Circular hiking trail Eimke-Wichtenbeck

7.31 km02:10 h118 hm81 m61 mVery easyTour information for download: Our path leads through fields, forests, and heathland, crossing the heath villages of Eimke and Wichtenbeck as well as the most beautiful parts of the Gerdau Valley. The starting and ending point of this hike is up to you, as is the decision to hike the trail in individual sections. We start in the village of Eimke.Located in the Gerdau Valley, Eimke is one of the oldest villages in the Lüneburg Heath. The old village layout as a loosely built clustered village is still clearly visible in the village today. The circular village street is lined with houses from around 1900. In the center of the village lies the old Eimke fieldstone church with its wooden bell tower. It was built at the beginning of the 14th century and extensively renovated around 1850. Parts of the boulder masonry are still visible. The freestanding wooden bell tower dates back to 1618. Paintings by Rudolf Schäfer, a well-known church painter of the 20th century, adorn the archivolts above the portals. The Eimke church contains valuable furnishings: a former reliquary from the 14th century and a Gothic carved altarpiece.Passing the former Hotel Wacholderheide, we first follow the signs. It is not far to the Kirchsteigbrücke, where we cross the Gerdau for the first time. A long path past fields and meadows and through forests leads us to Wichtenbeck. For those who have worked up a sweat from eager hiking, a bold jump into the swimming pool is possible here, as there is a small but fine outdoor pool. Now we hike along the Allerbach on the meadow path towards the Gerdau again. We cross the heath stream a second time via a long boardwalk and reach the Schmarbecker Weg.If desired, one can deviate from our route here for a detour to the Kiehnmoor reservoir. This beautiful hiking trail through dense woodland is part of the Rheinmetall companys training ground and is only accessible on weekends and during non-training times – the area must not be entered when the gate is closed. However, the detour is worth it and should be considered at 3.0 km round trip.We continue through a beautiful forest area. Arriving at the shooting range in Eimke, we must decide: Do we walk back to the car or do we take the next circular route to Ellerndorf and the Ellerndorf juniper heathland?