From Marienburg to “Cocaine”: A Quirky Day in the Countryside
Even when hiking, it doesn’t always have to be a grand adventure. On Saturday, a small outing took us to Rössing in the municipality of Nordstemmen. Still, we managed to discover three historical buildings along this route: Marienburg Castle, the Calenberg Fortress, and Rössing Castle. However, the latter is privately owned and can only be visited on the “Day of Open Monuments.” But we didn’t want to wait until September 14.
We started our small but lovely circular walk in the center of Rössing. First, we headed to the Rössing gravel ponds, where some locals were already enjoying the summer temperatures and cooling off in the water.
View of Marienburg
Immediately to our left, we spotted the highlight of this hike: the view of Marienburg Castle near Pattensen. Unfortunately, it was quite hazy today, so the castle didn’t stand out well against the background. But it was good enough for a quick photo. We continued along the path, though we avoided the trail through the tall grass (beware of ticks!) and instead chose the paved route. This led us directly to another pond. A sign told us it was private property. But some paths do cross private land. Well, not in this case. When we reached the pond with the footbridge, we were immediately asked where we were going. We explained ourselves, somewhat confused—and okay, admittedly, we had actually missed the “No Trespassing” sign.
Quick stop at Calenberg Fortress
Back on the designated route, we reached the river Leine. We followed it for a short distance until we came to a road. Here, we decided to make a short detour to Calenberg Fortress. At the site “Am Calenberg,” we were greeted by a friendly man and his obviously young and wild hunting dog. Oh—are we not allowed to enter this property either? But he told us we could go onto the grounds of the former fortress, just not onto the private part. Got it, boss! An information board provided some details about the history of Calenberg Fortress. Aside from a few wall remnants, a 70-meter-high embankment, and an overgrown area, there wasn’t much to see. Still, the detour was worth it.
Rounding off with Rössing Castle
From there, we returned to the main trail but took a shortcut. It was quite warm that day, and unfortunately, we hadn’t brought enough water. So we crossed the Leine again and headed back to Rössing. We took a stroll through the castle park, which left a very idyllic impression. Who would have thought that such a small village could offer such lovely spots to relax? From Rössing Castle, we walked to the St. Peter and Paul Church, bringing us back to our starting point. As I said, it doesn’t always have to be a grand adventure…
Oh, and one fun fact on the side: On the way back, we stopped in Giesen. There was a garden open to visitors today as part of the “Open Garden Gate Hildesheim.” And what did we spot on the left-hand side? A massive pile of cocaine!!! Just kidding—it was just salt, but with a bit of imagination… 🙂
