Nat'Our Route 2 - Middle Our Valley

This hiking route in the NaturWanderPark delux is like a journey into the past.

Quietly murmuring, the Our is your constant companion on this hiking trail. The clear, low mountain stream meanders in several loops through its wildly romantic valley. The slopes are forested, in the floodplains light green pastures alternate with groups of bushes and trees that line the river banks. On forest paths on the slopes and narrow paths along the banks, the trail goes pleasantly shaded, sometimes sunny, sometimes up, sometimes down, sometimes over soft forest soil, sometimes over rocky steps. Secluded spots along the stream alternate with beautiful vantage points, such as the Kasselslay. Trout frolic in the crystal-clear stream under the trees on the banks, snapping at water striders and small mosquitoes that dance in the sunlight. Cows stand sporadically in the lush meadows, a heron sweeps through the valley. It is as if you are diving into another world. A world that has found its peace.

Mills and tan forests

Still in the last century, numerous mills rattled along the Our. Strikes echoed through the valley. With clappers, day laborers loosen the bark in the oak woods and haul it in large panniers to the tanning mill. Carts groan under the weight of the grain that the farmers bring to the Bannmühle. When the tannery in Dasburg empties its basins, the Our water turns color and it stinks in the valley. Later, the mills no longer make a profit, they die and the bustling activity stops. The weirs remain - dead ends for the inhabitants of the stream. And then comes a dark time: the time of the Westwall with numerous bunkers on the German side. The border is sealed, soldiers march across the bridges and tanks roll.

The Nat'Our theme island "Water - energy supplier through the ages" and the Dasburg bunker hiking trail are reminders of these times. Today, nature and man work hand in hand: As part of the cross-border nature park project "Nat'Our", areas along the banks of the river Our have been cleared, weirs have been dismantled and fish ladders have been built so that the brook trout can once again migrate upstream to their spawning grounds. The blasted bunkers have become overgrown and are now valuable habitats and retreats for shy animals such as wildcats and bats.