Branscheid Juniper Heath

Such juniper areas are something very special and not often found in nature.

The juniper has many faces - and many legends that surround it. On this 5.5 kilometer long circular hiking trail, you can discover the many facets of this evergreen tree, which 200 years ago still characterized large parts of the Bergisches Land. Since the Middle Ages, the people who settled here had cut down more and more forests to obtain firewood and timber. Because the resulting meadows were also grazed intensively, large heath areas developed on which the undemanding juniper with its sharp needles was one of the few plants that could survive. The Branscheid juniper heath, through which this circular trail leads, is now one of the last juniper heaths in the Oberbergisches region and is protected from being overgrown by the forest with human help and animal support from flocks of sheep and goats. Along the way, signs provide information about the importance of juniper as a spice in the kitchen as well as its healing powers, for example against kidney and bladder diseases. There are also interesting insights into the myths surrounding the juniper. In the past, people would sacrifice wool and food to the tree when a child was ill. But its uneven growth form can be really frightening, especially at dusk. One more reason to discover the secret of the juniper in this way.

A beautiful tour in every season, especially when sheep are in the beautiful heathland.