Hiking Highlight
Recommended by 67 out of 69 hikers
This Highlight is in a protected area
Please check local regulations for: Schlei
The right source has now been swallowed up by the loop, this is a replica and perhaps the shortest watercourse in the world - it is around ten meters from the source to the mouth.
June 17, 2020
Offa Spring
The spring bubbled on the banks of the Schlei and slowly moved into the water of the Schlei due to land collapse. It was buried in 1987 when the western stone wall for the bathing area was being built - Various legends surround the spring. - The historian Dr. Walter Luth reports in his work "Arnis - small town with a big past" about the Offa legend from the Widsith epic:
Wermund, the king of Angeln, was full of grief and worry about his kingdom, because the ageing ruler had only one son, called Offa or Uffa, who was blind, mute and paralyzed. Wermund still had enough strength to keep his hostile neighbors away from his borders with his sword. But that was to be Offa's task and the terrible end was foreseeable. Then the king heard of a spring on the banks of the Schlei, whose water was said to have miraculous powers: "Whoever bathed in this spring every seven years under the spell of Sirius at full moon would be cured of all ailments and would be able to defeat any enemy in close combat." The aged ruler had meanwhile gone completely blind and deep grief spread across his country when the Danish king Alewich sent a challenge to a duel, the outcome of which would determine the future of Angeln. His son 0ffa had meanwhile bathed in the spring several times and recovered. This made him feel strong enough to accept the challenge to a duel that had been sent to his father. The fight took place on Eider Island and Offa was victorious. The water from the spring near Arnis had kept what was believed to be its powers and, thanks to its healing power, saved the Angeln region.
February 10, 2023
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