* * * S E C H T A S A F A R I - the Auerochs Path near Bopfingen * * *

* * * S E C H T A S A F A R I - the Auerochs Path near Bopfingen * * *

The sun beats down mercilessly from the sky, countless crickets chirp in the tall grass... The air shimmers and the silence is so dominant that you can almost hear it... A hint of the Serengeti wafts over the hills of the Ostalb: In the midst of the primal, renaturalized floodplain of the Sechta between Oberdorf and Kerkingen, a herd of about 20 impressive aurochs presents a nearly forgotten image of primeval nature. These remarkable, selectively bred ancestral cattle – recognizable by their dense, shaggy coats and massive horns measuring over a meter in span – graze year-round on a 25-hectare pasture in nearly free-range conditions. Hikers and cyclists can marvel at the colossal animals on a well-marked circular path that idyllically winds at the foot of the distinctive Ipf mountain and the picturesque Baldern castle. Along the 5-kilometer long, renaturalized stream, the dynamic force of nature becomes visible: Here, one can see how the new river course of the Sechta is actively reshaping the landscape, allowing flora and fauna to constantly change and recolonize. This fascinating, nature-oriented section was collaboratively created by the Ostalbkreis landscape conservation association and the Sechta-Eger water and soil association. The ideal starting point for the circular path is the hiking parking lots at Edelbach, at the Celtic shelter near Oberdorf, or directly at the 'Haus am Fluss' in Itzlingen. The history of the