Giesen Hills

The Giesen Hills form a low ridge in the Innerste Uplands north of Hildesheim. They lie between two rivers, the Innerste on the east and the Leine six kilometres to the west. The ridge runs roughly south to north, with its highest unnamed point reaching 162.6 metres. The northern half is mostly woodland, crossed by a few footpaths and forest tracks. To the east the land drops steeply to the Innerste, while to the west it slopes gently towards the Leine. The hills sit in a quiet corner of the Hildesheim district, away from main towns. The federal road B 6 runs along the eastern edge, and the Hildesheim Canal lies just beyond it. A stretch of the A 7 motorway passes a little further east, while a military training area borders the southern edge. Nearby villages include Giesen on the northern rim and Himmelsthür to the northwest of Hildesheim. Visitors find a small, unspoilt landscape of beech and oak woods with open rides. The footpaths are little used, so the ridge offers peaceful walking with long views over the surrounding countryside. To the east the Innerste valley appears below, and to the west the land falls away towards the Leine floodplain. The hills sit between two rivers yet remain free of heavy traffic noise.