NORDPFAD Two mills

Our hike begins at the picturesque location on the upper reaches of the Oste River, Eitzmühlen Watermill , which houses the Oste-Café is located, which is open on weekends from late March through early October.

From here, we take the 200-meter-long access path to the second intersection. That’s where our loop hike begins, taking us first to Mergelkuhle. Until the early 20th century, this former quarry supplied lime fertilizer to local farms and the entire Elbe-Weser region. Today, the lake—filled with groundwater and designated as a protected landscape—serves as a valuable habitat for flora and fauna. A large mammoth tusk was also found during excavations in the pit. The NORDPFAD now continues on to Godenstedt, a small village
through which the Oste River meanders and whose village landscape is characterized by centuries-old oak trees and several farms. In the center of Godenstedt, a master miller—whose last name is Müller—runs a oil mill. It can be visited upon request.

An information board at the Godenstedt rest area provides information about the history of the town and invites visitors to take a break, offering a great view of the landscape shaped by the Oste River. Also worth seeing is the Godenstedt bell tower.

We leave the village and walk a short distance along the bike and walking path next to the K 143 until a dirt road branches off to the right. From here, the route takes us along nature trails through fertile fields and lush meadows of the expansive Badetal valley. After about 2 km, we reach the eastern part of the Godenstedter Holz, into which we now venture.

At a signposted trail junction, we take the 400-meter-long branch leading to Bademühlen Watermill would be happy to purchase. The fully functional mill from the 16th
century is idyllically situated on a mill pond fed by the Bade River. This river flows into the Oste south of Godenstedt. After a short rest, we leave the beautiful mill complex behind, walk back to the intersection, and hike along the NORDPFAD through the western section of the Godenstedter Holz. We venture deeper and deeper through the dense canopy of the forest until, after 1 km, we come to a turnoff leading to Hanni Hase Forest. This “fairy-tale forest” near the village of Ostereistedt is considered the “home” of the Easter Bunny and his helpers. A large Easter celebration takes place here every year.

We continue hiking through the dense forest to the edge of the woods. From here on, we enjoy the sweeping view of the Geest landscape. At the end of the trail, we cross the K 142 and turn left onto the paved bike and hiking path. Passing Martens Farm, we follow the signs, which lead us a short while later onto a dirt road that takes us back to Eitzmühlen Watermill.


Connections to Other NORDPFAD Trails
The NORDPFAD Trail intersects directly with the NORDPFAD Zevener Geest. A signposted and marked 5-km access trail also leads from the Eitzmühlen watermill to starting point 1 of the NORDPFAD Ostetal.


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

Marker
The marker shows a white "N" on an orange background with the name of the NORDPFAD Zwei Mühlen.

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 linkhttps://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 Temmenverlaghas 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!”