On the Green Belt: Border parcours around Mechower Lake

Today was the day when I wanted to see if I could start hiking again after many weeks, so I went on a tour alone that I had chosen many weeks ago, to an area that is not only beautiful but also a part of German history. In this and many other places, people were torn apart overnight after the sectors were divided and separated for many years. Actually, they were only a few meters apart, but these were insurmountable and anyone who tried to do so either paid with their life or went to prison. The area itself is beautiful to walk and there are always explanations along the way, but sometimes I just enjoyed the peace and sounds of the surroundings and soaked up the freedom of hiking that I have missed so much in recent weeks. At the end of the tour I was exhausted, but not being under a lot of pressure made hiking possible, even though I still haven't found my speed, but it will be OK. So off we go back into nature.

This round is a classic in the Hamburg area, although: This classic on the old border line has only been feasible for 33 years... always fascinating for me.

At the end of 1989, a peaceful revolution took place in East Germany, which led to reunification the following year, and the Iron Curtain finally became history. It was decided to leave the border to nature, and over the years, the Green Belt emerged. So we decided to explore a few kilometers of it to see what nature had reclaimed. "A very beautiful and exciting experience!" 👍🤗

As always, beautiful nature when we talk about the Lauenburg Lakes. This tour starts great, but has a small shortcoming in the last quarter, which means you go about 2 km on a paved agricultural road.

After driving past a hundred times, I finally managed to explore Lake Mechower today. It was worth it.

The inner-German border used to run between Schlagsdorf and Mechow, right through Lake Mechow. Many information boards and the Grenzhuus in Schlagsdorf are reminders of this time. You can only get to the lake itself and see it in very few places. It is an El Dorado for many water birds.

First of all, thanks to @Anni 🦊 for inspiring the tour. The tour was really very nice, unfortunately the weather was only cloudy, but there was a lot of nature to look at. And you learn something about the former border of the GDR from various boards along the way. I can really recommend it 😁

Today I enjoyed this beautiful tour again, very quietly and carefully. It is nice to see the development of the nature reserve, especially between the estate and Wietingsbek, over the years. A special highlight today: my 1000th komoot kilometer