Bodetal

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Bodetal is the valley of the Warmen Bode and the Kalten Bode in the Harz Mountains . In the narrower sense, Bodetal only refers to the ten kilometer long, ravine-like valley section of the Bode between Treseburg and Thale .

The Bode, which rises on the Brocken , the highest mountain in the Harz Mountains, has cut into the morphologically hard Ramberg granite there . The gorge is about 140 meters deep near Treseburg and about 280 meters deep at the transition to the Harz foreland near Thale. The Bode valley was placed under nature protection on March 5, 1937 and later expanded. With a current size of 473.78 hectares, it is one of the largest nature reserves in Saxony-Anhalt . In 2006 the Bode valley was included in the list of 77 national geotopes awarded .

View from Hexentanzplatz into the Bodetal, in the middle the Rosstrappe massif , on the left the settlement of Königsruhe

geology

Ramberg granite, fresh handpiece from the Bodeklamm
View from the Rosstrappe into the Bodetal

In addition to the 300 million years ago coming in and the Upper Carboniferous to the surface cooled granitic intrusive body of Ramberggranits and quartz veins associated Bode cuts in its gorge by contact metamorphosis resulting hornfels and knotenschiefer to and slate and greywacke with quartz insertions and Diabasgängen from Devon ago 400 to 370 million years ago. The Ramberg granite mainly forms the front part of the gorge and shapes the highest rocks. Due to the high proportion of white feldspar it appears light. The quartz gives it a gray tint. The proportion of black mica ( biotite ) is low and does not matter in terms of color. The light granite stands out overall from the dark to black stones of hornfels and clay slate. As a result, the front part of the gorge and the river bed of the Bode appear significantly lighter in this area than the rear. The slate in the rear part of the gorge has bands in places, which still reveal the former stratification of the sea sediment. The ligament slates were only slightly remodeled diagenetically .

climate

In the area of ​​the Bodetal, the annual mean temperatures decrease from 8 ° C to 6.5 ° C and the total annual precipitation increases from 600 to 720 mm. The strong spatial differences in the gorge, for example sunny, warm and dry south-facing slopes compared to the less sunny, cool and humid north-facing slopes and valley bottoms, have an equally powerful effect on the terrain's climate.

Floors

The most widespread form of soil are silicate syrosemes , which belong to the raw rock soils in the area of ​​rocks and rock debris. In shallower areas with less rearrangement of the soil particles, tendrils of various thicknesses have developed. Brown tendrils appear over slate as a special soil form. Podsolated brown earth can be found at the edge of the gorge .

Waters

The Bodetal from the Treseburg entrance to the Bodetal nature reserve
Wilde Bode with granite blocks
Tame Bode north of Treseburg

In the area of ​​its gorge, the Bode has a width of 7 to 25 m and a gradient of 100 m by 17 km. Its course and bed are very close to nature within the gorge. Kettles, rapids and scouring in the rock alternate with gravel islands and flat banks. The most famous rapids on the Bode, the Bodekessel, not far southwest of the Königsruhe restaurant, are shrouded in legend . Before it was blown up in 1798, a low waterfall . Blocks and stones structure the river bed. Slow stretches of water occur mainly in the Hornfels area ("Zahme Bode"), rapids ("Wilde Bode") are mainly located in the lower part of the gorge and were formed by the river cutting into the Ramberg granite . The water regime within the gorge is determined by the dams of the Bodewerk in the upper reaches of the Bode. The runoff can vary greatly: During the devastating New Year's floods of 1925, a runoff of 350 m³ / s was recorded; in the summer of 1926 the Bode was almost dry (0.35 m³ / s). Further floods were recorded in 1667, 1730 and April 1984. According to a plan from 1891, the Bode was also to be dammed in the Bodeschlucht by a 150 m high dam on the Bodekessel. However, the plan was rejected.

Only a few tributaries flow into the Bode on the right in the area of ​​the gorge. Luppbode , which comes from Allrode, is a lively babbling brook . It goes up in the Bode near Treseburg. Another side stream is the Dambach, which leads to the Bode in a side gorge northwest below the Rabenstein.

Flora and fauna

vegetation

Old beeches on a rock above the Bode

In the Bodeschlucht, there is a small-scale change in site conditions, which creates a closely interwoven vegetation mosaic. The special abundance of plant species is related to the local diversity.

