Rüdigsdorf Switzerland
Encyclopedia
Rüdigsdorf Switzerland is a range of hills up to near the village of Rüdigsdorf in the district of Nordhausen in the German state of Thuringia
.
The landscape is the last intact gypsum karst region in the state and has therefore been designated by the EU as a protected area
. It is one of the smallest "little Switzerland
s" in Germany. The majority of the area is a nature reserve.
to the southwest, Krimderode to the west, Niedersachswerfen
to the northwest, Harzungen
and Neustadt
to the north, Buchholz to the east and Steigerthal to the southeast. The central villages of the region, which descends gradually towards the west and southwest, are the Rüdigsdorf and Petersdorf. The Zorge
, a tributary of the Helme
, flows past the hills to the south.
landscape − which is dotted with sinkhole
s − is the Buchholzer Berg (350.1 m), west of
Buchholz.
→ Other hills in the range may be found in the Harz section of the article on "List of mountains and hills of Thuringia"
regiment was stationed in Rüdigsdorf Switzerland during the First World War.
During the 20th century around a third of the natural landscape was destroyed by gypsum quarrying. In early 2005, quarrying was due to restart, but was prevented by protest from the local population. Nevertheless, there is still interest in the area from the gypsum industry.
At the top of the village of Rüdigsdorf is checkpoint no. 100 in the Harzer Wandernadel
hiking network.
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
.
The landscape is the last intact gypsum karst region in the state and has therefore been designated by the EU as a protected area
Protected area
Protected areas are locations which receive protection because of their recognised natural, ecological and/or cultural values. There are several kinds of protected areas, which vary by level of protection depending on the enabling laws of each country or the regulations of the international...
. It is one of the smallest "little Switzerland
Little Switzerland
Little Switzerland may refer to:* Little Switzerland , a generic term for an area of scenic beauty* Little Switzerland , an area of Franconia* Little Switzerland , a region of Luxembourgin the United States...
s" in Germany. The majority of the area is a nature reserve.
Location
Rüdigsdorf Switzerland lies in the extreme southern foothills of the Harz Mountains of central Germany between NordhausenNordhausen
Nordhausen is a town at the southern edge of the Harz Mountains, in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Nordhausen...
to the southwest, Krimderode to the west, Niedersachswerfen
Niedersachswerfen
Niedersachswerfen is a municipality in the district of Nordhausen, in Thuringia, Germany....
to the northwest, Harzungen
Harzungen
Harzungen is a municipality in the district of Nordhausen, in Thuringia, Germany....
and Neustadt
Neustadt/Harz
Neustadt/Harz is a municipality in the district of Nordhausen, in Thuringia, Germany.-Culture and places of interest:The area around Neustadt is rich in places of interest, which are all accessible on footpaths. Of the three castle ruins Hohnstein Castle, the oldest in the entire Harz, is the most...
to the north, Buchholz to the east and Steigerthal to the southeast. The central villages of the region, which descends gradually towards the west and southwest, are the Rüdigsdorf and Petersdorf. The Zorge
Zorge (river)
The Zorge is a tributary of the River Helme in central Germany. It is about 40 km long and flows from the state of Lower Saxony into Thuringia...
, a tributary of the Helme
Helme
Helme may refer to:* Helme a long river in central Germany*Helme Parish, a rural municipality in Valga County, Estonia**Helme, a small borough in Helme Parish**Helme Castle in Helme...
, flows past the hills to the south.
Hills
The highest point in the karstKARST
Kilometer-square Area Radio Synthesis Telescope is a Chinese telescope project to which FAST is a forerunner. KARST is a set of large spherical reflectors on karst landforms, which are bowlshaped limestone sinkholes named after the Kras region in Slovenia and Northern Italy. It will consist of...
landscape − which is dotted with sinkhole
Sinkhole
A sinkhole, also known as a sink, shake hole, swallow hole, swallet, doline or cenote, is a natural depression or hole in the Earth's surface caused by karst processes — the chemical dissolution of carbonate rocks or suffosion processes for example in sandstone...
s − is the Buchholzer Berg (350.1 m), west of
Buchholz.
→ Other hills in the range may be found in the Harz section of the article on "List of mountains and hills of Thuringia"
History
A LandwehrLandwehr
Landwehr, or Landeswehr, is a German language term used in referring to certain national armies, or militias found in nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Europe. In different context it refers to large scale, low strength fortifications...
regiment was stationed in Rüdigsdorf Switzerland during the First World War.
During the 20th century around a third of the natural landscape was destroyed by gypsum quarrying. In early 2005, quarrying was due to restart, but was prevented by protest from the local population. Nevertheless, there is still interest in the area from the gypsum industry.
Hiking
Rüdigsdorf Switzerland is crossed by the Karst Trail, a thematic long-distance path which links places of natural interest in the landscape.At the top of the village of Rüdigsdorf is checkpoint no. 100 in the Harzer Wandernadel
Harzer Wandernadel
The Harzer Wandernadel is a network of checkpoints for walkers in the Harz mountains in North Germany. It includes a system whereby the hiker can earn badges at different levels by walking to the various checkpoints in the network and recording them...
hiking network.
External links
- Rüdigsdorfer Agenda 21 – projects
- Rüdigsdorfer Schweiz in Danger
- Rüdigsdorfer Schweiz at karstwanderweg.de