Around the town of the Heath Queen, nature reveals fabulous sites all linked together by this bike tour.
The over 8,000-year-old Pietzmoor is the largest area of bog in Lüneburg Heath and belongs to the car-free Lüneburg Heath nature reserve. This area of bog is one of the most mystical places in Lüneburg Heath. It is particularly beautiful in spring, when the cotton grass is in fruit and the white tufts of blossom are reflected in the dark areas of bog. Numerous species of flora and fauna can be found in Pietzmoor, such as sundew or various dragonflies. A five-kilometre circular route takes you on boardwalks through Pietzmoor. On this walk information boards tell you about the history and significance of this bog.
Note: the circular trail through Pietzmoor can only be undertaken on foot, not by bike.
Another high point of this cycle tour is Osterheide, just outside the gates of the Heath town of Schneverdingen. Osterheide is one of the largest areas of heathland in Lüneburg Heath. Sandy paths traverse the softly rolling landscape of Osterheide. Mighty juniper bushes and delicate birch trees characterise the landscape.
Up to 1994 Osterheide was a military training area. From 1994 the Verein Naturschutzpark e.V. (VNP) association took on the recultivation of the partially destroyed terrain. With a lot of time and effort the Verein Naturschutzpark e.V. has created an extensive heath landscape for locals and visitors. During the work the network of routes for walkers and cyclist has been very well developed.
And yet another natural highlight awaits you on this cycle tour all around Schneverdingen:
the Camp Reinsehlen unimproved grassland area.
At Camp Reinsehlen there is the largest unimproved grassland area in North Germany. This does indeed sound very unattractive but it is a characteristic. The soil here is particularly poor in nutrients. And yet rare plants such as maiden pink, little cotton-rose and hairgrass have adapted to this nutrient-poor soil and found a new habitat. This nutrient-poor grassland area is also ideal for ground-nesting birds.