The best dog-friendly hikes and walks around Wunstorf

How will cyclists get from the town center to Steinhude in the future, when not only will the railway line make access to the Hohen Holz forest more difficult, but the busy northern bypass will also cut through their familiar route? The current route via Alten’s Ruh will no longer exist. Where hundreds of cyclists currently ride daily, a bat bridge will be built so that the animals, which orient themselves along the avenue towards the forest, will fly over it instead of colliding with crossing cars. Cyclists will not get a bridge at this location; one is planned much further east, primarily for school children. Instead, a cycle path will lead past the Obi hardware store straight ahead to the new B442 roundabout, next to which cyclists will have to cross the main road after initially riding through the center of the roundabout. Source: Wunstorfer Auepost, September 20, 2022: https://www.auepost.de/stadtgespraech/eine-neue-bundesstrasse-fuer-wunstorf-viele-frage-und-ausrufezeichen-beim-infomarkt-zur-nordumgehung-62214/ See also the highlight "Nordrehr Cycle Bridge" https://www.komoot.com/de-de/highlight/8102770 and the tour description: "Wunstorf Northern Bypass: How to get to Steinhude by bike in the future?" https://www.komoot.com/de-de/tour/2659568433

"The Jewish cemetery in Hohen Holz is already marked on Praetorius' map of 1769. It was expanded in 1793. Until 1942, Jewish families from Hagenburg, Großenheidorn, and Steinhude used it for the burial of their deceased. Jewish cemeteries are generally intended to last for eternity. There is no leveling, as in other cemeteries. On site, Rabbi Simon explains how Jewish graves are laid out. The deceased are always placed in the grave with their head facing the Hebrew inscription. Since everyone is equal in death, the clothing of the deceased, along with the coffin and gravestone, is also the same. In communities of larger cities, mausoleums, like those found in Christian cemeteries, later became common. Graves were also later enclosed by walls or fences. From 1900 onward, the first double graves for married couples appeared. Until then, spouses were not buried together. Children were often buried in a corner of the cemetery." Family members were quite far apart. All the graves face east. In Jewish tradition, the deceased stand upright and then know that they should walk to Jerusalem, explains Rabbi Simon. Some gravestones also have German inscriptions or just a German text on the back. Inscriptions must always be approved by a rabbi, says Rabbi Simon. Many of the faithful could no longer speak Hebrew. This also applies to stonemasons. Consequently, there are only German inscriptions on Jewish gravestones. One special feature is a memorial stone, similar to the one in this cemetery. It is a memorial stone for the Jonas sisters, who were murdered in Riga in 1942. Survivors of the Holocaust often commemorated their murdered family members in this way, says Rabbi Simon.

Article in the Wunstorf City Gazette, November 15, 2025 edition: "The Jewish cemetery in Hohen Holz near Steinhude looks back on a long history – and remains a place of remembrance to this day. To better protect the graves, a fence with a gate has now been erected. Visitors are still welcome at any time. The administration of Jewish cemeteries in Lower Saxony is the responsibility of Rabbi Tobias Jonas Simon of the State Association of Jewish Communities of Lower Saxony. His jurisdiction includes 220 cemeteries. One of them is the cemetery in Hohen Holz. His predecessor had already informed him that not everything there was in perfect order. His own visits confirmed this impression. During his visits, Rabbi Simon repeatedly found dog feces on the graves and horse tracks on the grass in front of the graves. To protect the graves and to emphasize that this area remains a cemetery, a fence with a gate has now been erected. The gate is open to all visitors." There will be no closing times, unlike those of Christian cemeteries. A sign with the contact information for the cemetery administration, including contact persons, will be installed shortly. Link to the newspaper article, presumably only accessible until approximately 2029: https://www.wunstorfer-stadtanzeiger.de/epaper_ws Link to Wikipedia: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%BCdischer_Friedhof_(Steinhude)

As part of the new Wunstorf bypass (B 441n), a number of structures are planned. These include a bat bridge, currently under construction in the "Am Hohen Holz" area. Construction has been underway since April 2025 and is progressing well. A temporary access road for the "Waldgaststätte Alten's Ruh" restaurant and the "Tennis-Club Wunstorf eV" tennis club has already been completed, allowing residents to bypass the construction site. According to the Lower Saxony State Authority for Roads and Traffic (NLStBV), the purpose of this bridge is to help bats safely cross the new bypass. Low-flying species, in particular, orient their flight paths using the existing row of trees near "Alten's Ruh," which runs perpendicular to the future bypass. The bridge, in turn, helps the bats maintain their original flight path without coming into conflict with the road. ... See also: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fledermausbr%C3%BCcke

Artistically successful sculptures, some of which were created by psychiatric patients, are on display. Furthermore, the Bürgerpark regularly hosts cultural events, which you can enjoy on picnic blankets with food and drinks.

Nice playground for small children. For the older ones there is a nice adventure playground on Blumenauer Kirchweg.

It is worth getting off here and taking a short walk to look at the sculptures individually.

Sun or rain, you can rest well here.