Forstmeisterrunde

On the Forstmeisterrunde (marker 3), the route is varied and you can hike through different types of forest use. The trail commemorates three foresters (the former term for forestry office manager) who are associated with the forest area on this trail. Forester Kühbacher created the Kühbacher Wiese, the former sheep pasture of Veckerhagen. Forester Mergell established the spruce clumps in Reinhardswald. Forester Pauli died while hunting a stag. A memorial stone commemorates the event, which you will encounter on the tour.
The route starts at the Kühbach meadow, which is still partly used as forest pasture (Hute). Soon after, you will come across the Fichtenklumpse. The spruce clumps are unique and only developed here in the Reinhardswald as a compromise between haymaking and forestry on the very moist and oxygen-poor whey soils. A spruce clump is a plantation on a hill with an oak or beech tree in the middle and 37 spruce trees in a circle around it. You hike a good distance through this unique feature before crossing a hunting lane and reaching the Holzape spring. The Holzapequelle is the highest spring in the Reinhardswald, which also feeds the longest stream in the Reinhardswald at around 26 km. The Holzape flows into the Diemel at Wülmersen and the Diemel flows into the Weser at Bad Karlshafen.
At the Staufenberghütte hut shortly afterwards, you can enjoy a short break and bring your own picnic. Incidentally, here on the Staufenberg you are at the highest point of the Reinhardswald at 472.2 meters. The Weserhänge natural forest reserve begins to the right of the path. This is an unmanaged forest area, the primeval forest of tomorrow, so to speak. Here the forest can develop without human influence such as forestry.
development. This forest development is being investigated by the Northwest German Forest Research Institute on a partial area, the total reserve and the adjacent comparison areas with human use. You hike along the natural forest reserve and follow an old oak avenue that was once used as a drift path (a track along which cattle were driven into the forest).
As you can read: a very varied and diverse hike awaits you here. Keep your eyes open to recognize all these forms of forest use (also through the ages).