Rureifel: Through the Drover Heide

The Drover Heide is a 670 hectare nature and bird sanctuary of outstanding European importance. It is part of the National Natural Heritage and has been owned by the Stiftung Natur Heimat Kultur NRW gGmbH since 2016. After the departure of the Belgian military from the former training ground, a habitat for rare and endangered plant and animal species was able to develop. Prehistoric crayfish feel at home here, as do the natterjack toad and the crested newt in the numerous ponds. Many disturbance-sensitive breeding birds such as the woodlark, nightjar, and red-backed shrike have settled in the sanctuary.
The Drover Heide is crisscrossed by a network of hiking trails with color-coded posts, allowing for individual tours. There is a barrier-free circular route for wheelchair users, and the approach to the lookout hill is also accessible.
This tour suggestion through the Drover Heide is also suitable for children riding a balance bike and for all-terrain strollers.
Directions
From the "Burgweg" bus stop, we walk uphill along Wewordenstraße. Behind the large parking lot on the right side, we can catch a glimpse of Burg Drove through the gate. At the end of the road, we turn right. At the information board for the Drover Heide, we turn left, pass through the barrier, and find ourselves in the open landscape of the Drover Heide. We walk straight ahead and take the second left turn (at the bench) towards the lookout hill. From here, you have a beautiful panoramic view. Information panels explain a lot about the heath landscapes. We continue our hike and head north straight ahead. Passing ponds and sometimes crossing over boardwalks, we reach a T-junction where we turn right.
We mostly follow the circular trail No. 52 marked by the Eifel Club or the dark blue markings of the large Heideweg. During our hike, we walk on well-maintained paths through a diverse landscape. The flat hiking trails through the open heath, across meadows, and light forests, sometimes lead over wooden boardwalks and offer special insights into the habitat of rare plants and animals.
At the information board about the red wood ant, the large Heideweg (dark blue marking) separates from circular trail No. 52. From this point on, we follow the Eifel Club marking No. 52 straight ahead. At the end of the road, we turn right at the T-junction with a resting bench and here we meet again the dark blue marking of the large Heideweg. This accompanies us and hiking trail No. 52 to the end of the tour. Along the way, a so-called "open forest mushroom" invites you to rest and relax.