Village trip with Eulenspiegel
May 5th, 2019: The highest height in the Harz mountains is covered with snow! Uh! The hiking offer of a friend for a walk in the snow up to the “Brocken” went unheard. Beginning of May I am rather looking for sensible heat not for white ice needles. Looking for an alternative I come across the roundtrips in the “Elm”, a range of hills close to Brunswieck. This area has its own charm – especially in spring. The loop trail no. 33 is 17 km long and starts in Schöppenstedt. This article gives you an idea how attractive and surprising even a village trip can be.
Our starting point is Schöppenstedt, more precisely the Elm-Asse-parking lot. From there we follow the labeling “33” initially to the (still closed) open air bath. We leave Schöppenstedt in direction of Sambleben. At first the route runs next to the federal hightway. Fortunately, the road is not highly frequented. Reaching Sambleben we discover our first landmark: the manor Sambleben. The gate is half open and the sun is shining, time for a little coffee break. We enjoy the sunbeams and head in direction of the Osterberg after the meal.
Unfortunately the signposting is not very good. Fortunately the trails runs parallel to the Eulenspiegel cycle path thus we can gear ourselves to that track. Moreover we friendly villagers time and time again and can ask for help. We climb the Osterberg and follow the Hagenweg at first to the “Eitzumer Blick” and then to the Watzumer Häuschen. Actually we would stop for a bite to eat. However the former coffeehouse is closed and is meanwhile privately owned.
On our way we stroll partly on the steps of Till Eulenspiegel, often in the shape of panels bearing his stories.
Without having achieved anything we continue to Eitzum, where we take some pictures of some lovely renovated frame houses. We get lost again. A nice dog owner helps us out and gives us direction for the way back to Schöppenstedt. Right at the village limits I buy some homemade marmalade for a friend of mine. Via a parkway with reach first of all the rest area Altenau and reach our starting point some time later. Unhurried we are passing the “Küblinger Kirche” and walk through the town center of Schöppenstedt back to the train station.
Back in Brunswieck we are welcomed by the sun, even though it is quite a chilly day. We cycle to the Kohlmarkt and enjoy the usual “Damengedeck” at an Italian ice cream parlour. At the end of the day we have come full circle when Till Eulenspiegel greets his audience from the top of a frame house. Down from the beam girder of the building at the Kohlmarkt Eulenspiegel is said to have fooled the bootmaker Christoffer. This is how our Eulenspiel-Trips ends: with a real teaser!
