ブルクホルツのおすすめウォーキング＆ハイキングルート

https://www.wuppertals-gruene-anlagen.de/naturerlebnisse/arboretum-burgholz

In days like these (as of August 2025), reading the memorial stone commemorating the murder of forced laborers shortly before the end of World War II makes you wonder if humanity will ever learn from this. Unfortunately, people who think we don't need democracy will never read these lines, and if they did, they wouldn't care. But everyone else should read them and ask themselves whether we want to see such times again.

There wasn't a waterfall at the moment, but the rocks there suddenly in the middle of the forest were noticeable.

The WPZ has marked four hiking trails and provided signage for the surrounding trees. Here's a PDF file: https://t1p.de/burgholz-wege . However, I prefer hiking with an app. Where can I find these four trails as GPX files?

The 100 non-native tree species are, of course, not "natural," but the clever and forward-looking creation of humans. The founder, Heinrich Hogrebe, had put in a lot of hard work. The successful growth of the introduced species has since proven that they are suitable replacements for threatened native species. As the accompanying research also discovered, native plants and animals are not disadvantaged in the process; on the contrary, they are enriched with new niches. In contrast, in the natural forest cells of Steinsieperhöh and Meersiepenkopf, where no human intervention takes place, one can see that beeches are displacing oaks. Unfortunately, it is precisely the beeches that die much faster in times of drought. Nature simply doesn't have foresight. If current living conditions dictate it, it would even create deserts... Insight: If we want to continue to have green forests in the future, human foresight, even if limited, can actively contribute to this. And we're probably also helped by some reviled neophytes like the hemp palm and the bluebell tree, which are trying to come here uninvited right now. Unless they're banned like in Switzerland. Source: no copy, no AI. Authored by myself.

When forced laborers managed to escape from their camps, for example after air raids, they were left stranded without shelter or food. They could only survive with support from the population or through raids. If they were tracked down, they were usually murdered indiscriminately. Here and in many other places. The only hope in the trap was the advance of the American troops. Thousands did not live to see that.

But it is very dark.

A helpful tip for a hike in the arboretum is to read up on the different types of trees and plants that can be seen there beforehand. This way you can look for specific species and make the hike an exciting learning experience at the same time. Also pack sturdy shoes, as paths in arboretums are often unpaved or natural, and bring plenty of water and a small snack to recharge your batteries along the way.