Between Pöhlde and Rhumequelle

Short description

Between Pöhlde and Rhumequelle

Floating island, sinkholes, moors, and the largest spring in Northern Germany

Description

You walk above, the water below. This tour runs over numerous underground channels in the karst, which form the drainage of the catchment area from Oder and Sieber to the Rhumequelle.

Directions

We start at the Rhumequelle. This largest karst spring in Northern Germany receives the majority of its water from the seepage of the Harz rivers Oder and Sieber. These seepage points are located about 50 - 60 m higher than the basin of the Rhumequelle. Rows of sinkholes indicate the underground flow of the karst water on the surface of the earth. At this location, the karstified Zechstein layers are faulted against the Buntsandstein. The water rises at this fault.

During the day, about 215,000 m³ of water flow out of the depths through the Rhume, which is around 2,500 liters per second. During low water, only 0.9 m³/s flows out. In contrast, the spring can discharge up to 5.5 m³/s during flood times. The water has a constant temperature between 8° and 9° C. Around 40,000 tons of gypsum and 17,000 tons of limestone leave the South Harz annually in dissolved form via the spring and ultimately end up in the North Sea!

The further circular route leads over the wooded Bornberg (Born = spring) into a side valley with the nature reserve Gr. Butterloch and other partially swampy sinkholes, significant biotopes for animals and plants of moist habitats. Ascending, it goes up to the pass at the former brickworks of Pöhlde, which forms the above-ground watershed between the South Harz and the Eichsfeld.

On the other side, ascending leads to a circumnavigation of the NSG Floating Island, a deep sinkhole, at the bottom of which a plant community floating due to gas bubbles had formed on a sinkhole pond, which has now largely silted up. This short round already reveals beautiful views of the further South Harz. Those who wish can take a short detour from here to the medieval rampart König Heinrichs Vogelherd.

Otherwise, the path continues on the signposted karst hiking trail over the old railway embankment paved as a cycling and hiking trail back towards Rhumequelle. At a somewhat tricky point, we leave the embankment, cross the road, and walk along some fish ponds and a pretty path in the deciduous forest above the state road back to the starting point.

Parking information

Parking lot Rhumequelle on Herzberger Straße