenzWelten team, and were delighted to welcome so many new volunteers to the geopark.
The examination was conducted by the geopark manager and his two employees, Dr Ute Richter and Silke Tielke, as well as geopark guide Horst Frese. Although Dr Bresser was in charge of the training, he was intensively supported by numerous geopark guides and other friends of GrenzWelten. "Without this largely voluntary support, the time-consuming training of such a pleasingly large number of people would not have been possible," emphasised the geopark manager and thanked the co-trainers for their great commitment.
During their training, the participants gained a comprehensive insight into the history of the earth. They were taught about rocks and maps, visited mines such as the Kilianstollen in Marsberg and went on other excursions such as to the Martinstein in Schauenburg-Martinhagen, a volcanic relic located in the centre of the town. They learnt all kinds of exciting facts about fossils, dinosaurs, the Ice Age and volcanoes. As certified geopark guides, they are now part of a comprehensive network, can take part in annual meetings to exchange experiences, take part in further training programmes and receive an expense allowance.