Heideschleife Büsenbachtal

Hiking with the highlights of the Lüneburg Heath. There are hardly any better hiking trails in Lower Saxony.

Up and down, forest and heath, mountain and valley: the Büsenbachtal heath loop is full of contrasts. The undisputed highlight of the hiking trail is the 129-metre-high Brunsberg. And the lowest point is the lovely and romantic Büsenbach Valley.

There are two starting points for the Büsenbach Valley Heath Loop: The picturesque landscape at Brunsberg near Sprötze (train arrival possible) and the hiking parking lot at Büsenbachtal (train arrival possible). As the Heideschleife is a circular hiking trail, you can start at either point.

The Heideschleife Büsenbachtal starts at the hiking parking lot Büsenbachtal. To the left of the inconspicuous stream, the trail leads up the heather valley. Large junipers keep watch, repeatedly providing a view of the heathland above. As far as the Heidschnuckenweg. At the footbridge, the Büsenbach stream flows with clear water over the sandy valley floor. A few tufts of tall grass, some cotton grass, scattered birches and junipers. Behind them, scraggly heather bushes in all shapes and sizes. A picture-book heather valley.

Change of perspective: from the horse's head, the view glides down the Büsenbach valley. On the opposite side, the vast heathland stretches out. Below, in the upper valley floor, a few ponds shimmer between the trees.

We hike down into the forest towards Brunsberg. On the right are the vacation homes hidden in the forest, on the left a thick and dark fir forest. A small biotope, a paradise for amphibians and frogs. Shortly before the heath around the Brunsberg, the Heidschnuckenweg and Heideschleife separate. While the Heidschnuckenweg leads directly to the Brunsberg, the Heideschleife descends into the Höllenschlucht gorge. A narrow valley barely 5 meters wide. Steep, sandy valley walls only a few meters high, with trees clinging to them. It is dark here, even in midsummer.

Along with the Heidschnuckenweg trail, the Heideschleife gains height, the forest becomes thinner, then the open heathland. And the last steep meters to the boulder on the summit of the Brunsberg. Views on all sides, over the heathland and across the forest to the Seeve valley.

On the hiking trail to the north-west to the Kleiner Brunsberg. View back to the large Brunsberg. The path winds through sparse pine forest with blueberry and heather bushes to Sprötzer Heide, an unknown heath gem.

The elongated band of the Lohberge leads back to the Büsenbach valley. Up and down. Mighty pines alternate with fir and beech forests. Passing mighty beech trees and boulders, the heath loop reaches the heathland in the Büsenbach valley. And meets up with the Heidschnuckenweg trail again. The rest area up here is the best place to take in the extent of the valley. Immerse yourself once again in the splendor of the heath and follow the sandy path down to the footbridge.


Excellent! The Heideschleife Büsenbachtal was awarded 2nd place in the "Tours" category of the 2025 Germany's Most Beautiful Hiking Trail competition - making it Germany's second most beautiful hiking trail!