Nemitz Heath Trail (Nemitzer-Heide-Weg)

Between sandy heath country and Rundling villages

After the Gartow Forest fire in August of 1975, the Nemitz Heath developed on the burned areas around the small village of Nemitz. Today, the Nemitz Heath is a significant conservation area and it offers habitat for many threatened plants and animals such as the tawny pipit and the nightjar.

The House in the Nemitz Heath is the starting point for a hike though the 550 hectares of the Nemitz Heath. The exhibit on the upper floor provides information about the cultural and natural history of the heath and is accessible to visitors with visual impairments.

From the House in the Heath, the trail leads toward Nemitz, where a roofed grilling area can be found next to a children’s playground, a good place to take a rest. In the other direction, the trail leads right through the heath country to the moorland sheep stall. Every day, the “gray horners” actively maintain the structure of vibrant cultural landscape of the heath. And on the last weekend in August, the Nemitz Heath Festival is celebrated here.

Nemitz is known for its magnificent tree-lined boulevard. In 1815, the village was completely destroyed in a fire. Only one Low Saxon farmhouse remained untouched and it still stands today.

Back in the Nemitz Heath, the trail meanders along the pine forests toward Trebel. For many animals who find sustenance in the heath, the forest provides protection during the day.

As early as 1548, the annual Trebel market was very important in northern Germany. At the “Kiekemarkt” in the spring, the farmers looked for brides; at the “Griepemarkt” in the fall, they chose them. In the fieldstone church in Trebel is an organ built by Johann Georg Stein in 1777. Its sound inspires visitors to this day.

The trail continues through the adjoining fields toward the Rundling village of Marleben. Then the trail returns to Trebel back through the fields. Between Trebel and the Nemitz Heath, the Wendland Cross Trail (part of the Wendland Loop) runs parallel to the Nemitz Heath Trail.