Ricklinger gravel ponds

The Ricklingen gravel pits are part of the southern Leine floodplain, which stretches in a wide band from Lake Maschsee southward, extending well beyond the city limits of Hannover into the surrounding countryside. Shaped by gravel extraction in the second half of the last century, the landscape—featuring lakes, meadows, and willow groves between the districts of Ricklingen and Döhren/Wülfel—is now one of the most important large recreational areas in the city of Hannover and its surrounding region. It is a protected landscape area and is accessible via a well-developed network of hiking and biking trails.

Three bodies of water that are officially approved for bathing and registered as EU bathing waters are known as "Ricklinger Kiesteiche".

These include the "Dreiecksteich" (4.5 hectares of water), the southern part of the Ricklinger Teich (5.5 hectares of water) and the "Sieben-Meter-Teich" (6 hectares of water), the northern shore of which is a nudist area. There are large sunbathing lawns along the ponds that blend into the surrounding landscape. The only source of disturbance in this inner-city idyll is the Südschnellweg, which crosses the area. It is visually concealed by dense tree cover.

The remaining bodies of water in the southern Leine floodplain within the city limits of Hannover are reserved for quiet recreation and serve as a refuge for many animal and plant species, particularly waterfowl. Swimming is not permitted here.

© Thomas Langreder, Region Hannover

Bathing lake

Ricklinger gravel ponds

Three huge swimming ponds offer recreational opportunities right in the heart of Hannover.

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