The best walks and hikes around Beckeln

The Ocean Bridge in Harpstedt, Lower Saxony, leads to Little America. The 99-year-old connection originated as a guesthouse, and is now popular with hikers and cyclists. Of course, this doesn't mean the United States, and "ocean" doesn't mean the Atlantic. Rather, this historic structure is a pedestrian and bicycle bridge located in the Wildeshausen Geest region of Lower Saxony. The "Ocean Bridge" is the only way to cross the Delmetal River between the Harpstedt Forest and the Harpstedt district of Little America. Or, as the nature park's website puts it: "The wooden bridge connects the village of Little America with the rest of the world." Source: https://www.kreiszeitung.de/lokales/niedersachsen/seit-99-jahren-ueber-die-ozeanbruecke-geht-es-nach-amerika-92823288.html

Two benches directly next to the small wooden bridge over the Delme invite you to take a rest.

The grounds of the Amtshof, bordered by an extensive moat, boast a long and interesting history: Originally, a moated castle stood here. After a devastating fire around 1740, it was demolished, and the inner system of ramparts and ditches was leveled. Only the surrounding moat, which widened to form a pond in the west and southwest, survived. Only a short time later, between 1741 and 1744, the present Amtshof was built on this site. Based on the castle's foundations, partly made of bricks and partly of boulders, a large, angled, two-story half-timbered building with a distinctive ridge turret was constructed. The building was extensively restored in 1980/81. A half-timbered west wing was added, so that the Harpstedt Amtshof now appears to the viewer as a three-wing complex. Source: https://www.wildegeest.de/kultur-erleben/amtshofe-und-gutshauser/amtshof-harpstedt/index.html

The Delme flows between Harpstedt and Delmenhorst as a near-natural river with floating aquatic vegetation and is bordered by moist tall herbaceous meadows and riparian forests. In the transition to the Geest, woodrush beech forests, acid beech forests, and pedunculate oak-hornbeam forests grow. On the drift and dune sands, one encounters ancient acid oak forests, dry heaths, and lean lowland hay meadows. Source: https://www.oensol.de/schutzgebiete/das-delmetal-zwischen-harpstedt-und-delmenhorst/

These are Germany's strangest trees. These aren't random occurrences, nor are they unique, strange distortions – they're a rare variety of the common beech (Fagus sylvatica), which is widespread in Germany. The name "Süntelbuche" (Süntel beech) refers to the home of this strange-looking beech growth form, namely the Süntel (Süntel beech). Twisted growth, stunted growth, looped growth, and the so-called witches' broom not only give the Süntel beech its unusual, and for many people, eerie, appearance. They also gave the tree its corresponding names: Crippled Beech, Witch's Wood, Devil's Wood, Snake Beech, Curly Beech, Umbrella Beech, Renk Beech, and many others. As the names suggest, centuries ago, people weren't particularly enthusiastic about the beauty or quirkiness of these trees. Even if they didn't find the "Süntelbeuken," as they are called in Low German, sinister and threatening, the forest owners weren't fans of the "Deuwelholt" (Devil's Wood). Its zigzag growth made it unusable. It couldn't even be stacked in meter-long pieces as firewood; the Süntel beech almost never grows a full meter in one direction. Source: https://www.wildhueter-st-hubertus.de/suentelbuche-die-rotbuche-der-besonderen-art

We have taken a break at the hut several times.

The Mooshütte is located in the Harpstedt Forest near the Delme.

Great for a short stopover 👋