NATURA Tip 23 - Along the Great and Little Kulmke in the Siebertal Nature Reserve

The hiking route proposed here is characterized by magnificent views and the peaceful solitude of the Kulmke catchment area. We circle around the Great and Little Wurzelnberg, following the Lost Kulmke. North of the Little Wurzelnberg or east of the Lost Corner, we reach an old beech forest. There the FFH area expands. Old deciduous forests show an amazing diversity. With a bit of luck, we may discover one or another bird species typical of deciduous forests, such as the black woodpecker or the rare black stork. On a rainy day, we might even encounter a “little rain man” on the way. That is what fire salamanders are called in the Harz, as they only leave their hiding places at night during dry weather. At the mud wallowing area, we reach the highest point of our hike (672.3 m above NHN) at the border of the Harz National Park. Returning, we go through the Kratztal to the valley of the Great Kulmke. At the confluence of Great and Little Kulmke, 392 m above NHN are reached. The elevation difference to the starting point of our hike is then no longer large. After about 2 km, the Kulmke flows into the Sieber at just over 350 m above NHN. The Sieber in turn flows into the Oder in the Harz foothills (Hattorf), which finally flows into the Rhume near Katlenburg.