NORDPFAD Kuhbach-Oste

This hike begins at the Hotel-Restaurant Schröder in Groß Meckelsen. At the end of the parking lot, turn right into the unspoiled Kuhmühler Forest, which we’ll hike through until we reach the small settlement of Kuhmühlen.

We cross the county road and follow the trail through the gently rolling Geest landscape, which offers beautiful views into the distance time and again. Along the way, the rest area under the oak trees by the orchard meadow provides a good spot to take a break. Afterward, we continue straight ahead through wide fields, along the L 142 to Forged artwork "Kissed by the Sun". It’s not far now to the Hohe Buchen forest area, along the edge of which the NORDPFAD trail runs. the Hohe Buchen Information Station—complete with a tree phone—invites you to take a break.

We continue our hike through the Groß Meckelsen residential area and through a beautiful spruce and pine forest. Leaving the forest, we head through the lush meadows of the Kuhbach Valley, where, in the middle of a pasture, we find the Kuhbachtal Burial Mound. It is one of several burial mounds located in the Kuhbach estuary. Finally, we reach the Kuhbach Bridge near the mouth of the Oste, the second starting point of this NORDPFAD.

From there, the trail leads us through the deeply incised and densely forested Oste Valley. In summer, the banks of the meandering Oste offer us colorful flowering plant communities, and in winter, some bizarre ice and snow formations. With a little luck, we can spot kingfishers, grey herons, or splendid dragonflies here. A little later, we cross the country road and leave the Oste Valley. Passing by large fields, we reach the Kuhmühler Forest and, shortly thereafter, the shore of the picturesquely situated mill pond, which is fed by the Kuhbach stream. The Mühlenteich and the historic ensemble of half-timbered buildings from the former mill and estate complex form the centerpiece of the Kuhmühlen Recreation Area.

The final leg takes us back through the forest and across the Kuhbach to the starting point. The light filtering through the dense or sparse tree canopy creates a spectacular display of colors along the way. Shortly before the finish, the artwork titled “The Lovers”, complete with a fawn, awaits us. A wooden art installation that tells a beautiful saga about the region.

Connections to Other NORDPFADEN Trails
A 4.5 km access trail leads from the “Hohen Buchen” to starting point 1 of the NORDPFAD Börde Sittensen.

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

Marking sign
The marker shows a white "N" on an orange background with the name of the NORDPFAD Kuhbach-Oste.

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" atkomoot.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 Hiking Guide
  This small brochure contains everything you need to know about the hiking region.


• NORDPFADE Overview Map
  This handy 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 Way of St. James!"