--- title: "Hermannsburg Nature Park Südheide: Where kingfishers and otters say \"Goodnight\" (day tours)" url: "https://www.celle-tourismus.de/en/tour/hermannsburg-nature-park-suedheide-where-kingfishers-and-otters-say-goodnight-day-tours" description: "The W 15 hiking tours \"Wherekingfishers and otters say \"Goodnight\" run on both sides of thenatural heath river Oertze north ofEversen and can be extended to include the Scharnebeck mill in the north.TheOertze - a natural heath riverThe Oertze is a still very natural heath river with a high biodiversity. The ecological quality of this water bodybecomes apparent in the presence of rare species such as the kingfisher and the otter. To watch the shy and mostly nocturnal otter, however, needsa lot of luck. The water is wintergreen, as green aquatic plants can be seenall year round.The Oertze flows in abroad valley that was dug carved into the sandy-gravelly glacier deposits bymeltwater towards the end of the Saale Ice Age. The headwaters of the Oertzeconsist of several swamp marshes on the grounds of the military training areaMunster-Nord. The water flows in a southerly direction and flows east of Winseninto the River Aller. The Oertze is a so-called summer-cold heath river as its water is always consistently tempered.The water is cool in summer, but rarely freezes in winter. This phenomenon iscaused by the strong influx of groundwater.The largely natural riverbed of the Oertze is characterised by numerous riverloops. Steep banks, depressions and an alternating gravel and sand banks arecharacteristic of its structural richness. The water of the Oertze is of goodquality. The adjoining valley still has many wet meadows and forests. Theseconditions are a prerequisite for a species-richflora and fauna.These wetlands offer ideal conditionsfor• Orchids like the broadleaf orchid• Marsh Marigold• Iris• Ragged RobinKingfishers and otters also feel at homenext to the river Oertze, as the heath river is a rich source of food. Specialspecies of fish that are an indicator of healthy waters include• Brown trout• Brook lamprey• BullheadThe Oertze river system is today part ofthe European protected area system Natura 2000 due to its high ecologicalsignificance.Rafting on the OertzeRafting on the Oertze began in the 17th century. The Oertze wasnavigable by raft from the estuary of the Wietze near Mueden to the Aller allyear round. Raftsmen were able to cover this distance in one day. The raftsthemselves consisted of the trunks intended for transport tied together withfresh willow or birch twigs. In the second half of the 19th century, there wereeleven log-binding sites on the route from Mueden to Oldendorf. There was alsoone in Eversen. The \"Binnestä\" on the Kolk is part of the village history trail, which clearlyillustrates the history of Eversen. The rafts were about 23 meters long and 3meters wide. On the Aller, the logs were tied together into even larger raftsand rafted to the transport hub in Bremen, from where they were also shippedabroad. Wood was also needed for building and shipbuilding on the Lower Weserriver. Rafting on the Oertze came to an end at the end of the 19th century. Thelower course sanded up, making it difficult to navigate the river’s waters. Newsawmills established in wooded areas made the transport of tree trunksunnecessary. In addition, more modern means of transport such as the railwaycompeted with rafting.Today, water-hiking by canoe on the Oertze is very popular.The most important featuresof the tour in brief • Natural heath river • Village history trail in Eversen  Nature information house with information trail in Oldendorf" language: "en" type: "SportsActivityLocation" image: "https://dam.destination.one/1447559/8f06a45aa86cdfda576252db44817d6a1c6615cee7575663231850cb811a2e29/.png" breadcrumb: "Root > Celle > Special > Destination.Data Details > Tour" --- GPX Share Hermannsburg Nature Park Südheide: Where kingfishers and otters say "Goodnight" (day tours) =========================================================================================== - Walking / hiking Information boards about the hiking trail at the hiking parking lot in Hermannsburg The Örtze in the Südheide Nature Park The Örtze in the Südheide Nature Park Heath river Örtze Südheide Heath river Örtze between Oldendorf and Eversen The Örtze near Scharnebecksmühle Idyllic lake near Eversen Südheide Kingfisher in the Lüneburg Heath Hiking along the Örtze near Hermannsburg A memorial on the hiking trail commemorates rafting on the Örtze The hiking trail leads along a historic manor house Hiking through idyllic heath villages with half-timbered houses Drone image of the Örtze near Hermannsburg Hiking through idyllic moorland villages Hiking through idyllic moorland villages Hiking through wide field and meadow landscapes Hiking through bright green forest landscapes Hiking break in a wide landscape Hiking along the heath river Örtze Hiking