Attractions and Places To See in Schmidts Kiefern - Top 20

Popular with young and old

"FriedWald" is first and foremost the name and trademark of FriedWald GmbH in Griesheim. In cooperation with municipalities, churches and forestry authorities, this company offers the possibility of natural burial in appropriately designated forests. The forests are normally accessible to anyone at any time, even with dogs on a leash, and there are no special fences around the grounds. There are currently around 90 FriedWald forests in Germany. For the burial, you choose a tree in the forest area accompanied by a forester. The number of burial places per tree is limited, and trees with free spaces are marked with colored ribbons. The special thing about the burial places is that no grave decorations may be laid down, even during the burial; nature should really remain natural here and not be destroyed by seeds and contamination. The only thing that indicates the grave sites are small plaques on the trees with the names and dates of birth and death. The burials are non-denominational, but can also be carried out under supervision and with a small prayer by a priest or pastor. For deceased children up to the age of 3, so-called star children, there is a special shooting star tree under the protection of older, stable trees. Within the forest cemetery, there can be forestry work at any time and trees can also be toppled or broken by storms. This is part of the naturalness of the forest cemetery.

Great for something to eat/drink after or before a hiking trip or for a round of mini golf. We ate homemade sheet cake there and it was very tasty 😋and also very inexpensive for €3.40. Dogs are also allowed there 🐶

Beer garden - MTB welcome

armored track The track planning in 1977 triggered violent protests. Discussions about the routing and possible alternatives were discussed. After a lot of back and forth, in May 1979 the decision was made to build the track through the middle of the forest. The start of construction was postponed from 1981 to 1982. Objections, demonstrations involving police action and water cannon, and ongoing court proceedings delayed the start of construction until February 1986. Then the chainsaws started to flatten 12ha of forest. Hundreds of giant trees with up to 250-year-old oaks had to give way. A height difference of up to 18 m was compensated for in the existing hilly landscape by removing and filling in the terrain. Gravel, concrete and steel compacted 10ha of former forest soil. The route is 5m wide and 9km long. It leads from the military training area to the siding to Oldenbüttel. After more than 3 years of construction, the track was handed over to the handed over to the US Army. The first loading of 4000 men and 1200 vehicles took place in March 1989 to Grafenwöhr. For 4 days, 6 trains a day drove the track for these transports. After the Americans withdrew from Garlstedt in Sept. 1992 2-3 more material transports by GE-UNOSOM. Since that time, the Gteis has been lying rusting in the forest, unusable with the dismantled railway connection. More than 20 million DM were invested for a service life of only 3 years. Garlstedt 2008

At our age, you don't necessarily think about death and dying, what comes after, and perhaps even less about the forms of burial, especially when you go hiking. When we parked the car at the parking lot of the cemetery in Bremer Schweiz, we came across the information boards and first went for a nice walk. The surrounding forest area is quiet and very idyllic, a place to feel good for everyone who likes the forest. We are actually big Harz fans, without Corona we might never have hiked here, but we had to think about it a tiny bit. There are many trees of different kinds, different ponds, wonderful forest paths and it is also a bit hilly. Corona - that word again, the thought of illness, suffering and even death. Suddenly you start pondering on such a hike. What happened if? What would you want? Maybe such a cemetery would be something? You get a little brooding again when you hear the shots from the nearby Garlstedt military training area. Doesn't that also remind you of war, suffering and death? No! In our case, these noises mean peace! The knowledge that "only" is practiced, that these shots do not kill people, that we can continue to hike in a relaxed and peaceful manner, is priceless and cannot be taken for granted! It is incredible luck, because in other parts of the world it is not. So is the Friedwald a peaceful place? Yes absolutely! And certainly not a bad place to find a little peace or quiet. Further information is available here: https://www.friedwald.de/waldbestattung-bremer-schweiz

"May I introduce myself to you? I am the colorful beetle in the top center and my name is Cicindela campestris - also known as the SANDRACER BEETLE. If you are looking for me here, you will not find me - not yet". This is what it says on the board along this hiking section, where a new area DRY HEIDEN is emerging. Such habitats are now rare and endangered, so that they are even protected by law. Of course, as always, there are exceptions, e.g. in the technology park at Bremen University, where a living space is lost. That is why the Harsefeld Forestry Office in Lower Saxony is creating a new, perhaps even more valuable living space here. First the topsoil was removed and then heather seeds were sown. As far as you can see in winter, the seeds are growing well. Hopefully in a few years this section will not only provide a valuable habitat for beetles but also for other species.

Very idyllic! Nothing was going on here on a Wednesday afternoon at the end of February.