NORDPFAD Zevener Geest

The NORDPFAD Zevener Geest starts at the Zeven bus station parking lot and leads us first to theMuseum Kloster Zeven. The Benedictine nunnery, which was built together with St. Viti's Church around 1141, now houses local history collections. We leave the "thick" walls behind us. At the multi-generational playground nearby, we turn right into the Ahe municipal forest. Now we walk along the Mehde to the Zeven natural swimming pool. If you have time, you should not miss out on a cool footbath in the Mehde or a dip in the beautifully designed outdoor pool on hot days.

After the natural swimming pool, we follow the road northwards on the cycle and footpath. We cross the railroad tracks and walk through a beautiful mixed forest. At the next signpost, we leave the wide forest path and walk through the forest on a near-natural path until we reach another wide forest path. Gradually, we leave the forest behind us and turn our gaze to the green and wide lowlands of the Oste, which flows along on our right. We follow the path and pass the small Mehde stream. After accompanying us more or less on our hike, it flows into the Oste shortly after the bridge. The Mehde rest area there invites you to take a break. Now we are already in the small village of Brauel, where we use the footpath there and pass the bell tower.

Once in Brauel, we cross the B 71 at a set of traffic lights. If it is open, we can stop for refreshments at the local inn. We walk through the tranquil village and through a mosaic of fields, meadows and forests to the Nullmoor. Today, this is drained by many ditches and used by local farmers. The route continues south on a firm path to the K 143, which we cross. Now turn right onto the cycle and footpath along the district road in the direction of Godenstedt. After 1.6 km, we finally turn left onto a field path in the direction of Badetal. From here, we continue along natural paths. The gently undulating Geest landscape offers special views and natural tranquillity. The Bade, a small tributary of the Oste, is our constant companion through the Badetal valley of the same name.

We come across the NORDPFAD Zwei Mühlen at a crossroads. Both NORDPFADE trails now lead together through the Godenstedter Holz forest to the Bademühlen watermill. The fully functional mill from the 16th century is idyllically situated on a mill pond, which is fed by the river Bade and provides a romantic backdrop for a break. After inspecting the mill, we leave the historic building behind us and continue our hike through the village of the same name. We cross the L 122 and reach a covered rest area from where we have a view of the former Oak Ranch. In the distance, we also catch our first glimpse of the edge of the Großer Holz forest, which we walk through on forest paths and where we first reach the formerZeven-Bademühlen youth hostel. From here, we continue deeper and deeper through the northern part of the forest. The large forest area is only cut through by the L 133, which we have to cross again.

Behind the Großes Holz parking lot, our little adventure journey through the southern forest area of the Großes Holz recreational area begins. A forest nature trail leads us to the large Großes Holz adventure playground, where various play equipment, swings and a ropeway invite us to romp, climb, explore and build. Shelters and picnic areas offer the ideal opportunity to take a break and recharge your batteries. After a long rest, we continue along the forest nature trail before gradually approaching the edge of the forest again.

We walk a short distance along the L 122 and turn left onto a field path at the first houses. Our last stage takes us through agricultural land and past a small wood, where the Zeven "Kronshusen Memorial" (also known as the "Russian Cemetery") is located, to Zeven. The route continues for around 1.5 km through residential areas of Zeven, past schools, before reaching the town park and finally the starting point, the parking lot at the bus station. If you wish, you can explore the town center with its small pedestrian zone and numerous works of art or the Königin-Christinen-Haus with its sculpture garden . Finally, with a slice of the famous "Zevener Himmelstorte" and a cup of coffee, you can reflect on the beautiful hike.


Networking with other NORDPFADEN trails
The NORDPFAD runs parallel to the NORDPFAD Zwei Mühlen for a short distance in the Badetal valley and the Bademühlen watermill.


Disturbance reports
Before your hike, you should check www.nordpfade.de for information about possible detour and disruptions to the trail, 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 Zevener Geest.

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.

From the A1 and A27 highways, it is around 20 and 30 minutes respectively to the starting points, at each of which there is an information board and parking facilities.

• Starting point 1: 27404 Zeven, parking lot at the bus station, L 122, Am Markt
• Starting point 2: 27404 Zeven, parking lot in Großer Holz, L 133, Tarmstedter Straße

Two parking facilities are available at the NORDPFAD. The respective starting points can also be found there.

• Parking lot 1: 27404 Zeven, parking lot at the bus station, L 122 and parking lot at St. Viti Church, Klostergang 2-3, about 100 meters to starting point 1
• Parking lot 2: 27404 Zeven, parking lot in Großer Holz, L 133, Tarmstedter Straße

Arrival by bus

• Bus stop: Zeven bus station, directly at the S1 and former Zeven Bademühlen youth hostel (only bus route 630!)
  Bus route 630: runs daily between Bremen and Zeven
• Bus route 800: runs Mon.-Sat. between Rotenburg (Wümme) and Zeven, in Rotenburg (Wümme) there is a connection to Metronom to Hamburg and Bremen
• Bus route 820: runs Mon.-Sat. between Bremervörde and Zeven, in Bremervörde there is a connection to EVB to Bremerhaven and Buxtehude
• Bus route 2029: runs Mon.-Sat. between Stade and Zeven, in Stade there is a connection to Metronom to Hamburg and Cuxhaven
• Bus route 3860 "Oste-Sprinter": runs Mon.-Sat. between Tostedt and Zeven, in Tostedt there is a connection to Metronom to Hamburg, Rotenburg and Bremen
• Info: www.fahrplaner.vnn.de

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 the local tourist information offices and under brochure order. They are also available for download.

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


• NORDPFADE overview map
  The handy leaflet is a small planning aid for the environmentally conscious.
  
  
• NORDPFADE hiking pass
  The stamp-free version for collectors.

There is also a pocket book published by Editon Temmenverlag. An amusingly written "hiking guide" by Lucia Gefken, who escapes her everyday life and starts hiking.

• My NORDPFADE
  Or: "It doesn't always have to be the Way of St. James!"