Anyone who has walked the trail with open ears in spring will no longer need to ask about the origin of the name ...
The short Nightingale Trail runs exclusively across the open spaces of the southern Kindel, which are variedly structured by hedges and groups of bushes. It crosses the summer pastures of sheep and goats, which keep the areas permanently open and thus preserve valuable open land habitats. Ornithologists in particular will never tire of discovering this trail, which can easily be hiked in an hour, but also invites you to linger longer at various points. It is particularly recommended to experience the trail in the early morning hours or towards evening.
Starting point
The Nightingale Trail starts at the Kindel hiking parking lot, directly on the B 84 between the towns of Großenlupnitz and Behringen. From the hiking parking lot, you can learn more about open land and grazing in the Hainich National Park from the large information boards. Together with the Wild Willow Adventure Trail, the trail first leads through the large visitor gate.
On the "Generalsweg" to the Wilde Weide lookout tower
The Generalsweg is a paved path that was once used by tanks. The surrounding areas were used for military purposes as early as 1870. In the 1930s, the Wehrmacht acquired the land and in 1945 the Red Army took over the area. The areas used for military purposes were continually expanded. In the 1960s and again in the 1980s, the military cleared large areas to create firing ranges. The size of the Kindel military training area was 2540 hectares. Units from all over the GDR came to train here. Military use ended in 1991 and the disposal of military waste began in 1992.
Passing the adventure stations and seating facilities on the Wilde Weide adventure trail, we reach the Wilde Weide observation tower. It is worth at least climbing a few steps to the terrace of the tower. From here, there are beautiful views to the north, east and west. To the north, you can see the forest areas of the national park as well as the reforested areas of the Kindel. To the west, you can see the famous Wartburg Castle. Around the observation tower are the grazing areas, to the north and east the wild pasture with horses and cattle, to the west the summer pasture for sheep and goats.
Information boards at the lookout tower provide information about the year-round grazing project Wild Pasture in the Hainich as well as the cross-border NATURA 2000 network of protected areas.
Across the sheep and goat pasture to the Silbersee observation platform
Return to the Generalsweg trail through the visitor lock to the sheep and goat pasture. A sign at the entrance provides information on the correct behavior in the area. For example, dogs must be kept on a short lead and the grazing animals must not be fed. The path now runs straight ahead across meadows that are beautifully colorful in summer. After a few meters, the Wilde Weide adventure trail branches off to the left. The Nightingale Trail continues straight ahead, with Wartburg Castle always in view. Information boards along the trail provide information at several points about the various aspects of grazing in the Hainich National Park. For example, the rare golden fritillary butterfly, which has found a habitat here, is introduced. The trail also leads repeatedly through hawthorn and blackthorn hedges, which are covered in webs in spring. The caterpillars eat diligently, so that the bushes are quite bare for a short time, but then sprout again and by summer at the latest you can no longer see anything of the former lodgers.
The path continues along a small quarry. Here is a request: Do not build any cairns! Let the motto "Let nature be nature" apply here too and stay on the path!
The seating area at "Am Schlangengraben" invites you to take a break. Don't worry, there are no poisonous snakes in the national park. Only the harmless grass snake can be found in the area.
Soon you will see the turning point of the Nightingale Trail, the observation pulpit at Silbersee. In spring, the rare yellow-bellied toad finds numerous puddles and small pools to spawn in these areas. An information board provides information about this protected inhabitant of the national park. In summer, when there has been no rain for a long time, the puddles and wet spots have dried out. The function of the small bridge is then not immediately obvious.
Silbersee observation platform
The Silbersee is an artificial body of water that was created as a retention basin some time before the national park was established. It is said that tanks were even washed here when it was used for military purposes. Today it is the largest body of still water in the national park. Like its namesake from the Karl May episodes, the lake owes its name to the shimmering play of light on the waves in the evening sun. Here, at the latest, it pays to have binoculars with you to observe the water birds. Various species of duck, coot and moorhen can often be seen. Boards in the pulpit make it easier to identify the birds. Pouched tits occasionally build their nests in the bushes at the edge.
Sunny way back to the exit gate
The observation pulpit is the turning point of the trail. Turn right at the yellow-bellied toad sign. Even if you are not lucky enough to encounter the sheep and goats that live here, you can see their numerous tracks as an indication that they frequent this area.
The way back runs along the pasture fence for a while.
While the first half of the trail is still shaded here and there, the way back is very exposed to the sun. On hot, sunny days, remember to bring sun protection and plenty to drink!
We first walk towards the Wilde Weide observation tower, but shortly before the end - as the signs show - we turn right together with the Wilde Weide adventure trail to the exit gate and the Kindel parking lot.
Stream meadow and information pavilion
After leaving the pasture, we walk through a stream meadow with a forest of willows (meaning the tree species here), tall herbaceous meadows and wet scrub. In spring, the powerful nightingale male unmistakably sets the tone here. Several breeding pairs of the "Queen of the Night" are regular visitors. Thus the symbol of this trail, the nightingale, is also explained. Water continues to ripple and stand in this area long into the spring. Afterwards, there is one last place to sit. The information pavilion provides comprehensive information about the grazing animals, the grazing projects, NATURA 2000 and also about current events in the national park. Now it is only a few more steps and we reach the Kindel hiking parking lot.