Top 4 Huts and Cabins in Burgdorfer Holz

As my path once again led past the 'Lost Place' Grahhorn, and - as always at this place - triggered the memory of the times when the Naturfreundehaus still had gastronomy and thus hustle and bustle, confidence grew. It seemed to be fate that I was there at exactly this time, because the person I spotted out of the corner of my eye while getting into the only car there was none other than the former innkeeper and nature 'explainer' Christian Helmreich. When he reported that he was there today with other like-minded people in Grafhorn to discuss the design of the location for the future as a member of a support association, it became clear that there should be life here again, which according to him is not only my wish, but the wish of many... Since even a new building is to replace the wooden hall on the right side, it will probably take about 2 more years until the revival...

There is a little melancholy involved in creating this highlight. Because the vibrant meeting place for people who care about nature, among others, has become a 'lost place'. The NaturFreundehause Grafhorn has unfortunately fallen victim to the Corona pandemic. All employees from the hotel and restaurant have found new jobs outside of gastronomy. Thus, there was no easy way back to becoming a destination with culinary offerings again. Grafhorn has remained a fixed stopping point on tours with and without different means of transport for me, but when visiting the buildings, which are now accessible again from the outside, and the still existing seating areas, only memories remain of the excellent homemade cake, coffee specialties, and other, sometimes surprising, gastronomic offers, such as barbecue events that existed before 2021. Even when the wheel sizes of my bicycles reached dimensions in my childhood that an excursion from Burgdorf would not have ended as a weekend trip, my enthusiasm was great when it became clear that Grafhorn would be the destination. The forest in the surrounding area is very inviting for exploration. Certainly, the buildings were considerably more rustic and poorly equipped back then, but there were also dishes like ice cream (very important for children) and coffee + cake available even then. At that time, the kitchen door in the hallway was used as a pass-through, with its frame in the middle fitted with a folding board that prevented unauthorized entry and also served as a counter. The last tenant fundamentally maintained this charm, and a careful renovation of the 'dining room' preserved the furniture. A fresh coat of paint and new curtains banished the musty smell, which strongly reminded me of my grandparents' allotment garden, but also encouraged people to set off even in weather conditions that did not necessarily invite sitting and dining outdoors. History: https://www.naturatrails-niedersachsen.de/NF_Haeuser/NFH_Grafhorn/NFH_1_Text.html Next to the 'real' pass-through, which was now located directly in the wall between the dining room and the kitchen and opened after ringing a bell, there was an extensive library with literature on flora, fauna, environment, and nature in general. The reason for this was quite simple: the boss was, after all, a Master of the degree program Environmental, Nature Conservation and Sustainability (https://www.uni-hildesheim.de/neuigkeiten/experimentalarchaeologie-neue-erkenntnisse-zur-eisenverhuettung/; https://www.uni-hildesheim.de/fb4/institute/geographie/aktuelles/detailansicht/experimentalarchaeologie/), who was in the process of establishing the Naturfreundehaus as a training and educational center. His master's thesis, in which he dealt with early iron smelting, certainly prompted him to place the open-air museum of the Iron Age (http://grafhorn.de/index.html) next to the existing buildings. As far as I know, only forest courses, e.g. on the topic of biodiversity, can still be booked with Christian Helmreich, who has now switched from being the 'manager' of the Naturfreundhaus Grafhorn to being the climate protection manager for the city of Lehrte. Perhaps the flair of Grafhorn will be briefly revived for these explorations, which my children experienced for birthday parties and end-of-year school events. But I don't think these can be booked including overnight stays, as was possible in times when the 'lost' could be replaced by a 'living' of the 'place' and which my now adult children still talk about.

Shelter is intact and clean with trash can in front

a great place for a break. The hut is quite open, but the roof is tight so you can enjoy your break in the dry or in the shade.

Here again a normal filling level and everything is clean 👍

Unfortunately, the water level here is also terribly low and is basically just a mud hole with dead trees in it. Terrible sight... It rained so much...

The roof is ok, but it offers little protection from the wind

Shelter near the water lily pond.