along the heath river Örtze Hiking along the heath river Örtze in the Südheide Hiking through idyllic heath villages with half-timbered houses Hiking along original farms Hiking through idyllic moorland villages with historic buildings Benches invite you to rest during the hiking tour Hiking along the heath river Örtze Resting at idyllic lakes in the countryside Hiking through wide field and meadow landscapes in the Südheide Hiking through idyllic heath villages with half-timbered houses Hiking through wide field and meadow landscapes in the Südheide **The hikes in the Südheide Nature Park on the circular trail W15 "Where kingfishers and otters say goodnight" run along both sides of the natural heath river Örtze north of Eversen and can be extended to Scharnebeck's mill in the north.** The W 15 hiking tours "Where kingfishers and otters say "Goodnight" run on both sides of the natural **heath river Oertze** north of Eversen and can be extended to include the Scharnebeck mill in the north. **The Oertze - a natural heath river** The Oertze is a still very **natural heath river** with a **high biodiversity**. The **ecological quality** of this water body becomes apparent in the presence of rare species such as the **kingfisher** and the **otter**. To watch the shy and mostly nocturnal otter, however, needs a lot of luck. The water is wintergreen, as green aquatic plants can be seen all year round. flows in a broad valley that was dug carved into the sandy-gravelly glacier deposits by meltwater towards the end of the Saale Ice Age. The headwaters of the Oertze consist of several swamp marshes on the grounds of the military training area Munster-Nord. The water flows in a southerly direction and flows east of Winsen into the River Aller. The Oertze is a so-called **summer-cold heath river** as its water is always consistently tempered. The water is cool in summer, but rarely freezes in winter. This phenomenon is caused by the strong influx of groundwater. The largely **natural riverbed** of the Oertze is characterised by numerous river loops. Steep banks, depressions and an alternating gravel and sand banks are characteristic of its structural richness. The water of the Oertze is of good quality. The adjoining valley still has many wet meadows and forests. These conditions are a prerequisite for a **species-rich flora and fauna**. These wetlands offer ideal conditions for • Orchids like the broadleaf orchid • Marsh Marigold • Iris • Ragged Robin Kingfishers and otters also feel at home next to the river Oertze, as the heath river is a rich source of food. Special species of fish that are an indicator of healthy waters include • Brown trout • Brook lamprey • Bullhead The Oertze river system is today part of the European protected area system Natura 2000 due to its high ecological significance. **Rafting on the Oertze** Rafting on the Oertze began in the 17th century. The Oertze was navigable by raft from the estuary of the Wietze near Mueden to the Aller all year round. Raftsmen were able to cover this distance in one day. The rafts themselves consisted of the trunks intended for transport tied together with fresh willow or birch twigs. In the second half of the 19th century, there were eleven log-binding sites on the route from Mueden to Oldendorf. There was also one in Eversen. The "Binnestä" on the Kolk is part of the **village history trail**, which clearly illustrates the history of Eversen. The rafts were about 23 meters long and 3 meters wide. On the Aller, the logs were tied together into even larger rafts and rafted to the transport hub in Bremen, from where they were also shipped abroad. Wood was also needed for building and shipbuilding on the Lower Weser river. Rafting on the Oertze came to an end at the end of the 19th century. The lower course sanded up, making it difficult to navigate the river’s waters. New sawmills established in wooded areas made the transport of tree trunks unnecessary. In addition, more modern means of transport such as the railway competed with rafting. Today, is very popular. **The most important features of the tour in brief** • Natural heath river • Village history trail in Eversen  Nature information house with information trail in Oldendorf Read more Good to know ------------ Best to visit suitable Depends on weather - Jan - Feb - Mar - Apr - May - Jun - Jul - Aug - Sep - Oct - Nov - Dec Directions & Parking facilities **Getting there**You can walk the hiking trail from Eversen, the parking lot is on Dorfstraße near Gasthaus Otte, or from Hermannsburg Scharnebecks Mühle Read more Author Lüneburger Heide GmbHWallstr. 4 21335 Lüneburg Organization Lüneburger Heide GmbH License (master data) Lüneburger Heide GmbH Nearby ------ View on map - Place of interest - Museum - Tours 108.92 km - Walking / hiking - Walking / hiking - Walking / hiking Contact Dorfstraße, Parkplatz Gasthaus Otte 29303 Bergen - Eversen Download GPX file - - - -