NORDPFAD Eichholz und Franzhorn

The NORDPFAD trail begins at the Eichholz Forest in Gnarrenburg. Majestic oaks and beeches line the edge of the forest here, and a small path leads us from the forest road into the state forest, where we turn left at the first intersection and follow the trail through the beautiful mixed forest. After about 800 m, we reach a fork that leads us to Neolithic megalithic tomb from the Neolithic period. After exploring the Neolithic tomb, we emerge from the forest. We carefully cross a country road, walk past the former brickworks , and continue through an open, expansive landscape until we reach the small settlement of Rübehorst.

At Rübehorst, we cross the country road again and follow it for 500 m on the pedestrian and bike path before crossing the road once more to turn into the Brillit settlement. We walk through parts of the Brillit settlement and turn right onto the nature trail, which leads through the middle of the fields to Feldstraße. Now the Brillit Rest Area and its playground are not far away. After a break, we cross the K 104, walk past the war memorial and the Brillit Brillit Cemetery (near starting point 2), and follow the road along the right-hand green strip to the small settlement of Franzhorn. Highland cattle graze idyllically on the pasture bordered by trees from the Franzhorn Forest. The landscape drops off sharply here. The pasture and forest lie much lower than the houses situated on the Geest ridge.

We leave the village behind and hike through the Franzhorn Forest. The NORDPFAD trail leads us initially through the southern natural forest stand, which is located within the managed state forest. It is a 200-year-old forest area where nature alone reigns supreme. We venture deeper and deeper into the forest. The silence is broken only by the rustling of leaves and birdsong. After a stretch of trail through natural terrain, we come upon a wide forest road. We keep to the right, pass a small parcel of land, and turn left again onto a narrow forest path that winds its way to the edge of the forest. Emerging from the forest, we see the Moorexpress station at Brillit on our left. A historic narrow-gauge train stops there, running leisurely from Bremen to Stade on weekends from early May through late September.  
 
We follow the walking and biking path next to the K 104, cross it after about 200 m, and walk 500 m along Ziegeleistraße (Caution: busy road and railroad crossing)! We then reach the Brillitermoor neighborhood, where a playground invites us to take a break. Now we walk along a car-free path beside the Ziegeleikanal to the Ziegeleikanal Rest Area, which is situated amid expansive pastures and meadows—a cultural landscape that developed as part of the colonization of the moor. Through drainage via ditches and canals, as well as peat extraction for fuel, the former moor was cultivated and settled beginning in the 18th century. From the rest area, you can follow the Ziegeleikanal all the way to Langenhausen, where it flows into the Oste-Hamme Canal, a tributary of the Hamme. This network of waterways not only supplied the former brickworks in Brillit with fuel peat. The Hanseatic City of Bremen was also supplied with fuel peat, bricks, and roof tiles.

The final section of the NORDPFAD runs through the vast grasslands back to Gnarrenburg. Once there, we turn behind the railroad tracks into the Eichholz Forest. We hike back to our starting point along the edge of the forest. From here, it’s not far to the center of Gnarrenburg, 1.1 km away, with its numerous shopping and dining options.   


Connections to Other NORDPFADES
A signposted and marked 7.2-km access trail leads from Starting Point 1 at the Eichholz Forest to NORDPFAD Huvenhoopsmoor.


Trail Closure Notices
Before your hike, you should check www.nordpfade.de to find out about possible detours and trail disruptions that may occur, for example, due to flooding, storm damage, or forestry work.

Marking sign
The marker shows a white "N" on an orange background with the name of the NORDPFAD Eichholz and Franzhorn.

Signposting
Destination signposts supplement the markings and are placed at prominent points. The signposts list places that are on the route or branch off from it, together with the distance in kilometers. The logo of the respective NORDPFADES is located underneath.

Komoot
We have compiled all 24 circular hiking trails in a separate NORDPFADE collection in the well-known outdoor app. The tours can also be found in the portal under the "Northern Heath" region.

Not yet on Komoot?
There is a free voucher code for new customers.The code is ROW and can be redeemed via "Redeem voucher" at komoot.de/g or via the link https://komoot.com/de-de/g?code=ROW.

The following brochures are available free of charge at local tourist information offices and at Brochure Order . They are also available for download there. 

• NORDPFADE Tour Guide
  This small brochure contains everything you need to know about the hiking region.


• NORDPFADE Overview Map
  This handy fold-out leaflet serves as a compact planning guide for the environmentally conscious.
  
  
• NORDPFADE Hiking Pass
  The stamp-free version for collectors.

There is also a paperback published by Editon Temmenverlag has published. An entertaining “hiking guide” by Lucia Gefken, who escapes her everyday life and takes up hiking.

• My NORDPFADE 
  Or: "It doesn't always have to be the Camino de Santiago!"