The Alperstedter Ried in the cold season
Water buffalo, Exmoor ponies and special cows
It takes a bit of effort to get out of the warm car. The meadows are powdered white - it snowed a little. An unpleasant wind from the north east asks again: Do you really want to walk around here?
Yes, we want to. The cows, horses and buffaloes do it too. And these are the reason for our visit to the Alperstedter Ried. The old moorland is also interesting,
But: It was only the prospect of being able to observe exotic animals on a huge area that lured us out of Erfurt. As we start walking, the cows grazing some distance away also start to move. It moos and a long procession of cow bodies starts moving. A closer look reveals that two sheep have also joined the herd. These were there at some point and no one knows where they came from. Let's see how long they stay.
On the way to the first viewpoint we see the Exmoor ponies. These robust horses are perfectly adapted to life in this environment and, like all animals living here, contribute to the preservation of the landscape.
The viewpoint itself offers more than just a view. As in some places in the Alperstedter Ried, there is a “program” here too:
Let's move on. The hazy weather makes the reed landscape seem like something out of a fairy tale. And when water buffaloes run through the snow in fairy tales, no one is surprised:
We go to the second observation point. Here we can see the herd of cows from the beginning of our visit again in the distance.
In the meantime, the wind, the bad weather and the cold season in general have been forgotten in their shabbiness - even on days like these it is worth getting out of the car/bus/bicycle saddle and exploring the place.
Conclusion:
The Alperstedter Ried scores points for the animals that live here. Exmoor ponies, red mountain cattle and water buffalo rarely find themselves together in such a huge pasture. The special landscape is another reason to set up here.
Accessibility:
Car: 30 minutes
Public transport: 60 minutes (with 15 minutes walk)
Bike: 50 minutes
The starting point in Erfurt is Willy Brandtplatz at the main train station.
