The best dog-friendly hikes and walks in Obere Wümmeniederung

The Summit At 101 m above sea level (NHN), the Otterberg is the highest elevation in the municipality of Otter and lies east of the main town, near the hamlets of Riepshof and Schillingsbostel. On Komoot, it is already listed as a summit and as the viewpoint “Am Otterberg” in Tostedt. The municipality of Otter expressly recommends “a hike up the Otterberg with its 101 m”.[otter +2] Geological Feature The Otterberg is “old, very old” — it was formed during the Rehburg stage from a glaciation that came from the North Sea. It remained with the sands from the first glaciation and has established itself as a widely visible high point. In the North German Plain, it is the first visible elevation from the north — followed by the Todtshorner Berg (79 m), the Wilseder Berg (169 m), and the dune area in Erhorn. Even in the 18th century, the Otterberg was treeless — the current forestation is therefore younger.[lebensraum-otter] View and Sightlines From the Otterberg, there are “wonderfully wide sightlines” into the surrounding landscape. The area is characterized by the transition between the Zevener Geest and the Wümme lowlands. Other nearby viewpoints include the Todtshorner Berg (79 m) with a view over the Wümme lowlands and the Wümme bridge Riepshof.[freizeitmonster +1] Burial Mound Field — 12 Mounds on the Summit Directly on the Otterberg is a prehistoric burial mound field with 12 preserved burial mounds (diameter 8–20 m, height 0.6–1.8 m). One of the mounds (Otter 9) has an artificially flattened summit — a topographical survey point was erected there. On another mound (Otter 30), there is a hunting stand (Wikipedia: Bodendenkmale Otter). The association Lebensraum Otter speaks of “millennia-old megalithic tombs” near the highest point.[lebensraum-otter] Nature Reserve The Otterberg is now a nature reserve — protected from both scientific-ecological and cultural-social perspectives. The landscape is to be preserved in its peculiarity and uniqueness. The association “Lebensraum Otter” is campaigning against plans for wind energy use on the Otterberg, which would endanger the forest and cultural monuments.[lebensraum-otter] Otter Sand Pit On the edge of the Otterberg lies the Otter Sand Pit (gravel pit), which is already listed as a highlight on Komoot. It is cordoned off by a wire fence, but a narrow path leads around it, from which you have a good view into the pit. A small path offers “a very nice view across the gravel pit”.[komoot] Hiking and Leisure Activities • The forest on the Otterberg is described as “quiet, unagitated, simply there” — “just right for a walk where the journey is the destination”[tostedt-entdecken] • A recommended bike tour leads over the Otterberg to Riepshof[tostedt] • In winter, children have been sledding there for generations[lebensraum-otter] • The Wümmeradwanderweg (Wümme Cycle Path) runs nearby[tostedt]

View from the Wümme onto the bridge

A very beautiful landscape

An old postal route ran here. The crossing used to be a ford.

The Otterberg may only be 100 meters high, but the view of the region is breathtaking. The landscape at the top of the mountain is also impressive.

A fairly idyllic rest area with a small parking area, benches, a table, and a larger seating area for two to watch the sunset. There's also a nice spot for dogs to splash around in the Wümme River.

This Wümme crossing even makes history, see picture.

This Wümme crossing has existed since 1670 as part of the old Harburg-Nienburg-Amsterdam postal route. This crossing connected the stations of Welle and Visselhövede. Source: Information stone at the Wümme crossing