For reasons of road safety, the soil nature trail in Raffelsbrand will remain closed until further notice. Extensive renovation measures (renewal of the dilapidated wooden walkways etc.) are required. A reopening date is not yet known!

Fascinating moorland area with over 3000 years of history

The "Todtenbruch" educational soil trail in Hürtgenwald-Raffelsbrand is the first educational soil trail in North Rhine-Westphalia and teaches you about the importance of soil as a habitat and plant location. The "Todtenbruch" with its old coniferous woodlands is the north-easternmost foothills of the "High Fens". On the 4.5-kilometer forest walk, you will be offered informative diagrams. So that you can explore the different soil layers, six soils that are representative of the area under investigation have been carefully selected by soil scientists, excavated and visualized. In this way, you can explore the six stations with the soil profiles and get a good insight into the diversity of soils in the "High Fens". Here you can see how the soil is used as a forest site, find out whether there is room for improvement and whether, for example, trees suitable for the site are growing on it. You can also find out more about the characteristics of the soil, its different forms and its sensitivity and need for protection.

The nature trail leads you across the ecologically particularly valuable moorland areas of the "Todtenbruch". You can walk on a 700-metre-long boardwalk directly over the sensitive soils and through the headwaters of the Weiße Wehe without touching them. The moors cover an area of around 40 hectares and, at 3000 years old, are still relatively young in geological terms. Raised bogs are highly sensitive biotopes that can only form under very special conditions. There must be an impermeable layer of clay in the soil and the amount of precipitation must also be sufficient. Only then can the peat moss grow. You can find very rare plant species here, such as the carnivorous sundew, the fluffy white cotton grass, the pink-flowering bell heather or various orchids.

The nature trail is also ideal for your children. Special child-friendly adventure elements such as a soil touch trail have been integrated for this purpose.

The raised bog with its surrounding landscape shows a different face every season, so it is always worth a visit, although the drier season from May to October is of course the best time. From the beginning of November to the end of March, however, this nature trail is subject to a closed season and is not accessible.

At a glance

• Circular hiking trail
• Start/finish: Ringstraße parking lot, 52396 Hürtgenwald-Raffelsbrand
• Distance: 4.5 km
• Duration: 1:40 h
• Difficulty level: easy
• Family-friendly
• Barrier-free
• Not accessible from the beginning of November to the end of March due to the closed season

Equipment

• Waterproof hiking boots and clothing suitable for the weather
• Sufficient water and some food