Myth of the Moor

Many moorland areas have been drained in the past decades due to peat extraction. Meanwhile, ecologists consider moors as habitats worth preserving. The hiking tour "Myth of the Moor" leads through a diverse landscape, inviting you to enjoy the silence in the moor area and explore the Achimer Golf Course.

Directions:
From the parking lot, turn left onto the unpaved road. On your right is the Lindholz (1). Then, keep left at the fork in the road (2). You are now on the direct path to the Etelser Moor (3). The hiking trail leads you straight ahead until you turn left onto the "Schlackenweg". At the next turn, go left again and return to the moor. Following this path, you will eventually reach the "Roedenbeckstraße" (4) and cross it. Leave the moor behind.
You will now cross the grounds of the Achimer Golf Course (5). Walk along the driveway to the golf clubhouse, lined with an oak tree avenue. Then, you will reach the small Bassener Mühlengraben and turn right. Walk along the golf course for a bit, then turn left and left again at the fork in the road. Now, keep right and follow the path to Steller Berg. Once there, turn left at the bench and cross the golf course. After about 300 meters, turn left again and reach a junction, where you turn right. At the fork in the road, turn left again. Along this path, you will pass by the Wäldchen Nordhornsberg and continue straight at the road junction. At the next intersection, turn left and pass by the golf course once more. Via the road "Im Rucksort", you will reach the "Roedenbeckstraße" again. After crossing it, turn left and then right to return to the starting point.

Notable/Interesting Points:

(1) Lindholz:
Lindholz is a diverse mixed forest with spruces, sessile oaks, beeches, and larches. The birdlife is equally diverse: jackdaws, woodpeckers, treecreepers, tits, bullfinches, robins, wrens, and many others call this place home.

(2) Sand dunes/Baden:
Today, only minimal remnants are visible of the Achimer part of the dune ridge between Bremen and Langwedel depicted here. Extensive sand extraction and nearly complete settlement make it hard to imagine the vast sand areas from the turn of the century. The Achimer Geestplateau, surrounded by moors and wet lowlands, was shaped during the Ice Age as a higher-level ground moraine table with a belt of dunes. When looking at these sand masses, one can find a possible explanation for Achim's founding legend, in which the name Achim is said to originate from the exclamation of a dying Saxon nobleman fleeing from Charlemagne's pursuers towards Verden, arriving at the Achimer dunes and attempting to say "Ach, I must die in the sand.", but only managing to utter "Ach, in ..." before death took him.

(3) Etelser Moor:
Etelser Moor is a heavily wooded high moor with birches and pines, featuring isolated heath areas that are popular among hiking beekeepers. Everywhere, you can see traces of peat extraction from past days: meter-high peat walls and deep water trenches, all draining into the Bassener Mühlengraben. Peat was a vital resource used for heating in the previous century. The moor was largely drained, but in some former peat pits with remaining water, peat moss and sundew still grow. Additionally, cotton grass and heather can be found here. It is a unique habitat for insects, birds, reptiles, and other animals.
In the nearby Badener Moor, after efforts by the Nature Conservation Association, an approximately eight-hectare area has been re-wetted. It is intended to serve long-term climate protection. A dam made of impermeable black peat was constructed using machinery to prevent rainwater runoff. This project creates more habitat for many threatened animal and plant species.

(4) Badenermoor:
The Achim district of Badenermoor was not historically developed like the former villages over centuries; instead, it was artificially created as a settlement in the middle of the Badener-Etelser-Ueser Moor according to the vision of the then Achim district administrator Roedenbeck. Unfortunately, he did not live to see the completion of his "life's work", as he fell as a soldier in Flanders in November 1914. Besides the memorial for District Administrator Roedenbeck, another memorial stone was erected under the Roedenbeck oak tree, commemorating the fate of the former prisoners of war. From 1914 to 1919, the area housed a fenced and guarded camp where primarily Belgian and French prisoners of war were interned. They were the ones who, from 1914 to 1918, had to build the first paths and ditches to make the moor accessible. They also cultivated a part of the moor, planting potatoes for their sustenance, among other things. After the completion of the settlement in the early 1920s, the moor colony was supposed to become independent and be named Roedenbeck. You can find the Roedenbeck oak and the memorial stone next to the cemetery at the end point of the tour. Tip: Just a few meters away in the village center, there is an information board from the Achim Heritage Association detailing the village's history.

(5) Achimer Golf Course:
The golf course, completed in 1998 and covering around 125 hectares, harmoniously blends into the landscape, featuring ditches, ponds, bunkers, individual groups of trees, and wooded areas forming a cohesive ensemble. New habitat for local flora and fauna was created on previously agricultural land. However, some things were lost due to the redesign: this included extensively used moist, herb-rich meadows, which provided a refuge for a shy, very rare, and endangered meadow bird - hardly visible, but identifiable by its unique song. Its unusual name, Quail King, is remembered through the restaurant named after it. An orchard with old tree varieties offers a rich source of pollen for several honeybee colonies, wild bee species, and other insects. Golfers and visitors can pick an apple for refreshment. Public paths cross the golf course grounds, inviting cyclists and hikers.

You can also find the tour on Komoot.

Safety Information:
Throughout the entire tour, please note that the paths are walked at your own risk. There is no guarantee of path usability. Increased caution is advised in cities/towns. Be prepared for potential hazards on the tour, such as bollards, barriers, and unsecured crossings.