Southwest of Hanover is a mountain range that is ideal for an excursion into the countryside. The Deister is a popular local recreation area for Hanover and very popular with hikers and cyclists.
What is the Deister and where is it located?
The Deister is a mountain range up to 405 meters high in the Calenberg Uplands, on the northern border of the Lower Saxony Uplands. It stretches around 20 kilometers southwest of Hanover and is part of the Weser-Leine Uplands.
The mountain range is covered by dense forests, mainly beech and spruce forests, some of which are mixed beech-oak forests.
Formation of the Deister
The history of the formation of the mountain range is linked to geological processes and climatic changes that have taken place over millions of years.
The Deister consists of various types of rock, including limestone, marl and sandstone. These rocks originate from the Lower Cretaceous period, which dates back around 100 to 140 million years. The rocks were uplifted by tectonic movements in the course of the earth’s history and form the mountain range today. The surface of the Deister was formed during the Elster and Saale glacial periods, which took place around 400,000 to 200,000 years ago.
Hiking in the Deister
Countless hiking routes of various lengths and levels of difficulty are signposted throughout the Deister region. Many of the paths are excellently developed and invite you to discover the region.
We start our hike at one of the many hiking parking lots in the region.
The forest adventure trail in the Deister
The approximately 2.5-kilometre-long forest adventure trail starts from the Wennigsen “Waldkater” hiking parking lot and leads to the water wheels in the Deister. As the route is quite easy to walk, it is particularly suitable for a family outing. If you would like to walk longer, you can extend the route at any time. The nature puzzle trail begins immediately afterwards and paths lead towards the viewing tower and restaurants on the ridge of the mountain range.
There is an information board at the start of the forest adventure trail that explains more about the trail. There are a total of 8 different stations, which are always right at the edge of the path. Each of these stations focuses on a particular topic. Anyone who thinks that the focus here is just on fun and games for children is mistaken. For example, I wouldn’t have known which forest animal can jump how far, let alone which silhouette matches which bird in the region. It’s good that the solutions are revealed at some of the stations (sometimes somewhat hidden).
For me, it’s always nice when the hike/walk in the forest offers a bit of variety. For this reason alone, I “had” to experience every station and even learned something!
Coal mining in the Deister
On our hiking trail, we cross a section that looks as if the path simply runs between an elevation. However, we notice that the soil has a completely different color. It quickly becomes clear that we are at a place where coal was once mined.
Deister coal is found in seams that are up to 100 cm thick. The first records of coal mining in the Deister date back to 1639, when the first documented coal mine was operated southwest of Wennigsen. At the end of the 16th century, Barsinghausen was already home to simple cave diggings where the inhabitants mined coal.
Coal mining was an important source of income for the sovereigns and their court. The coal from the Deister contributed significantly to industrialization and changed the Calenberg region in the 19th century.
In 1857, the municipality of Barsinghausen sold its mine to the Royal Ministry of Finance in Hanover for 292,500 thalers. In the years before the First World War, state mining in the Deister experienced its greatest heyday with an annual output of 500,000 tons.
The formal closure decision was made by the Preussag Supervisory Board on November 28, 1955, and the mining facilities in Barsinghausen were abandoned on December 31, 1956.
There are still coal mining tunnels and shafts in the Deister to this day. Well secured, of course, so that no accidents happen and sometimes a little hidden. We discover a hole in the forest off the path, surrounded by a construction fence. This is where the coal used to be dug out from underneath the first layers of soil.
There is also the Klosterstollen visitor mine in Barsinghausen, where visitors can learn a lot about this time and the working methods. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time to go there. I will probably plan to do so on another visit to the area.
The Wennigs water wheels
After a good 2.5 km, we reach one of the most popular excursion destinations in the Deister – the Wennigs water wheels.
Admittedly, I hadn’t heard anything about it before and was very surprised when we got there. There are countless lovingly designed miniature water mills along a 100 m long stream. Since 1957, hobbyists have been building the models here every year in mid-April, which can then be visited free of charge up to and including October 3rd.
The stream, which flows quite steeply downhill here, carries water all year round. In some places, the members of the association “Bastlergemeinschaft der Wennigser Wasserräder e.V.” have built small barrages. The water then flows through or along the models and sets them in motion. It clacks, it rushes, it turns and it even flashes – all powered by water.
What a lot there is to discover here! For example, there is a blacksmith in his house, hammering away at an anvil. There are water wheels that bring scenes from the world of fairy tales to life. A cable car transports visitors back and forth and even an airport has been built over the years. My favorite was the fire station, where the firemen went up and down the tower, and the large Dutch windmill.
As I walk along the small stream, I notice so many small and large details that make each model unique. And even the surroundings around the water are varied with small figures. I can well understand why visitors are drawn here again and again and it’s not just children who love looking at the models.
Moving on
We now headed back to our car-sharing e-cars, which we had rented from Stadtmobil Hannover. This is a great idea, especially for holidaymakers who want to explore the Hanover region with a little more flexibility and less reliance on public transport.
Those who prefer to hike a little longer should continue along the ridge of the Deister. There you will find the Annaturm, for example, from where you can enjoy a fantastic view over the region. There is also a forest restaurant there for a break.
Tip:
There is a Deister hiking pass that can be stamped at 12 official stamping stations. The pass is available at all tourist information offices in the Deister and also in Hanover. Once you have collected all the stamps, you can either keep your pass as a souvenir or present it at one of the tourist information offices and receive the Deister hiking pin. The great thing is that the pass is not time-bound and you have enough time to discover all the routes bit by bit.
Waldwirtschaft Bärenhöhle – good food at the Deister
The Bärenhöhle forest restaurant is located at the foot of the Deister in Baringshausen. An ideal place to relax after a hike.
We sat here under the beech and oak trees in the beer garden and rounded off our excursion. If you prefer to sit in the dining room, you’re sure to find a cozy spot here.
On weekends, the kitchen is also open from 12-8pm (Wednesday – Friday 11.30am – 2pm and 5-8pm). I had a salad with a tomato and mozzarella skewer, pesto, croutons and a herb and garlic baguette. A large portion that tasted very good. The other dishes at my table also looked very good and were praised. I think the Bärenhöhle is an excellent place to round off a great trip to the Deister.
Address
Waldwirtschaft Bärenhöhle
Waldstr. 9 (Nienstedter Pass)
30890 Barsinghausen / OT Egestorf
Besucherinformationen
How to find
Public transportation from Hanover to Wennigsen and Baringshausen (every 30 minutes on weekdays):
S-Bahn lines 1 and 2
From Wennigsen to the start of the hiking route at the Waldkater hiking parking lot
Follow Kurt-Schumacher-Straße in the direction of Bahnhofstrasse
Turn left onto Neue Str
After 130m turn right into Gartenstraße
after 220m into Hirtenstraße
after 300m on Bährenkampstraße
then straight ahead on Bröhnweg in the forest the path is signposted.
The excursion took place as part of a press trip.
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