Dr. Thomas Gerdes

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Wintery river Hunte

On 22 February 2026, I went for a photo walk along the Altonaer Circular Walk, near Gut Altona outside Wildeshausen.

A wide lake sits still under a heavy grey winter sky. Mixed woodland surrounds the water on both sides — bare deciduous trees with reddish-brown foliage stand alongside dark evergreens. A small wooded island rises from the middle of the lake.A narrow gravel road leads through a tunnel of tall trees densely covered in dark green ivy, creating a striking corridor effect. In the foreground on the right, a red and white triangular German warning sign shows a tram or light rail symbol, indicating a level crossing ahead. A second sign is visible further down the road.A weathered wooden shed with teal-painted walls and an orange-trimmed gable stands in a winter woodland setting. A white sign panel reads "Luftfahrt-Verein Wildeshausen Ahlhorn e.V." in blue lettering, flanked by two red DALA aviation club logos. Fallen leaves cover the ground.A view framed by the arch of a red-brick railway viaduct, its walls covered in colourful graffiti. Through the arch, a small stream winds past a metal railing and into scrubby winter vegetation — bare shrubs, dried reeds, and leafless trees stretching toward a pale cloudy sky. A narrow footpath runs along the bank.A winding gravel footpath curves through a dense winter forest. On the right, a steep bank is blanketed in ivy and copper-coloured beech leaves still clinging to the branches. Tall conifers rise in the background. A partially visible wooden trail sign is mounted to a tree on the left. The warm russet tones contrast with the grey overcast sky.A black-and-white upward view into a mixed winter forest canopy. Tall conifers with dense needled branches stand alongside bare deciduous trees, their intricate branch structures silhouetted against a bright, cloud-filled sky. The high-contrast monochrome treatment emphasises the graphic patterns of branches and tree trunks.

The route follows an old arm of the river Hunte, and the landscape along it is striking — still and unhurried in a way that makes it easy to imagine how this area might have looked in the Stone Age. The constant hum of the motorway in the background pulls you back to the present soon enough.

The walk took me past a lake under a grey February sky. Moments later, I was surprised to find a railway crossing warning sign on what had seemed like a quiet woodland path.

Some distance along was the clubhouse of the Luftfahrt-Verein Wildeshausen-Ahlhorn, an aviation association, its teal wooden walls weathered and marked with graffiti. Soon afterwards, a brick railway arch came into view, offering a glimpse of the river and the sparse winter vegetation beyond.

Near the end of the tour, a gravel path curved into the forest. The last impression of the walk was of tall and bare trees reaching up into a pale winter sky.

A moss-covered tree has fallen into a slow-moving river, its branches spreading across the dark water. A few orange leaves still cling to the surrounding twigs, with dry winter vegetation lining the far bank.
Moss-covered branch in river Hunte.

I particularly like this photo of a moss-covered tree that has fallen into the old arm of the Hunte. Its branches spread across the slow-moving water, with a few remaining orange leaves clinging to the surrounding twigs.

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