The present administrative structure for the biosphere reserve was established in 1998, when it was commissioned with the task of looking after the system of protection areas in the Elbe valley. mehr

Visitors are very welcome in the Elbe valley. The surroundings and their inhabitants both human and animal extend a warm invitation to anyone looking for ways of spending their free time in harmony with nature. mehr

The Lower Saxonian Elbe valley is an ancient cultural landscape, with traces of human activity going back to the Bronze Age 3,000 years ago. mehr

Over thousands of years the powerful river changed its course many times. New meanders formed, whilst older ones were cut off from the main flow and became oxbow lakes. Learn more about the power of nature. mehr

The Biosphere Reserve ‘Niedersächsische Elbtalaue’, which was created on the basis of a unanimous decision by the Lower Saxonian State Parliament in 2002, represents Lower Saxony’s contribution to the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve ‘Flusslandschaft Elbe’. mehr