Luneburg Heath Attractions Lüneburger Heide

The beautiful Lüneburg Heath, a ridge of sandy heathland formed from Ice Age deposits of sand, extending between the Aller and lower Weser in the southwest and the Elbe in the northeast, is the largest expanse of heathland in Germany, reaching a height of 169 m/554ft in the Wilseder Berg. The principal rivers draining into the Elbe are the Ilmenau, Luhe, Aue, Seeve, Este and Oste.

Old-time railroads:

The "Ameisenbär" ("Ant-Bear"), from Soltau to the Lüneburg Heath Nature Reserve.

The "Celler-Land-Express", from Celle to the Südheide Nature Park and to Hankensbüttel.

The "Heide-Express", from Lüneburg or Winsen an der Luhe to Soltau.

The "Preussenzug" through the district of Gifhorn.

There are many opportunities for trips on the Lüneburg Heath in old mail coaches or horse-drawn carriages.

The dry and infertile stretches of higher ground, between which lie tracts of bog, are covered for much of their extent by heather, which during the flowering season in August brings a touch of life and color to the rather melancholy landscape. Variety is given by the curiously misshapen juniper bushes, the sandy tracks caught between clumps of birches and the red brick farmhouses nestling amid groups of oak-trees. Numerous "Hunengräber" ("Huns' graves"; megalithic tombs) are a reminder that men lived here in prehistoric times.

The expanse of real heath country has been steadily reduced in recent years. The traditional bee-keeping and the rearing of moorland sheep, which destroyed so many trees, have declined sharply, replaced by forestry, arable farming and industry (mining of diatomite, extraction of oil). The areas on the fringes of the Heath, such as the Aller and Elbe fenlands, are horse-breeding country.