Niedersächsische Elbtalaue

The ‘Niedersächsische Elbtalaue’ biosphere reserve, established unanimously by the Lower Saxony state parliament in 2002, is Lower Saxony's contribution to the transnational ‘Elbe River Landscape’ biosphere reserve recognised by UNESCO.

The ‘Niedersächsische Elbtalaue’ biosphere reserve, established unanimously by the Lower Saxony state parliament in 2002, is Lower Saxony's contribution to the transnational ‘Elbe River Landscape’ biosphere reserve recognised by UNESCO. It extends 100 km south-east of Hamburg and stretches from Elbe kilometre 472.5 near Schnackenburg to Elbe kilometre 569 near Lauenburg at altitudes between 5 and 109 m above sea level. It is part of the 2,823 km² transnational UNESCO biosphere reserve ‘Flusslandschaft Elbe’ and was established on 23 November 2002 with a total area of 567.6 km² by the law on the biosphere reserve ‘Niedersächsische Elbtalaue’ (NElbtBRG). Of this, 16,540 hectares are allocated to Area A, 20,100 hectares to Area B and 20,120 hectares to Area C, of which 1,007 hectares of state-owned land are designated as natural dynamic areas. The Elbe floodplain is primarily characterised by the course of the Elbe with its near-natural banks and wide forelands. The Elbe floodplain, which is still regularly flooded, is adjoined on the land side of the dykes by the original floodplain with the extensive Elbe marshes. The areas of the Lüneburg, Neuhaus, Dannenberg and Gartow Elbe marshes are crossed by the lowlands of the Elbe tributaries such as the Aland, Seege and Jeetzel. The edge of the valley is largely characterised by post-glacial valley sands and dune fields with lichen-rich pine forests, open sandy areas and dry sandy grasslands. In places, the river flows at the foot of glacial moraines up to 70 metres high, which are mostly overgrown with beech and oak forests. The aim of the ‘Niedersächsische Elbtalaue’ biosphere reserve is to preserve and develop this unique floodplain landscape with its scenic, cultural, social and economic values and functions so that people and nature can co-exist.