バルンシュトルフのおすすめウォーキング＆ハイキングルート

Architectural style one would not have expected here

Interesting section along the Hunte River

The Goldenstedt Moor is a raised bog and part of the Diepholz Moor Lowland, one of the largest remaining contiguous raised bog landscapes in Germany. Bogs once covered a good ten percent of Lower Saxony. But people viewed them as nothing more than wasteland. The swaying ground, which squished with every step, also frightened them. They feared drowning if they lost a safe path in the thick fog. Horror stories told of bog corpses and will-o'-the-wisps. For centuries, the land was cultivated through drainage, the peat was extracted for fuel or bedding for animal stables. The areas were decimated and lost their original character – including the Goldenstedt Moor. But in 1984, it was placed under protection, and rewetting began. You can now visit a bog that has regained its natural appearance in many places, where cotton grass and sundew grow, and sphagnum mosses are causing the bog to grow back in height – one millimeter per year.

One of the few places I know where you can see sundew from the trail. It's best to bring binoculars.

The moor is still being drained today to create areas for agriculture and livestock farming.

What was once a moor is now a second-hand habitat. But is it worth it?

It almost seems as if parts of the Moor Railway have been forgotten here. But is that really the case?

The rewetted part of the Goldenstedt Moor is a wonderful habitat. In addition to the peat moss, you'll also find cotton grass and sundew. A successful example of nature conservation! Peat is still being mined a little further along.