Achim and surroundings

The term "umzu" comes from northern Germany and means "around".

Directions:
We start this circular hiking trail at "Gaswerkstraße" heading west, always along the railway line (1). You cross Bruchstraße and hike parallel to the Bremen-Hannover railway line (2). At the end of the trail, you turn right and follow the path towards Oyten. You cross the highway and then reach a moor landscape. Always keep left here until you reach Oyter See (3). Your path now leads to the right along the lake, which you can also completely circle. Past the campsite, you reach the road "Am Berg", where you turn right. Continue straight until a small service road branches off to the right into the fields at the road "Zum Moor", across from the Embsen shooting club. Turn here. At the second junction, keep left and now come via the road "Beekenende" to Embsen (4). Turn right into "Breite Straße" and right again into "Embser Dorfstraße". You now pass through the old town center of the Achim district of Embsen (5). Via the road "Am Edelhof" and "In der Grund", you reach the highway again, which you pass under this time. Via "Sperlingsweg" and the adjacent "Lerchenstraße", you return to the starting point at "Gaswerkstraße".

Sights/Information:

(1) Railway Line:
In 1847, Achim connected to the industrial age with the opening of the Bremen-Wunstorf railway line. The Achim train station has preserved its basic appearance to this day. Only on July 1, 1899, did the neighboring town of Baden, today's Achim district, receive a passenger stop, after numerous Baden citizens had submitted petitions to "the esteemed railway management".
In the 19th/20th century, many emigrants used the railway line (also called the "America Line") from Stendal, via Uelzen, Langwedel, Bremen to Bremerhaven, to travel to America from Bremerhaven by ship. Since Bremerhaven did not have enough hotel capacity, the less wealthy emigrants waited in Bremen in the Missler halls, while the wealthier ones stayed in luxury hotels. Only a few days/hours before departure overseas, they took the train to Bremerhaven.

(2) Former Bruch:
Bruchland means swamp and moorland. The extensive, flat grassland to the right behind the houses only gives a hint of the former Bruch. A high water table once allowed alders and sedge grasses to grow here until ditches were dug and the land was cultivated.
The Bruch and its waters are the habitat of various amphibians and a feeding ground for white storks. The amphibians hibernate under thick leaves or in burrows, some deep in the mud. The following generation usually migrates back to the waters where they hatched to spawn.

(3) Oyter See:
The lake is located at Bremer Kreuz and was created in the 1930s through soil excavation for the construction of the HaFraBa highway (Hamburg - Frankfurt - Basel), later BAB A1. Today, the area serves as a recreational area with facilities for leisure and sports, hiking trails, beach, and campsite.

(4) Storks:
Perhaps you will be lucky and spot a stork in "Beekenende" street? White storks are one of the characteristic species of the Wesermarsch. They find food on the less intensively cultivated grassland around Embsen and in the Achim Bruch.
The number of storks in the Achim area had been steadily declining until the 1990s due to the loss of many farms and renovations. With the help of dedicated citizens, several artificial nests were built, which were marten-proof and mounted on poles, providing new nesting opportunities. Fortunately, there are now several young storks to be observed in the Achim landscape.

(5) Embsen:
The origin of the village of Embsen was a noble estate, first mentioned in a fief roll of the Count of Schwerin in 1297 as "Hemese". In 1645, the estate came into the possession of the Clüver family. After several changes of ownership, it came to the later district councillor of Achim von Düring in 1742. In a corner of the estate, two brothers of the von Düring family are buried under stone tombs. The remaining estate was purchased in 1928 by Johann Bischoff from Achim, whose heirs still own it today.

You can also find the tour on Komoot.

Safety Instructions:
Throughout the tour, it is advised that the paths are walked at your own risk. No guarantee is given for the usability of the paths. In cities/places, general heightened attention should be maintained. Hazards can be expected on the tour, such as bollards, turnstiles, and unsecured crossings.