The best dog-friendly hikes and walks around Merxhausen

Super cute and lovingly made. There were two bottles of water and some sweets for exhausted hikers🫶🏻

Small hut, good shelter from the rain.

Beautifully designed railing.

Impressive stone formations.

The historic bridge over the Hasselbach is already somewhat overgrown. 😅

As is so often the case, the name hints at its origins: Here, in the middle of the forest, a shooting range was built around 1660 by order of the duke. From Bevern Castle, the Junkers, along with huntsmen, gamekeepers, and gamekeepers, often came out to test their marksmanship with muzzle-loading rifles and to hold shooting contests. A keg or two of beer was probably also involved. The first "shooting house" was built for storage purposes, but eventually fell victim to a fire, which was suspected of being the work of "free shooters" (poachers). The pervasive poaching at the time ("The forestry keeper complained a lot that poaching was increasing so much in the Weser district...") prompted more than just a wooden barracks. A "Ducal Chamber Decree" of 1721 ordered the construction of a gamekeeper's house. Based on plans drawn up by Chief Forester Fricke on May 7, 1722, a building permit was granted. The daughter of the first resident, oak binder Siegmund Steimel, became the first person born in Schießhaus (Elizabeth Steimel, *1726). Christoph Borchers, Steimel's successor, who died in 1744, worked his way up through diligence and dedication from gamekeeper to "riding forester at the Schießhaus." Over the decades, the ravages of time took their toll on the forester's house. After 90 years, it was replaced by a new building in 1812. The loopholes in the protective wall dating back to the Napoleonic era can still be seen today. Even before this, from 1775, the gamekeeper's house had already gained company. The Mund family, who came from the Harz region, would later shape Schießhaus's history. The old Klaftermeister Andreas Mund died in 1829. His two sons Wilhelm and Carl significantly expanded the hamlet. Wilhelm built the "Grüner Jäger" inn around 1860, which attracted guests from near and far for 100 years. In 1856, Carl founded the Waldmühle mill in the Hasselbach valley, about 1 km south of the village. Several settlement houses were added in the 20th century, the last in 1992 on the site of the old home of the Specht family, who also originally came to Schießhaus in 1775. Today, this remote but peaceful village has 11 houses and 31 residents. Hannes Blieschies: "In den Sollingwäldern," 2nd edition 2010, pages 75-83

Ideal for a short rest

Built and roofed from Solling sandstone