Ith loop

Osterwald, Nesselberg, Ith and Thüster Berg form the attractive scenic backdrop of the Ith Loop, a cycling route around 90 km long that connects many historical and cultural sights between Brünnighausen in the north and Wallensen and Harderode in the south. Partly on cycle paths along major roads, but mostly on developed field paths, the Ith Loop presents varying challenges to the fitness and endurance of leisure cyclists. Sections are less strenuous, especially for e-bike riders. With the help of the map and good signposting, the entire route can be divided into several smaller loops, each offering a shorter but equally interesting cycling excursion. The region known geographically as the Ith-Hils-Mulde was settled early on and has been the subject of disputes between competing noble families since the Middle Ages. The noble lords of Homburg and the counts of Spiegelberg built their castles here and asserted ownership claims. The wealth of natural resources - coal, clay, gypsum, salt, limestone, and sandstone - led to the development of small industrial centers around 400 years ago. Mining, glassworks, saltworks, brickworks, potteries, and quarries provided livelihoods for those not solely dependent on agriculture. Even today, the natural resources of the Ith-Hils-Mulde remain economically significant.