Regional 2025
Sauerland lakes habitat
Without the Sauerland lakes, life in South Westphalia would only be half as beautiful and relaxing. New projects within REGIONALE 2025 aim to further develop Biggesee, Listersee, Hennesee, Möhnesee and Sorpesee and their surrounding areas - into feel-good places for recreation, living and digital working. The ideas and needs of local (young) people play a key role in the joint project - including the issue of mobility around the lakes.
The topics
The Lakes Cooperation has identified three focus topics for the regional process:
Life at the lake
The Sauerland Lakes Cooperation would like to further promote the development of the lake region into an attractive leisure and recreation area for young and old. The target groups are both locals and guests, who benefit from the wide range of sports, cultural and recreational activities on offer at the lakes. The municipalities are coordinating their offers in a targeted manner and digital technology is making it possible to plan leisure activities easily from home.
Coworkation
The Sauerland Lakes cooperation aims to strengthen the lake region as a hotspot for the combination of business and leisure activities. Innovative coworking spaces provide skilled workers and work nomads from all over Germany with a creative working environment in a green setting. Companies offer their employees work opportunities in coworking spaces so that they can combine experiences, nature and creative work in a group. New professionals can find temporary accommodation in coliving offers so that they can try out life at the Sauerland lakes before settling here permanently. Locals who work from home also benefit from the new offers, as they can relocate their workplace to a coworking space for days or weeks at a time, where they can enjoy peace and quiet and draw new inspiration.
Getting ahead differently
The Sauerland Lakes are known as a place of relaxation for guests and locals - and we want to keep it that way! The Sauerland Lakes Cooperation would like to improve mobility at the lakes and at the same time reduce the volume of traffic, which has increased significantly in some places. New forms of mobility such as sharing services, transport hubs and shuttles offer locals and guests new ways to get from A to B in a comfortable and environmentally friendly way. Attractive mobility options encourage people to leave their cars behind and travel by bike or on foot. Digital visitor guidance also reduces the volume of traffic at the lakes by enabling guests to reach their destination directly.
Detailed project descriptions can be found in the application for the second REGIONALE star.
The start projects
From the variety of ideas submitted, six start projects were selected through continuous consolidation, which will be applied for the second REGIONALE star in 2024.
Further information on the Regionale 2025 South Westphalia can be found here!
Experience Biggesee digitally and in real life
Proud funding amount
With the "Biggesee digital and real experience" project, the Hanseatic town of Attendorn, as a member of the Biggesee-Listersee tourism association in the Sauerland Lakes cooperation, is implementing a project that connects the region in terms of tourism, culture and technology. The aim is to further develop the Biggesee as a central living, leisure and recreational area and to make it a new experience for locals and guests.
The REGIONALE 2025 committee has now awarded the project the third star. Through the "Erlebnis.NRW" call for proposals, it is being funded by the state of NRW and the EU's European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to the tune of ruind 60,000 euros. The planned total costs are around 85,000 euros. "I am proud that with 'Biggesee digital and real experience' we have created a project that connects our region - people, nature, history and technology. We are getting our home region moving digitally and turning Lake Bigge and its surroundings into an experience with a future," says Christian Pospischil, Mayor of the town of Attendorn.
Digital applications
The project consists of two components: a digital world of experience, which uses augmented reality applications to bring the history and nature of Lake Bigge to life, and a Nordic walking arena, which was developed in collaboration with the German Sport University Cologne and the German Ski Association. The digital offerings bring the history of the sunken villages, the workings of the Bigge dam and the underwater world to life. The first 2D and 3D scenes are already in the works. With the regional mascot "Attendix", a leading figure was chosen who can also convey the content in a playful way.
Exercise program
At the same time, the new walking routes offer exercise, health and an experience of nature at the highest quality level. A detailed route and signage plan has already been drawn up for the Nordic walking arena. However, an originally planned bathing area could not be implemented for cost reasons. "Nevertheless, we have succeeded in initiating new experiences with the two current components that offer added value for both locals and tourists," explains Pospischil. "The award confirms that our approach of further developing Lake Bigge with innovative methods and regional identity is exactly right." The project is part of the overall "Sauerland Lakes Habitat" strategy, which was awarded its first star in 2020 as part of REGIONALE 2025. After an intensive participation process with almost 300 ideas and several pilot projects, "Biggesee digital und real erleben" was the first sub-project to be spun off and was successful in the "Erlebnis.NRW" call for funding from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Hanseatic town of Attendorn