  • On the steep slopes, small areas of ravine and rubble forests , dry forests , rubble heaps, silicate rocks alternate with rock bushes, rocks and xerothermal lawns .
  • The rock corridors in the Bodeschlucht have been described as whitecloth corridor, alpine aster rock corridor and grass lily heather.
  • The most widespread dry forests are birch-oak forests and pechnelken-sessile oak forests.
  • Extensive and very natural linden-maple canyon and rubble forests of the lower mountain ranges ( Tilio-Acerion ) have developed on the shady slopes .
  • On small areas in the lower slope areas there are also red beech forests of acidic soil ( Luzulo fagetes ).
  • Bode river banks, low-flow have the emergence of reed canary grass reed ( Phalaridetum arundinaceae ) and ground elder Pestwurzflur ( Aegopodio podagrariae-Petisetum albae ) favors.

The most common tree species in the forests are sessile oak ( Quercus petraea ), summer linden ( Tilia platyphyllos ), sycamore maple ( Acer pseudoplatanus ), silver birch ( Betula pendula ) and mountain ash ( Sorbus aucuparia ). The occurrence of the yew tree ( Taxus baccata ) is also worth mentioning .

In the herbaceous layer is dominated grove bluegrass ( Poa nemoralis ), wavy ( Avenella flexuosa , particularly in Oak dry forests), forest-eaves ( Luzula luzuloides ), Genuine wood fern ( Dryopteris filix-mas ), Gymnocarpium Robertianum ( Gymnocarpium robertianum ), forest hawkweed ( Hieracium murorum ) baneberry ( Actea spicata ) Small-flowered balsam ( Impatiens parviflora ), herb ( Geranium robertianum ) Perennial Bingelkraut ( Mercurialis perennis ) and others.

A special flora is formed on the granite rocks . There are Amelanchier ovalis ( Amelanchier ovalis ), dyer's broom ( Genista tinctoria ), Red bent grass ( Agrostis capillaris ), Campion ( Lychnis viscaria ), Rock stonecrop ( Sedum reflexum ) and other frequently.

The spring aspect is characterized by Buschwindröschen ( Anemone nemorosa ) and yellow Anemone ( Anemone ranunculoides ), hollow Corydalis ( Corydalis cava ), Spring pea ( Lathyrus vernus ), liverwort ( hepatica nobilis ) and Wechselblättrigem Chrysosplenium ( Chrysosplenium alternifolium ) mounted on the stream banks grows, but also covers heaps of rubble trickled through as a carpet. Scale root ( Lathraea squamaria ) also occurs here and there as well as Märzenbecher ( Leucojum vernum ).

In the ravine forests, silver leaf ( Lunaria rediviva ) and plane- leaved buttercup ( Ranunculus platanifolius ) form aspects in places.

Animal species

The Bodeschlucht is also the habitat of numerous and a refuge for many rare animal species. Wildcat , Bechstein's bat , peregrine falcon , black stork , middle woodpecker and others are rare . The insect fauna is also very rich in species . Dipper and gray wagtail can often be seen hunting for insects by the stream bed . Also mallards nesting places in the reeds or on remote gravel beds. In spring, fire salamanders cavort in the Bode valley during spawning time, which you have to watch out for when hiking.

From a faunistic point of view, the Bode belongs to the loach region in the area of ​​its gorge , which characterizes fast flowing and clean, mostly shaded creek sections. In addition to the brown trout, loaches , westgroups , three-spined sticklebacks and minnow occur naturally . Pike , hazel and perch are rare guests . The rainbow trout was used by anglers .

tourism

Main hiking trail in the Bodetal

The Bodeschlucht can only be hiked in its entire length. Due to the narrowness of the gorge, it is not possible to take a bike or bridle path. Climbing and hiking off the beaten track, mountain biking, canyoning, water hiking and rafting are prohibited for reasons of species and biotope protection . Tourist focal points, restaurants and accommodation providers are located at the Thalenser entrance to the Bodetal.

A ten kilometer long hiking trail opens up the Bodeschlucht between Thale and Treseburg. At narrow points the path is led in steep bends and as a footpath over rocks. From there there are excellent views of the gorge. Access roads into the valley start from the viewing rocks at Rosstrappe and Hexentanzplatz . High trails lead from both points to Treseburg, with the trail leading from the Roßtrappe over the Wilhelmsblick .

The Bode valley has hundreds of thousands of visitors every year and is one of the main tourist attractions in Saxony-Anhalt.

particularities

View from the cable car to Hexentanzplatz over the entrance to the Bode gorge

The order corresponds to the occurrence along the Bodetal between Thale and Treseburg.

