Our last full day in Limpach was Wednesday (13 May 2026); we were to leave the next morning after breakfast.
It was cold but sunny, and no rain was forecast.
 |
| The usual morning picture from our patio |
For a change, we chose a tour from our booklet that did not start right from our front door. Instead we drove a short distance to Markdorf, a town about 6 km from Lake Constance. Markdorf looked pretty enough as we were driving through, but the town itself wasn't our destination: We wanted to walk the "Gehrenberg Guckinsland" (literally "Gehrenberg view the country").
Gehrenberg is both the name of a region near Lake Constance, comprising Deggenhausertal (which was "our" area), Bermatingen, Oberteuringen and Markdorf, as well as of the wooded mountain rising behind Markdorf.
The Guckinsland hike even has its own website (in German). It is listed as a "premium hiking trail", 14.77 km long and leads up and down through the by now familiar wildflower meadows, woodland, fields and a few settlements and lone farms.
 |
| Old water reservoir above Markdorf |
 |
| Wild orchid (orchis purpurea) |
 |
| Wildflower meadows! I just can't get enough of them. |
 |
| This marker marks the geographical centre of the region. |
Its highlight is certainly Gehrenbergturm (Gehrenberg tower) which allows great views when the weather is in favour, which it was in our case. The tower is 30 m high, and we were really surprised at how much stronger the wind was up there and how much colder it was as opposed to the ground! I am not kidding - we could feel the wind rattling the phones in our hands as we were taking photos, and felt the need to pull our hoods up even for the few minutes we were on the viewing platform.
 |
| Is it just me or is there something Eiffel-towerish about the steel arches and construction? |
We followed the signposts without a problem and didn't go on any detours, as far as we were aware, but O.K.'s watch still logged 15.5 km in the end. It was a very enjoyable hike with plenty to see, and we especially loved to observe groups of red kites (milvus milvus) wheeling, diving and soaring above one particular field - at some stage, I am sure there were 8 or more of them doing their acrobatics! They really are beautiful birds, wonderful to watch
 |
| This was the red kite field, although you can't see them here. |
 |
| A landslide has happened here in 1911, creating a sheer drop of 50 m across a length of 200 m. |
 |
| Bluebells! This is the kind we see in our part of the world, not the same (I think) as the ones that enchant the woods a bit earlier in the year in England. |
 |
| This horse chestnut is for my Mum. |
Back in Limpach, we followed our familiar and pleasant pattern: first the sauna with a bit of a rest, then changing for dinner and have another delicious meal. My main course that evening was fried fillet of halibut, very nice.
I love the old barn! Those bluebells are indeed different from the British ones -- yours look like a type of Campanula.
ReplyDeleteI can't resist such buildings like the old barn and would love to explore, but of course I don't. Yes, I believe the latin name of these bluebells is campanula something or other.
DeleteThe wooded mountain is like a story out of Middle Earth or King Arthur's realm.
ReplyDeleteWild orchids and rare bluebells. Perfect place for your honeymoon.
Kites I watched through field glasses at the home of PJ Kavanagh near Cirencester.
He'd written The Perfect Stranger about the death of his wife Sally in Indonesia in 1958.
Still in mourning though married again with two small boys he found solace in nature.
See Find A Grave online : Sarah Jane Sally Philips Kavanagh.
Her sudden death at 24 from poliomyelitis made him the great poet of nature.
Sally's mother Rosamunde Lehmann wrote a supernatural book about her daughter,
The Swan in the Evening.
It all comes back whenever I see kites soaring.
The landslide on the wooded mountain would be part of the story; a punishment?
DeleteHow tragic that Sarah Kavanagh died so young, and so suddenly. No wonder her husband's grief was still very present even when he remarried and had children. It can't have been easy for his new family, either.
Gosh, those views are really terrific. You and O.K. sure do like hiking! Wishing you many, many happy, beautiful hikes together! xo
ReplyDeleteThank you, dear Ellen! We very much enjoyed that hike on previously unknown paths and with the views from the tower.
DeleteWhat beautiful views! I also love the wildflowers! The blossoms you have here for your Mom, those colors would be great colors for her to knit! I do hope you will show us her photo from your wedding with her knitted wrap! The coolness on top of the tower reminds me of our trip to Brasstown Bald, it was almost 20 degrees cooler, I think. Once again, lovely!
ReplyDeleteThe strong wind and coolness on top of the tower was especially surprising since it was only up a few flights of steps, not like climbing a mountain.
DeleteThe views, the wildflowers, the springtime green of the woods and fields, the kites... it was a very good day to be out there.
A beautiful start to married life
ReplyDeleteSiobhan x
Very much so, Siobhan!
DeleteMeike
x
Your bluebells look more like what we call harebells (Campanula rotundifolia). Although perhaps yours are a bit bigger, hard to tell. What a high tower! Amazing views though. I love red kites too. They have been successfully reintroduced in the UK, having been confined to a very small area (in Wales I think) at one time, due to persecution. They are quite a common sight in our Yorkshire skies now.
ReplyDeleteThe flowers in that field were more than knee-high, so I guess "our" bluebells are bigger than "yours".
DeleteIt is good to know that red kites have successfully been reintroduced in the UK. If we as a species make an effort, we can achieve a lot.
Lovely views but I'd never climb that tower - wouldn't have even when I was younger, I never liked heights... Your bluebells look much like those that we also have in Sweden!
ReplyDeleteWith its see-through stairs, people afraid of heights will not climb that tower, I guess.
DeleteThank you for the Chestnut Blossom!
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome, Mum!
DeleteMy comment disappeared again! Anyway, I thought this was the perfect start to married life, with such beautiful scenery, perfect weather (if there is such a thing) and those wonderful wildflower meadows.
ReplyDeleteHello Janice, I don‘t know what happened with your comment; it has not gone to spam (I check that daily).
DeleteIt was just what we wanted, time to ourselves and for hiking/walking. There is such a thing as perfect weather, depending on what one wants or needs to do, and we had good hiking weather most of the time.