Rehburg Hills
Encyclopedia
The Rehburg Hills are a hill range, up to , in the districts of Nienburg and Schaumburg in Lower Saxony
, Germany
.
was a well-known spa and bathing resort in the 18th and 19th centuries. As a result they have been referred to for centuries as the Rehburger Berge or Rehburg Hills.
. They lie between Rehburg-Loccum
(to the northwest), Hagenburg
(to the east) and Sachsenhagen
(to the south) and run close by the village of Bad Rehburg
that gives them their name. The latter, like the settlements of Loccum
, Rehburg, Münchehagen in the west and Winzlar in the east belong to the borough of Rehburg-Loccum. The municipalities of Wölpinghausen
(including Bergkirchen) and Auhagen
(including Düdinghausen) in the south also lie on the ridge. Away to the south is the Schaumburg Forest
, whilst to the northeast is Lake Steinhude (Steinhuder Meer).
Not far to the north of the Rehburg Hills runs a section of the stream known as the Steinhuder Meerbach; to the south is part of the Mittelland Canal, to the west is part of the upper course of the Fulde and about 10 km west of the ridge are the middle reaches of the River Weser.
From the high points of the Rehburg Hills there are views across to the River Weser, Lake Steinhude, the Deister
, Bückeberg
, Schaumburg Forest
, Stemweder Berg
and Wiehen Hills.
The bulging of the saddle occurred as a result of the movement of Malm Salt (not Zechstein Salt) deep underground that forced the overlying, younger layers of solid rock upwards. In later times the softer rocks in the centre of the saddle (clay and marl, Upper Jurassic) weathered away, creating a morphological depression (relief inversion). The weather-resistant sandstones (Wealden Sandstone
s of the Lower Cretaceous) form the flanks of the saddle and produce a bowl-shaped ridge.
In the Wealden Sandstone there are coal deposits of low quality and thickness. After 1945 some of this coal was mined.
Sandstone was quarried in Düdinghausen and to a large extent near Münchehagen.
The Rehburger Berge are covered by a mixed woodland of beech and spruce and surrounded by large areas of moor and lowland. Of the many small streams and becks that drain the ridge, the most notable are the Hülsebeeke in the west near Loccum and the Winzlaer Grenzgraben in the west.
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Origin of the name
The Rehburg Hills and their foothills give the impression of being several small neighbouring hills. The little village of Bad RehburgBad Rehburg
Bad Rehburg is a former spa resort in the Rehburg Hills in central Germany. Today Bad Rehburg is a village in the borough of Rehburg-Loccum in the south of the district of Nienburg/Weser in Lower Saxony...
was a well-known spa and bathing resort in the 18th and 19th centuries. As a result they have been referred to for centuries as the Rehburger Berge or Rehburg Hills.
Geographical location
The Rehburg Hills occupy the southern part of the district of Nienburg and northern part of the district of Schaumburg on the southwestern edge of the Steinhuder Meer Nature ParkSteinhuder Meer Nature Park
The Steinhuder Meer Nature Park , with northwest Germany's largest inland lake, the Steinhuder Meer, at its heart, covers an area of within the districts of Nienburg and Schaumburg and the region of Hanover...
. They lie between Rehburg-Loccum
Rehburg-Loccum
Rehburg-Loccum is a town 50 km north west of Hanover in the district of Nienburg in Lower Saxony, Germany.-Geographical location:Rehburg-Loccum borders the Steinhude Lake...
(to the northwest), Hagenburg
Hagenburg
Hagenburg is a municipality in the district of Schaumburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
(to the east) and Sachsenhagen
Sachsenhagen
Sachsenhagen is a town in the district of Schaumburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 9 km northeast of Stadthagen, and 33 km west of Hanover....
(to the south) and run close by the village of Bad Rehburg
Bad Rehburg
Bad Rehburg is a former spa resort in the Rehburg Hills in central Germany. Today Bad Rehburg is a village in the borough of Rehburg-Loccum in the south of the district of Nienburg/Weser in Lower Saxony...
that gives them their name. The latter, like the settlements of Loccum
Loccum
Loccum is a village situated about 50 km north west of Hanover in the district of Nienburg in Lower-Saxony, Germany. It has been a part of the city of Rehburg-Loccum since 1974. Loccum covers an area of 32 km² with a population of about 3166 people ....
, Rehburg, Münchehagen in the west and Winzlar in the east belong to the borough of Rehburg-Loccum. The municipalities of Wölpinghausen
Wölpinghausen
Wölpinghausen is a municipality in the district of Schaumburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
(including Bergkirchen) and Auhagen
Auhagen
Auhagen is a municipality in the district of Schaumburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany....
