Last weekend was once again all about sports and culture. However, the rather gloomy weather on Friday, which mostly presented itself in various shades of grey, did not exactly encourage us to go hiking or cycling. Still, we wanted to stretch our legs a little, so we decided to take a short walk around Lake Vienenburg \u2014 only 2.7 km, after all. Coming back from our weekend grocery shopping, we parked by the lake. It had rained quite heavily in Goslar, and dark clouds were now gathering here as well. We were still confident that the wind might blow them away. Unfortunately, that did not quite happen. The wind picked up and the first raindrops began to fall \u2014 initially rather tentatively. But that soon changed, so we quickened our pace and retreated to the car.<\/p>\n
After dinner, the dark clouds had disappeared and the sun came out. So we decided to give it another try and drove back to Lake Vienenburg. And what we experienced there surprised and delighted us in equal measure. The setting sun was beautifully reflected in the still waters of the lake, transforming it into a mystical landscape. The sunlight created beautiful, almost magical scenes. Again and again, we stopped during our walk and marvelled at the wonders of nature. It was a truly special experience, at least in our eyes.<\/p>\n
At Lower Saxony’s Largest Karst Spring<\/strong> Along the Karst Hiking Trail<\/strong> Off to Duderstadt<\/strong> Following in Wilhelm Busch’s Footsteps on the Heber<\/strong> High Above the Ruins of Wohlenstein Castle<\/strong> Klaus Stuttmann at the Wilhelm Busch House<\/strong> I would have liked to take my time looking at the pictures, but unfortunately that was made rather difficult by two elderly ladies who were either hard of hearing or simply so convinced of their own importance that they talked incessantly at full volume. After a while, our ears were practically burning. Apparently, they were completely oblivious to the increasingly irritated people around them. So we decided to take a closer look at the rest of the museum instead and had a look at one of Wilhelm Busch’s albums. Busch, incidentally, was rarely seen without a cigarette and a suit. On our way back, we also stopped to take a look at the poet’s grave. Then we left Mechtshausen once again and headed home, full of new impressions and stories from another eventful weekend.<\/p>\n
\nThe next day, the sun was shining again. This time, we wanted to head into the southern Harz region and visit the Rhume Spring near Rhumspringe. It is one of the largest springs in Europe, which is impressive in itself. The spring maintains a constant year-round temperature of 9\u00b0C and is home to rare species such as the golden oriole, white-throated dipper, kingfisher and cave crayfish. The spring also glows in beautiful turquoise-green colours, making it a real eye-catcher. And, of course, there is a legend behind the spring that supposedly gave it its name. It is the story of the mermaid Rhuma. And, naturally, she has an admirer: the giant Romar. Romar falls in love with Rhuma, and the two have a child \u2014 much to the dismay of her father. His anger goes so far that he kills the child and locks Rhuma inside a rocky cave. Rhuma then transforms herself into a spring and finds her way out at Rothenberg. Ever since, the Rhume Spring has bubbled forth here in her memory.<\/p>\n
\nAs it happens, the Rhume Spring lies directly on the Karst Hiking Trail. A beautiful trail runs between P\u00f6hlde and the Rhume Spring, so we decide to tackle it. The path initially leads uphill through a lovely wooded area, passing impressive dolomite rock formations. The trail continues to the Finnenbruch nature reserve and past an old brickworks near P\u00f6hlde. We then make our way back to the car park via the Rhumspringe barbecue area. It is a pleasant, if somewhat unspectacular, loop, with a few lovely views along the way.<\/p>\n
\nAfter our hike, we wanted to visit Duderstadt. It is only about a 15-minute drive away. I had read that Duderstadt was well worth a visit, particularly because of its many beautiful half-timbered houses \u2014 apparently, there are more than 600 of them. When we arrive, we notice how quiet the town is. We follow the signs for the self-guided town tour, initially walking along the old town wall. We pass the Eulen Tower and George Tower. The Eulen Tower was once part of the town wall and was later used as a prison tower. The George Tower, meanwhile, was built at the same time as the town wall and served as a flanking defence for the West Gate. We continue through the narrow streets and little alleyways until we reach the market square. Here, the large historic town hall certainly dominates the scene. The Basilica of St. Cyriacus and St. Servatius Church are equally impressive. Apart from the beautifully restored half-timbered houses, the town itself does not offer too many other highlights. Since the afternoon is already drawing to a close and we still have quite a drive ahead of us, we enjoy an ice cream at a caf\u00e9 before happily setting off for home.<\/p>\n
\nOn Sunday, the weather is rather changeable, almost stormy at times. During our Seesen Village Tour, we had already cycled through Mechtshausen and noticed that an exhibition opening was scheduled at the Wilhelm Busch Museum on August 30. That seemed like a good reason to return. Mechtshausen officially calls itself the \u201cWilhelm Busch Village\u201d and has gained quite some recognition thanks to the famous poet, painter and satirist. As always, we want to get some exercise first before turning our attention to the caricatures by Klaus Stuttmann. Leaving the village, we follow the Wilhelm Busch Trail, which climbs high into the woods \u2014 more precisely, onto the Heber, the ridge above Mechtshausen.<\/p>\n
\nThe trail climbs steadily until we reach the ruins of Wohlenstein Castle. We stop there for a break and plan the rest of our route. Today’s hike is supposed to remain relatively short, as we still want to visit the exhibition afterwards. Following a forest path across the Heber ridge, we come across several interesting landmarks, including a large, spreading beech tree known as the Cross Beech, an old rampart and, suddenly, a sign bearing the rather intriguing word \u201cKitzelkreuz\u201d. What on earth could that mean? Naturally, our curiosity gets the better of us. We follow the sign and eventually come to a stone cross, supposedly dating back to 1626. Apparently, it was a so-called atonement cross. According to local folklore, a shepherd was tickled to death at this very spot. One version of the story claims that a girl tickled a shepherd \u2014 or, according to another version, two travelling craftsmen \u2014 during an argument or simply out of mischief until they died. Well, you never know what you might stumble across unexpectedly. It is fascinating to see what stories can be found along the trails.<\/p>\n
\nAfter this unexpected discovery, we head back to Mechtshausen. The trail takes us directly to the Wilhelm Busch Museum, where the opening of the Klaus Stuttmann exhibition is taking place that day. There is already quite a crowd around the museum. We go inside and head up to the second floor, where Stuttmann’s caricatures are on display. The caricatures are predominantly political, and nobody is spared: the AfD, Trump, Putin \u2014 everyone gets their share of criticism.<\/p>\n