Bilster Berg

Circuit guide by Chris Pollitt · dates updated 2 November 2026

Bilster Berg opened in 2013 on the site of a former British Army ammunition depot (run by the British Army of the Rhine until 1993) near Bad Driburg, in the hills of the Teutoburg Forest. The 4.274 km lap has 19 corners, roughly 200 metres of elevation change, gradients of over 20 per cent and 44 crests and dips. And the corner names come from the site's history and wildlife, from the Ammunition Field to Boars' Crossing. People call it a mini Nordschleife, and while it's far shorter and wider, the comparison makes sense once you've been over the Kommandantur crest.

It runs as a private members' circuit, but there are plenty of open track days for cars and separate days for bikes (the two never share the track). Group sizes are kept to around 25 to 30 on track, so it rarely feels crowded. It's a technical, blind place to learn, which suits drivers and riders with some experience. Novices are better off on a guided-lap or instruction day first.

A lap of Bilster Berg

Layout: Bilster Berg, 4.274 km (2.66 miles)

The pit straight rises and bends slightly left as you reach the brakes for Turn 1, Kugelkopf, a right-hander that climbs steeply. That uphill braking zone is harder to judge than it looks, so brake early to begin with, take it in third in a typical track car and get back on the power as soon as you can, because the road keeps climbing. Fledermaushügel is a quick fourth-gear chicane, then Pumpenhaus, where hugging the inside lets you go flat through Munitionsfeld.

Jägerbuche (Turn 5) is a downshift to third, again uphill, so brake in good time. Exit towards the middle of the road to set up the climb through Turns 6, 7 and 8. Sauwechsel at Turn 8 is where the track starts to drop away and the car goes light. Stay committed and the rear will settle. The road then falls sharply and rises again over a blind crest into Telegrafenbogen, a fast fourth-gear bend.

Next is Kommandantur, a crest where the car goes very light, and over the top the road drops at about 26 per cent into Mausefalle (the Mousetrap). Brake hard and the car squats onto its bump stops. It's the corner everyone talks about, and the one where people misjudge their braking because they can't see the apex until they're on it. Steilwand is a flat climb up a wall of tarmac, then Bilster Kuppe lightens the car again before Hochsitz.

The Clubhaus-S (Turns 15 and 16) is a long, flowing chicane taken in fourth. A clean line here carries a lot of speed over Pömbser Höhe and through the long Turn 17. After the Nieheimer Senke dip comes Hügelgrab, a quick chicane that rewards commitment, then the uphill Oeynhausen Kehre, which needs a downshift to third. A good exit there decides your speed all the way down the pit straight.

Track day tips

• Many corners are blind, so don't push on your first few laps. Book a day with guided laps or instruction if it's your first visit.
• Noise is taken seriously. Car days often run to 95 dB(A), and bikes must have dB-eaters fitted. Get tested before you go.
• The steep drops, especially into Mausefalle, load the front brakes and tyres hard. Fresh brake fluid and decent pads are a must.
• Big compressions and crests mean low cars can ground out. Check your ride height and splitter clearance before the trip.
• Bikes and cars never run together, and organisers keep groups small, so lap time comes from learning the place rather than dodging traffic.
• It's a remote spot, so fill up in Bad Driburg before you arrive.

Getting there

Bilster Berg is around 600 km from Calais, and LeShuttle puts the drive at about six and three-quarter hours via Belgium, the Netherlands and the A40 and A44 through the Ruhr. From Paderborn, follow the B64 east to Bad Driburg, and the circuit is about 15 km on, near the village of Pömbsen. Paderborn Lippstadt is the closest airport, but for regular UK flights look at Hanover or Düsseldorf. Bad Driburg is a spa town with plenty of hotels, and riders often camp in the paddock on two-day events.