(including Düdinghausen) in the south also lie on the ridge. Away to the south is the Schaumburg Forest
Schaumburg Forest
The Schaumburg Forest is a wooded region, about with an area of around 40 km², in the district of Schaumburg in the German federal state of Lower Saxony.- Location :...
, whilst to the northeast is Lake Steinhude (Steinhuder Meer).
Not far to the north of the Rehburg Hills runs a section of the stream known as the Steinhuder Meerbach; to the south is part of the Mittelland Canal, to the west is part of the upper course of the Fulde and about 10 km west of the ridge are the middle reaches of the River Weser.
Individual hills
The highest elevation in the Rehburg Hills is the Brunnenberg at . Other summits include the Wölpinghauser Berg , in the far east, the Düdinghäuser Berg , the Loccumer Berg and the Atgeberg .From the high points of the Rehburg Hills there are views across to the River Weser, Lake Steinhude, the Deister
Deister
The Deister is a chain of hills in the German state of Lower Saxony, about 15 mi southwest of the city of Hanover. It runs in a north-westerly direction from Springe in the south to Rodenberg in the north. The next the chain of hills that attaches in the south is called Small Deister...
, Bückeberg
Bückeberg
The Bückeberg is a ridge in the Calenberg Uplands between the Harrl and the Deister in central Germany, and is often considered part of the Weser Uplands...
, Schaumburg Forest
Schaumburg Forest
The Schaumburg Forest is a wooded region, about with an area of around 40 km², in the district of Schaumburg in the German federal state of Lower Saxony.- Location :...
, Stemweder Berg
Stemweder Berg
The Stemweder Berg is a ridge up to on the border of North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony in Germany and is the northernmost and smallest of Germany's Central Uplands ranges....
and Wiehen Hills.
Geology
The bowl-shaped Rehburg Hills were formed by relief inversion. They fall steeply away to the north, but its southern slopes are more gently. The ridge is, from a geological viewpoint, a saddle (the Rehburg Saddle or Rehburger Sattel), which consists of solid rock.The bulging of the saddle occurred as a result of the movement of Malm Salt (not Zechstein Salt) deep underground that forced the overlying, younger layers of solid rock upwards. In later times the softer rocks in the centre of the saddle (clay and marl, Upper Jurassic) weathered away, creating a morphological depression (relief inversion). The weather-resistant sandstones (Wealden Sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
s of the Lower Cretaceous) form the flanks of the saddle and produce a bowl-shaped ridge.
In the Wealden Sandstone there are coal deposits of low quality and thickness. After 1945 some of this coal was mined.
Sandstone was quarried in Düdinghausen and to a large extent near Münchehagen.
The Rehburger Berge are covered by a mixed woodland of beech and spruce and surrounded by large areas of moor and lowland. Of the many small streams and becks that drain the ridge, the most notable are the Hülsebeeke in the west near Loccum and the Winzlaer Grenzgraben in the west.
Points of interest
Amongst the points of interest in the area are the:- Münchehagen Dinosaur Park: numerous giant dinosaur tracks near Münchehagen
- 800 year old Cistercian abbey at LoccumLoccum AbbeyLoccum Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery in the town of Rehburg-Loccum, Lower Saxony, near Steinhude Lake.-History:...
, founded in 1163 - Late Romanesque, 13th century church in Loccum, visible from afar
- ecological conservation station of Steinhuder Meer (ÖSSM) in Winzlar
- Wilhelm Tower on the Wölpinghäuser Berg, built in 1848
- Holländer windmillWindmillA windmill is a machine which converts the energy of wind into rotational energy by means of vanes called sails or blades. Originally windmills were developed for milling grain for food production. In the course of history the windmill was adapted to many other industrial uses. An important...
near Bergkirchen, worked from 1850 to 1955 - Evangelical church of St. Catharine in Bergkirchen, built around 1150
- Quarry and coal shaft near Düdinghausen
- Historic spa resort of Bad Rehburg from the Romantic period
- Chaple of St. Friederike, Bad Rehburg
- Foundations of an old abbey near the abandoned villageAbandoned villageAn abandoned village is a village that has, for some reason, been deserted. In many countries, and throughout history, thousands of villages were deserted for a variety of causes...
of Asbeke from the 11th century - Ringwall site of Düsselburg probably from the Early Middle AgesEarly Middle AgesThe Early Middle Ages was the period of European history lasting from the 5th century to approximately 1000. The Early Middle Ages followed the decline of the Western Roman Empire and preceded the High Middle Ages...
, 3 km northwest of Rehburg