Altrheinerlebnispfad (Old Rhine Adventure Trail)

After work in the Altrhein nature reserve (https://vg-eich.de/Tourismus-Freizeit/) After work we went around the area, mostly in the shade, whereby only the last lake is also a bathing lake, and we were therefore able to observe herons, storks, ducks and swans with their offspring in peace everywhere else. That slows things down tremendously, and next time we'll definitely have to take the binoculars with us! The beautiful sunset, first strongly reminiscent of strawberries and then of blood orange parfait, belongs at the end, of course. Then we went to the La Fontana ice cream parlor on the main street, where you can choose from not only delicious ice cream, but also cakes and hearty snacks.

The Altrhein adventure trail on the Eich-Gimbsheimer Altrhein is a very relaxing circular route. Here you can enjoy the special landscape of this protected area in peace. Beautifully designed boards provide information about the animal and plant species that live here, which can be easily observed from numerous vantage points, most of them hidden in the thicket directly on the bank as well as an observation hut and a prominent observation tower. Lucky that we overlooked the actual starting point at the fire brigade and used the parking lot in front of the municipal administration. So we became aware of the La Fontana ice cream parlor right next door, where we ended our hike - with a delicious brittle cup and delicious iced coffee.

Today we hiked with a weight vest (+10 kg) only with nose breathing and heard an interesting podcast about micro-macronutrients. Just get out into the green 💪

Great tour around the former gravel pits and old Rhine lakes. Old trees or dead wood with lots of fungi. Beaver tracks in various places. The lakes are walked around and therefore offer different directions of light. And today the sky was very varied, from sunny to almost dark and many variations of clouds. 11 degrees, the circular route is excellently signposted and has some rest benches and viewing points.

Wonderful calm and wintry atmosphere in nature. Very relaxing. Exactly the right hike to get used to after a long medical break. You can download a flyer on the Internet and there are some info points with QR codes.

The Eich-Gimbsheimer Altrhein is a historic Rhine course. In 1828/1829, the Rhine straightening took place according to the plans of J. G. Tulla. A lot has happened here since then... The AltrheinErlebnisPfad was developed on the initiative of the Eich municipal association. Here you can experience the uniqueness of the Natura 2000 area „Eich-Gimbsheimer Altrhein“. At various stations, you will receive information about the importance of this special landscape and the animal and plant species living here. More can also be found on the internet: https://vg-eich.de/Tourismus-Freizeit/index.php?La=1&object=tx,2773.726.1&kat=&kuo=2&sub=0&NavID=2773.5&La=1 Today's focus was on the beaver 🦫 Threatened by extinction across Europe, the European beaver is making a comeback, but the population is still strictly protected. Our very knowledgeable guide showed us both sites of former and current beaver lodges or burrows. If you know what to look for, you will find something. There seem to be many beavers around the lake here. They are predominantly nocturnal, so you are unlikely to encounter the up to 30 kg heavy (!!!) fellows during the day. The nearby fields sometimes serve as a source of food. If I understood correctly, the local beaver family ensured that the majority of a sugar beet field did not make it to the factory for further processing. Thank you @Heliklaus, that was a super interesting and entertaining guided tour today!

🦆 Instead of hunting for knight's stones in the Palatinate, I lured dear @Natalie to Rheinhessen with various promises: Lots of nature, rare plants, numerous water birds and other animals, which we can observe and photograph in peace from the specially built wooden huts. Plus temperatures that are well above freezing and a small picnic. We also had dear @Taiga-Ente with us, which worked wonderfully 😄 🦆 We two-legged creatures had an extremely good time, saw a lot, heard a lot (some for the first time) and laughed. A round like this should be prescribed as a blood pressure lowering agent and is absolutely recommended 🙏 🦆 About this nature reserve: "The approx. 300 ha large reed beds of the "Eich-Gimbsheimer Altrhein" are among the largest contiguous reed beds in southwest Germany. The path repeatedly leads past relics of the former Old Rhine landscape with reed beds, shallow water areas and alluvial forests. The area is also important from an ornithological point of view. It is a breeding ground for rare and specialized bird species." But that's not all, because just imagine: During sand and gravel mining in the Old Rhine in the mid-1970s, legionnaire helmets were found, among other things, so that a fortified Roman military port is even suspected. So much for a brief summary of the very detailed and interesting website at www.vg-eich.de, which I can highly recommend. 🦆 Conclusion: Small but nice! I'm really looking forward to Natalie's photos 📷

Nice tour. Also possible with a stroller. A little muddy at times, but nothing wild. Not heavily attended!