Introduction
In 2006 I found myself in Lumsden Barracks, a British Army Camp in Oerbke, in the District of Soltau Bad Fallingbostel in Lower Saxony. I immediately found myself in a walker's paradise.
Lumsden Barracks is one of a number of military establishments in Fallingbostel Station which forms part of the United Kingdom 7th Armoured Brigade. It is named after Lieutenant General Herbert Lumsden CB DSO MC (1897–1945), one of the “Desert Generals” who commanded X Corps 8th Army in the Second Battle of El Alamein under General Bernard Law Montgomery.
The country side around Oerbke is ideal walking terrain for all ages and all levels of fitness. The ground is relatively flat, the trails are well sign posted with small white metal markers, and the ubiquitous river Böhme and the Autobahn A7 make it virtually impossible to get lost.
Lying in the Böhme valley, the spa (Kneippe Cure) town of Bad Fallingbostel provides a central starting point for exploring the farming villages within a 15 km radius. The landscape is a blend of open fields interspersed with plantations of oak, silver birch, beech, and conifers. Farming hamlets established in the 15th century dot the landscape. Wildlife is abundant. Deer are often encountered browsing at the margins of cultivated fields.
A number of walking guides are available from local bookshops, but few are available in English. This site hopes to fill the gap by providing an explanatory guide to the walks in the Vogelpark–Region. All walks are self explanatory and can be enjoyed throughout the year. Walkers will find the KV Plan Kombi 1:25000 map of Bad Fallingbostel very useful, as this shows all the walking paths with their respective plant and animal symbols.
Ticks are prevalent from May to September. Some ticks in this region are infected with Borrelia which causes Lyme's disease. It is therefore advisable to use an insect repellant when walking in summer. One should also be vigilant when walking during the hunting season, as shooting towers are occupied with hunters awaiting deer or wild boar.