Großmicketal – Großmicke Valley near Wenden

Easy

26,3 km

1:55 h

195 m

171 m

432 m

332 m

Regional bike tour

Woodcock, Cotton Grass, Meadow Pipit – The wet meadows and swamp forests on the upper reaches of the Bigge River and its tributaries impress with their rich flora and fauna.

By bike, the diversity of nature in the Wenden region can be experienced in a convenient and enjoyable way. An approximately 25-kilometre-long tour, which is very popular because of its scenic beauty and its moderate gradients, passes five nature reserves. Moreover, there is a cultural monument of the first order situated right alongside the cycle path: the Wendener Hütte Museum, the oldest preserved charcoal blast furnace installation in Western Europe.

The first of the five nature reserves is the "Mittagsbrüche", a large wet meadow complex, adjoined by small areas of arable land. Next comes the relatively small "Wendequellgebiet", which forms a kind of stepping stone on the way to the "Wiehbruch" Nature Reserve. Passing the Dörnschlade Chapel of pilgrimage, you come to the Großmicketal Nature Reserve. Finally, there is the Biggetal Nature Reserve with its wide floodplain in which the river is largely free to develop as it will.

Map

Großmicketal – Großmicke Valley near Wenden

57482 Wenden

Route

Details

Directions

The bike tour is around 25 km long. From the town of Wenden the track leads along the Albe to the village of Schönau. Before the B 54 road, turn south. This track takes you to the Großmicke Stream, which you follow to the village of Vahlberg. Here the Großmicke joins the River Bigge, which you follow back to the north, passing the blast furnace museum "Wendener Hütte" and continuing until Gerlingen. From Gerlingen you follow the Wende Stream until you reach the Wenden town hall.

Equipent

Since there are hardly any paths that provide access to the grasslands, it is definitely worth taking a pair of binoculars to observe the bird life from the cycle track.

Getting There

Car park at Rathaus Wenden (Wenden town hall):

Address for satnavs: Hauptstraße 75, 57482 Wenden

GPS (UTM): 32 U 420832, 5647108

Google coordinates: 50.970138, 7.872479

Car park at blast furnace museum Wendener Hütte:

Address for satnavs: Hochhofenstraße 6, 57482 Wenden

GPS (UTM): 32 U 417721 5647237

Google coordinates: 50.970834, 7.828167

Parking

The best starting point for a bike tour is the car park in the floodplain of the Wendebach stream, directly below the Wenden town hall. You can also park your car at the blast furnace museum "Wendener Hütte" but parking space is limited there.