7 Rur - mountain hay meadow and gorge forests

The route leads through gorge forests and along meadows. Large populations of the persistent silverleaf, a typical species for gorge forest sites, grow at the edge of the path. The way goes downhill through spruce forest to the Rur, then uphill again and then runs along meadows. In spring, you can hear the song of the tree pipit here. You pass forest areas where the conversion from spruce to mixed deciduous forest is taking place. In the southern part of the hiking route, you pass extensively managed mountain hay meadows, where wild daffodils bloom in spring, followed later by bear's garlic, devil's claw, woundwort, and black knapweed. Here you can see many butterflies, and with some luck also the blue shimmer fire butterfly on a meadow fallow.