Lüneburg Heath

As a rural region, the Heid is still of great importance to agriculture today. It is famous for high-quality food products such as potatoes and honey, for the shepherds’ environmentally friendly farming practices, for its Heid sheep, and for its appeal as a tourist destination. With its network of cycling, canoeing, and hiking trails, the Heid is also a popular local recreation area. The Lüneburg Heath Nature Park is Lower Saxony’s oldest cultural landscape and offers even “non-Heid residents” a place to retreat and enjoy the open spaces.

The purple heather, in particular, attracts many tourists to the heathland—a leisurely 88 km from Hanover—when it blooms in August. The delicate heather then transforms the landscape—which is otherwise rather barren and treeless—into a beautiful display of colors, and it is celebrated in style at the nationally renowned Heath Blossom Festival in Schneverdingen. Thanks to direct access via the A7, this unique landscape is a destination that’s easy to reach. Whether by carriage or on foot—the heather flowers captivate every visitor.

© Lüneburger Heide, Inc.

In the past, agriculture, livestock farming, and logging shaped the North-West German Lowlands, creating open areas that today offer ideal conditions for nature conservation. What makes this area unique is not only that it is Lower Saxony’s oldest and largest nature reserve, but also that it is unparalleled in all of Germany. Here you’ll find Central Europe’s largest contiguous heathland areas, which provide a habitat for many—in some cases endangered—animal species.

Amid the purple carpets of the nature park, you might occasionally come across a flock of the famous heath sheep and their shepherds along the hiking and biking trails.

Lüneburg and Celle

Not far from Hanover and easily accessible by train or car lies Lüneburg, the medieval Hanseatic city that gave its name to the heath. Day-trippers are captivated by the magnificent patrician houses with their brick gables and the medieval town hall on the market square.

The city of Celle, with its rich cultural heritage nestled in the unspoiled landscape of the Lüneburg Heath, captivates visitors with over 450 lovingly restored half-timbered houses in the Old Town and is considered one of the most important and beautiful royal seat cities in Lower Saxony. The Residence Museum in Celle Castle tells the story of the Guelph dukes in Celle.