  • Katersteg: Bridge at the youth hostel (former hotel from 1845) or Café Waldkater . The forecast for spared at this point a hunter to an enchanted cat Weinpanscher and received in gratitude a pot of gold, which he built the inn.
  • Schallhöhle : In 1760 a 20 m long corridor was carved into the rocks, in which gunfire was fired for the pleasure of the guests. Spring water from the cave was sold as water of life. Today the cave is closed by a grid. A memorial plaque next to the former entrance commemorates the long-time administrator Heinrich Reckleben, who finally lost his hearing due to the gunfire and was run over by a beer coach.
  • Siebenbrüder- or Goethefelsen : multi-headed granite rock. According to legend, seven brothers from the Bohemian Forest wanted to rape a woman who had turned them away at this point at the entrance to the gorge and were turned into the seven-headed rock as a punishment. The rock was renamed Goethefelsen on the occasion of the 200th birthday of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe on August 28, 1949. On a granite block in the Bode below the rock, the Goethe stone , Goethe studied at its Bodetalbesuch fracturing of the rock.
  • Crown Swamp: A scouring of Bode. The Ross Trapp forecast by guards there Bodo the crown of the princess Brunhilde.
  • Jungfrau or Great Elector and Mönch: rock forms in front of the Jungfernbrücke. After the Rosstrappen saga there, a monk froze to stone in horror when he saw Bodo fall into the depths.
  • La Viershöhe rises on the south side of the Bode valley, which allows a wide view of the Bode valley.
  • Jungfernbrücke : Stone bridge at the "Königsruhe" inn. According to legend, they are only allowed to cross virgins so that it does not collapse. The innkeeper later sounded a bell as soon as a maiden stepped on the bridge.
  • Königsruhe : Restaurant with beer garden and guesthouse in the Hirschgrund in the middle of the Bodeschlucht . There the Jungfernstieg leads over the Bode and the narrower part of the gorge begins. From the terrace there is a view of the rocks and the rushing Bode. The group of houses also includes the hut of the Harz Mountain Rescue Service, which is occupied during the main visitor hours . As early as 1820, refreshments were sold in the Hirschgrund. In 1860 a stone house was built, which initially housed a pastry shop .
  • Bülow monument directly behind Königsruhe in the direction of Treseburg
  • for cinnabar cave leading cinnabar Stieg
  • Stone church: rocks in the form of a church tower with a subsequent nave above the Hirschgrund. A cross was placed on the top of the rock.
  • Schurre : An old hunter's path, expanded in 1850, which leads in 18 hairpin bends over a dump of granite, horn rock and diabase to the Rosstrappe.
  • Teufelskanzel: Rocks above the Bodeklamm at the Teufelsbrücke over the "Blue Swamp" (narrowest part of the Bode valley). According to legend, it is from there that the devil spoke to the witches .
  • Bodekessel: Strudel pot of the Bode at the Teufelsbrücke. According to the legend, it came about as follows: The German god Wasur (eternal cycle of water) broke through the rock wall that once connected the witches' dance floor and the Rosstrappe to save Wotan from the anger of his father Hodir . He paved the way for the Bode and created the Bodekessel. Wotan was then placed on the divine throne. In fact, the strudel pot was scoured from the former low waterfall, which was blown up in 1784 to make the Bode raftable.
  • Long neck: The Bode river bends far to the north. The long neck leads the Bode around a rock made of hornfels and diabase. The valley then widens again in the area of ​​the knot slate.
  • Prince's view: Viewpoint on a rock with rubble dump above the Bodeschlucht, which can only be reached via the Plateauweg.
  • Bibra Cross : Monument in honor of Baron Helmuth von Bibra
  • Thunderstorm cliffs: rocks made of hard calcium silicate corn rock and diabase, which causes the Bode to make another bend in the river.
  • Bodegang: Several quartz porphyry tunnels 3 to 8 m wide, which cross the valley in several places. First described by the geologist KA Lossen.
  • Kästental: Small side stream valley of the Bode with a small waterfall, which was named after the old yew trees (Old High German "Kästen") that occur there.
  • Pfeil monument: At the Dambachhaus not far from the Bodetal, it commemorates the forest scientist Friedrich Wilhelm Leopold Pfeil .

In 2016 the Bodetal was a filming location for the German fairy tale film Das singende, Klingende Bäumchen .

Selection of famous Bodetal visitors

literature

  • Falko Kirsch, Bernd Ohlendorf: Guide through the Bodetal. History, geology, legends, flora, fauna. Thale
  • Manfred Oelsner : Bodetal. 5th edition. Tourist-Verlag, Berlin 1991, ISBN 3-350-00225-0

Web links

Commons : Bodetal  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Matthias Thomae: Hexentanzplatz and Rosstrappe - The Bodetal in the Harz . In: Ernst-Rüdiger Look, Ludger Feldmann (Ed.): Fascination Geology. The important geotopes of Germany , E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-510-65219-3 , p. 38f.

Coordinates: 51 ° 44 ′ 8 ″  N , 11 ° 0 ′ 35 ″  E