Schmallenberg (Westphalian: Smalmereg) is a town and a climatic health resort in the High Sauerland District, Germany.

In the 1975 local government reorganization in the Sauerland and Paderborn the already existing Town of Schmallenberg was merged with the Town of Fredeburg (“Bad Fredeburg” today) and with the Municipalities of Berghausen, Bödefeld-Land, Dorlar, Fleckenberg, Freiheit Bödefeld, Grafschaft, Lenne, Oberkirchen, Rarbach and Wormbach which consisted of a total of 82 villages and hamlets.

That is why the archbishop and the Grafschaft Abbey wanted to fortify the place, leaving the old castle outside the town wall.

He got 30 shillings every year on St. Martin’s Day as an indemnity, an own property and a judicial immunity was granted.

After weapon techniques had changed and to the archbishop, Schmallenberg had lost its fortified status, the town went through an economical crisis in the 16th century.

Major competition and high costs led to the decline of the industry, and a shift towards textile manufacturing in Schmallenberg.

The town is surrounded by the following airports (near to far): Paderborn/Lippstadt (PAD), Dortmund (DTM), Kassel (KSF), Cologne/Bonn (CGN), Münster/Osnabrück (FMO), Düsseldorf (DUS) and Frankfurt am Main (FRA).

An association only founded for this purpose voluntarily provides a Bürgerbus (“civic bus”) on the less common routes.

The Westfalenpost newspaper has editorial offices in Schmallenberg and Meschede and issues a daily local edition from Mondays to Saturdays.

[14] Starting from Schmallenberg central town, trips to the Nordenau Rappelstein castle ruin with great views, the Grafschaft Abbey or to the nearby Kneipp health resort of Bad Fredeburg are always worth to do.

Annual events in many places in town are the marksmen's festivals (Schützenfeste) lasting two to four days between April and August.

This event is celebrated in central Schmallenberg's old town and turns the Marksmen's Square park facility (Parkanlage Schützenplatz) and the Weststraße and Oststraße into a pedestrian area with music, entertainment and several stalls providing food, drinks, other commercial goods and information.

On each Second Sunday of Advent and Friday and Saturday before there is a Christmas market around the central town's Catholic church.

Schmallenberg has many hiking trails adding up to approximately 2,500 kilometers, leading through forests, across mountains and through valleys.

The Rothaarsteig, a hiking trail along the Rothaar Mountains from Brilon to Dillenburg, leads through the town's territory.