Bilster Berg Drive Resort
Bilster Berg Drive Resort at a glance
- Location
- Bad Driburg, North Rhine-Westphalia
- Type
- road course
- Length
- 4.274 km (2.656 mi)
- Turns
- 19
- Direction
- clockwise
- Surface
- asphalt
- Elevation change
- 660 ft
- Opened
- 2013
- Owner
- Private shareholder community (over 170 shareholders); site owned by Count Marcus von Oeynhausen-Sierstorpff
- Address
- Bilster Berg 1, Pömbsen
- Website
- bilsterberg.de
Track map and layout
Bilster Berg was designed by Hermann Tilke with input from rally legend Walter Röhrl, built on the rolling, forested site of a former British Army ammunition depot in the Teutoburg Forest. The result is a relentlessly undulating 4.274 km, 19-corner lap with roughly 200 metres of total elevation change across 44 crests and dips and gradients reaching +21%/-26% — famously, there is not a single flat stretch anywhere on the circuit. The full lap can be split into two shorter loops, the Ostschleife (East Loop) and Westschleife (West Loop), for smaller groups, testing or driver training, and the track's combination of blind crests, compressions and technical corners has made it a favourite proving ground for manufacturers developing chassis, suspension and driver-assistance systems.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Full circuit | 4.27 km | 4.274 km, 19 turns |
| Ostschleife (East Loop) | 2.40 km | 2.400 km, 10 turns |
| Westschleife (West Loop) | 1.84 km | 1.845 km, 12 turns |
Events and race weekends
Bilster Berg does not host public spectator racing or a championship calendar. Its business is manufacturer testing and development work (vehicle dynamics, suspension and ADAS testing benefit from its relentless elevation changes), organised car and motorcycle track days, driver training courses, and press launches and reviews of new performance cars, which regularly feature the circuit given its reputation as one of Germany's most technically demanding modern tracks.
Getting there and parking
The circuit sits in hilly countryside north of the spa town of Bad Driburg in the Teutoburg Forest, close to Paderborn. Paderborn/Lippstadt Airport is the nearest airport with limited scheduled flights; most visitors fly into a larger hub such as Hannover, Dortmund or Cologne/Bonn and drive, or take the train to Bad Driburg station, which sits on a regional line with connections toward Hannover and the Ruhr area, and continue by taxi.
- Paderborn/Lippstadt Airport (PAD) · about 30 min drive
- Hannover Airport (HAJ) · about 80 min drive
Parking
Free on-site parking is provided for trackday participants, testers and event attendees.
Bad Driburg has a regional rail station with connections toward Hannover and the Ruhr; the circuit is a short taxi ride from there for visitors without a hire car.
Hotels and camping near Bilster Berg Drive Resort
Bad Driburg, a small spa town a short drive from the circuit, has a range of hotels including wellness/spa resorts and is the natural base for a visit; Paderborn, a larger city about 30 minutes away, offers a wider choice of accommodation and better transport links.
Where to look
Bad Driburg (closest, spa-town hotels) and Paderborn (about 30 minutes away, larger city with more accommodation options and rail/air links) are the main bases.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
Bilster Berg is a private facility rather than a public pay-and-drive circuit, but it regularly hosts organised car and motorcycle track days run by third-party operators, alongside its core business of manufacturer testing and driver training. Its brutal elevation changes make it a demanding, technical venue popular with experienced trackday drivers.
Who runs days here
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production/road car | 1:46.120 | — | Donkervoort D8 GTO | 2014 |
| Street-legal car | 1:43.100 | — | Porsche 911 GT3 RS | 2020 |
| Outright | 1:24.206 | — | Volkswagen ID.R (electric) | 2020 |
Spectator guide
Bilster Berg is not built for public spectating; there are no permanent grandstands or ticketed race weekends, since the venue does not host public racing. Visitors typically attend as trackday participants, guests of a manufacturer event, or on organised viewing days rather than as paying spectators.
Weather
- May-September: mild to warm, highs around 20-24°C, the main trackday season
- November-March: cold, occasional snow and ice in the hilly Teutoburg Forest terrain, limiting activity
History of Bilster Berg Drive Resort
From ammunition depot to Tilke test track
Bilster Berg Drive Resort was built on the site of a former British Army ammunition depot near Bad Driburg in North Rhine-Westphalia, which had been used by the British military from the 1970s until 1993. Ground was broken in September 2011 and the circuit opened in April 2013, built at a reported cost of around €34 million to a design by Hermann Tilke, with rally legend Walter Röhrl advising on the driving character of the layout. It was the first purpose-built race track constructed in the former West Germany in around 80 years.
Built for testing, not for crowds
Unlike most Tilke-designed circuits, which are built for grand prix racing and large audiences, Bilster Berg was conceived from the outset as a private testing and driving facility. Its 4.274 km, 19-corner layout uses the site's hilly, forested terrain to create roughly 200 metres of elevation change across 44 crests and dips, with no flat section anywhere on the lap — a deliberate design choice that makes it exceptionally demanding for vehicle dynamics testing. The track is owned collectively by a shareholder community of more than 170 members, on land belonging to Count Marcus von Oeynhausen-Sierstorpff.
A manufacturer proving ground today
Since opening, Bilster Berg has become a favoured venue for car manufacturers testing chassis, suspension and driver-assistance systems, as well as a regular stop for the international motoring press evaluating new performance cars. It does not hold public races, but its relentless topography and technical layout have made it one of Germany's most respected modern tracks for serious driver training, high-performance track days and behind-the-scenes vehicle development.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Bilster Berg circuit?+
The full circuit is 4.274 km (2.656 miles) with 19 corners; it can also be split into the shorter Ostschleife (2.400 km) and Westschleife (1.845 km) loops.
Who designed Bilster Berg?+
Hermann Tilke designed the circuit with input from rally legend Walter Röhrl, using the hilly former ammunition-depot site to create a lap with no flat sections and around 200 metres of elevation change.
Can the public drive at Bilster Berg?+
It is a private facility rather than a pay-and-drive public circuit, but organised third-party track days for cars and motorcycles run regularly, alongside manufacturer testing and driver training.
Does Bilster Berg host races?+
No. Bilster Berg does not hold public spectator racing or feature on a race championship calendar; it is used for testing, track days, driver training and manufacturer press events.
How do you get to Bilster Berg?+
The circuit is near Bad Driburg in North Rhine-Westphalia, about 30 minutes from Paderborn/Lippstadt Airport; Bad Driburg's regional rail station is a short taxi ride from the track.
Other tracks nearby
- Motorsport Arena Oschersleben · 154 km · road course
- Motorcross Markelo (Herikerberg Circuit) · 176 km · motocross
- Talkessel Teutschenthal · 192 km · motocross
- MSC Straßbessenbach · 203 km · motocross
- Grenzlandring · 206 km · historic circuit (defunct)
- TT Circuit Assen · 216 km · road course
Facts checked against 4 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-10.